When is an image borrowed from an artist and when is it inspired by him? Jan Herman wonders after spotting a recent magazine layout that contains images he remembers that were made 39 years ago…
Tag: 03.13.06
The Cure For Bad Handwriting?
“We have a national affliction, and it’s called cacography – that means illegible handwriting. That’s why we’re a ‘Please print’ nation. Nobody says, ‘Please write in your lovely cursive handwriting’. At a time when the computer is king and toddlers type, some educators believe it’s even more imperative to teach a speedy handwriting technique that others can read.’
Wanted – Boys To Dance
Two years ago, Liverpool dance schools got a big boost when Strictly Come Dancing landed on TV. But the new recruits were girls rather than boys. Now they’re looking for some girls. “Out of 84 students, we have only got 18 male students and they are getting a bit worn out dancing and lifting all the girls. They are very macho boys but there just aren’t enough of them to go round.”
Computers That Play Hunches
Computers aren’t good at making intuitive choices. But a new “hunch engine” promises to improve things. “When the user starts the hunch engine he is presented with a seed — a starting point — and a set of mutations. The user selects mutations that look promising in his eyes, and the application uses that selection to generate another set of mutations, continuing in that fashion until the user is satisfied with what he sees. Call it guided natural selection, where the selector for fitness is what looks good to the human in front of the monitor.”
UK Group: Ban TV Product Placement
A UK consumer group has argued against allowing product placement in TV programs, saying it would undermine viewers confidence. “Commercial broadcasters want new ways to raise money as audiences fragment and it becomes easier to skip adverts.”
Maastricht Updates
Maastricht’s art fair of Old Masters is modernizing. “In an effort to capitalize on the tremendous growth of the modern-art market, the show’s organizers are out to carve a niche that they hope will make the European Fine Art Fair a new destination for lovers of modern and contemporary art. This year, in addition to the usual world-class collection of old-master paintings there are prime examples of works by Picasso, Magritte, Mondrian, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and Claes Oldenburg. They are being shown by blue-chip galleries, all newcomers to the show this year.”
Juilliard Library Gets Ready For New Role
Juilliard’s library is getting ready for an unfamiliar role after landing a major trove of important music manuscripts. “Many of the manuscripts await the scrutiny of salivating scholars, who are ready to mine them in service to musicology. Juilliard has promised to make them available. ‘Julliard, to my knowledge, has never been in the position of having to share such a treasure trove with the public, which will be beating a path to their door’.”
A Skyscraper Where It Ought Not To Be?
Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino proposes a skyscraper in a place Robert Campbell calls the worst possible place for it. “The question we ought to be debating, perhaps, is whether we want to be America’s Florence or its Milan — a cultural and educational capital, or a business one. Or both? Exactly how much do we want to grow, anyway? And with what kind of growth cells? That’s a debate that should be public and vociferous.”
Miles Davis In The Rock Hall Of Fame… Really?
“This seems provocative for a second, and then a little meaningless. It is not some sort of timely argument for underappreciated work; adventurous musicians like those in the Black Rock Coalition have been claiming Davis’s electric period as an inspiration for decades. There are some jazz adherents who never liked Davis’s long electric phase and will be mildly outraged. But after all the jagged turns of his career, and its thorough box-set gilding, most of us have long since let Davis’s body of work just assume its own meaning.”
A Popular LA Radio Figure In Legal Limbo
Chris Douridas made a name for himself in Los Angeles with his musical taste, first as musical director for KCRW and then in his work on a number of movies. But it all threatened to unravel earlier this year. “Though many details of what happened are unknown, law enforcement officials paint a lurid picture of events that led to Douridas’ arrest Jan. 6 on suspicion of drugging and trying to kidnap a 14-year-old girl.”