The Full English Breakfast is “an icon of Englishness, as much of a symbol as the flag of St George, but here’s the thing: who really eats it these days? … [And if] the full breakfast is so representative of the English, what does it say about us? … Come with me, if you want to see what the English are really like now. But prepare for some very strong and surprising tastes.”
Tag: 04.11.10
An Erotic Picture Book For The Blind
“Tactile Mind is half art object, half artisanal concept book. It contains explicit softcore images that are raised from its pages, along with Braille text and photos. The effect of the tactile, plastic ‘images’ is a bit like that of an ancient Greek bas-relief. Or, somewhat less precisely, a smutty pop-up book.”
Shen Wei And His Company Both Hit Middle Age
The choreographer – “who at age 22 became a founding member of China’s first modern dance company – turns 42 this year. His New York-based company, Shen Wei Dance Arts, is celebrating its 10th anniversary season. … Perhaps as a result of hitting middle age, Shen has been thinking more about his legacy … [and] is working on codifying a new dance technique.”
Richard Wagner’s Contribution To Comic Books
“To whom do we owe our super-saturated superhero culture? … [I]f you excavate long enough, you will inevitably bump smack into Richard Wagner, the 19th century composer whose four-opera cycle ‘The Ring of the Nibelung’ is regarded by many as an important genetic mother ship for today’s fleet of action heroes.”
An Artist’s Insomnia Flowchart
Complete with “the blob of recent regret” and “loud yet appallingly mild and clichéd R&B from through the wall.”
Rebuilding Merchant Ivory Without The Merchant
When asked, Mr. Ivory focused on the professional side of the loss. “Even after working with him for 40 years, I only really had a feeling for what he did after he wasn’t there anymore, and I had to do it,” Mr. Ivory said, and laughed. “Things I didn’t even know were going on.”
At The Movies – Premature Sequelization
Developing a sequel months before a movie comes out sends a questionable, if not hubristic, message to audiences: “We’re thinking about cramming another movie down your throat before you’ve even told us if you like the first one.”
Has The Era Of Newspaper Critics Passed?
“Some of the coveted print jobs have simply vanished. The shuttering or shrinking of newspaper book sections has meant fewer reviewers. Variety stunned the industry by laying off its chief film critic and its theater critic. Ruth Reichl was one of the last towering food critics, but Conde Nast closed her magazine, Gourmet, last fall.”
Whitney Museum Debates A Split Future
An expansion plan that involves building a second museum downtown has opened a rift on the museum’s 45-member board, which includes some of the wealthiest art patrons in New York.”
Caracas Recruits Graffiti Artists For Political Art
“Government-financed brigades of graffiti artists and muralists are blanketing this city’s walls with politicized images, ranging from crude, graffiti-tagged slogans to bold, colorful works of graphic art. The more overtly political images tend to glamorize President Hugo Chávez’s Bolivarian revolution, and his demonization of Washington is a favorite subject.”