Tag: 01.13.05

Physicist: Hockney Theory Is Wrong

A California physicist says he has proof that David Hockney’s controversial theory that Renaissance artists traced their work is wrong. “David Stork used computer imaging of a 1645 painting, Christ in the Carpenter’s Studio, by Georges de la Tour, to show that the only source of light in the work was a candle shown in Christ’s hand. It means the image could not have been projected, he said.”

Four-Year-Old Wows Artworld

Marla Olmstead is making an impression with her art. She’s had a gallery show, and the critics were impressed. Of course, Marla is only 4 years old. “She builds her paintings in layers. Children don’t do that. She starts with big swatches of colours and then adds details and accents onto that. That’s what is so impressive and beyond what other children do. She paints with emotion.”

Guggenheim Update: Expanding Into What?

It’s been a while since the Guggenheim generated much heat with its global outpost strategy. So where do the various Guggenheim satellite projects stand? “At present, four additional satellite facilities are in their early stages: Rio de Janeiro, Taichung, Hong Kong and Gaudalajara. The projects all face a certain amount of local opposition, and the Gugg’s current strategy is to leave the local politics to the local politicians.”

Springer On National Tour

After attracting a huge audience for a BBC broadcast, Jerry Springer, The Opera is set to close down in London. But it will be showing up on stages around the UK. “The show will end its West End run on 19 February and head to regional theatres around the country. Its broadcast on BBC Two on Saturday prompted 47,000 complaints to the corporation ahead of broadcast from people who saw it as blasphemous. And a motion has been tabled in the House of Commons condemning the BBC for the “mocking portrayal of Jesus”.

ENO Commisions Gadaffi Opera

The Ebglish National Opera has commissioned a work about Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi. The unnamed work is about “a man of humble origin, born into a Bedouin tribe who became a powerful and influential political leader… the volatile relationship between the Middle East and the West and… international politics and their representation in the media of both worlds”.

Study: Broadway Audience Is Out-Of-Towners

“Confirming many long-held beliefs, a new demographic study shows that 6 in 10 Broadway audience members do come from outside the city and its suburbs, and that the single most important factor in ticket buying is “personal recommendation.” The study, conducted by the League of American Theaters and Producers, a trade group, found that during the 2003-4 season only 16.7 percent of the Broadway audience came from inside the New York City limits, with an additional 22.9 percent coming from suburban areas in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. About half of the 2003-4 crowd came from the rest of the United States, while a little more than 10 percent consisted of international tourists.”

Redgrave’s Return To RSC Canceled

Vanessa Redgrave’s much-anticipated return to the Royal Shakespeare Company after 43 years has been canceled. “Redgrave, 68 this month, was to have opened in a new version by Tony Harrison of Euripides’ tragedy Hecuba at the Royal Shakespeare theatre on February 17. Rehearsals for the play’s chorus began in London last week. The run has been scrapped to give her time to recover from an operation.”

Playwright Speaks Out Against Sikh Protests Of Her Play

Playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti says her life has been upended by the controversy surrounding the cancellation of her play last month at Birmingham Rep after Sikh protests. “My play, Behzti, has been cancelled, I’ve been physically threatened and verbally abused by people who don’t know me. My family has been harassed and I’ve had to leave my home. I have been deeply angered by the upset caused to my family and I ask people to see sense and leave them alone.”