Art
This week: Art in London
With Britain’s defining weather prevailing in full force, Out of Order presents a selection of must-see art exhibitions open in London this week.
Art
Art Market: Money, Death, and Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst, the world’s richest and most prominent artist (his work accounts for almost 10 percent of the art market) is now having a retrospective at the Tate. This is the first major survey of his work in the United Kingdom, and he is also showing at the Paul Stolper Gallery and participating in The Victoria and Albert Museum show “The Innovation of the Modern Age: 1948-2012.” In 2010, Hirst’s wealth was estimated at $340 million. Alternately called the con artist, genius, or mischievous, but generally harmless enfant terrible of the art world, his significance is undeniable.
May 18, 2012
Music
99 Problems and “The Voice” is One
On the live finale of The Voice, Tony Lucca performed “99 Problems,” a rap track off Jay-Z’s The Black Album. During the judge comments, Christina Aguilera launched a blunt assault against Lucca. “The lyrical connotation was a little derogatory towards women,” Aguilera said, clearly upset at Lucca and his coach, Adam Levine. Aguilera took issue with the song’s central verse, “If you’re having girl problems I feel bad for you son / I’ve got 99 problems but a bitch ain’t one.”
May 17, 2012
May 17, 2012
Art
Francesca Woodman at the Guggenheim: The Power of the Image
At the most comprehensive exhibition of the artist’s work since her death, context is writ large is in the wall text and in the catalogue essays, which enter her photography from feminist perspectives and from the context of a new photographic avant-garde in the 1970s. Art historians and critics have parsed Woodman’s oeuvre from numerous angles, from feminist (perhaps the most common) to formalist, then citing Woodman’s enduring influence.
May 16, 2012
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Fashion
Purchase Perchance?: PF Flyers 75th Anniversary Collection
To celebrate its 75th anniversary, American sneaker company PF Flyers launches a limited edition capsule collection.
May 15, 2012
Film
A Look at HBO’s “Girls”
Girls runs a risky gambit. It’s obviously reaching out to a very specific age group in a very specific walk of life, that is, well-to-do-but-not-too-affluent young men and women who are stuck in the post-graduate haze kids typically find themselves in after college. It wants to be funny, while also tackling the issues faced by young people HERE and NOW in 2012. This is obviously a bold task, especially for a writer as young as Dunham (she’s 26). As one might expect, this leaves certain aspects of the show uneven.
May 13, 2012
Film
Director’s Spotlight: Jonathan Demme, Something Wild (1986)
With Stop Making Sense, Jonathan Demme rebounded from the professional and financial failure of Swing Shift, but his bad experiences on the Goldie Hawn vehicle made him question whether or not he was still interested in narrative films. It wasn’t until he read a script by E. Max Frye that Demme found another project that suited his talents. The resulting film, 1986’s appropriately titled Something Wild, was another sprawling slice of Americana, much like Handle with Care and Melvin and Howard. But Something Wild has a certain edge to it unique to Demme’s films. Something Wild is a masterpiece: a truly original and unpredictable cross between screwball comedy, road trip, romance, and thriller that remains Demme’s greatest achievement as a filmmaker.
May 13, 2012
Film
The Avengers (2012)
If you’re looking for the latest highbrow indie drama, you won’t find it here; however, if you’re hankering for a superhero movie with subwoofer-worthy destruction, Scarlett Johansson in a skin-tight jumpsuit, and some serious explosions, you should definitely check out The Avengers. Bottom line: The Avengers sets out to be fun, and it does that well.
May 12, 2012
Art
Visual Caffeine: Exploring Art and Architecture with Avi Abrams, Issue 2
This is the second issue of our “visual caffeine concoctions” (read the first one here) – somewhat unpredictable forays into the history of art and architecture, coupled with mythology, culture and obsolete technology. For those of you who want an even larger dose of our visual caffeine, head over to Dark Roasted Blend, and get addicted to our endless stream of thrilling visual information.
May 12, 2012