Art
Yoko Ono Finally Gets the Solo She Deserves
When Beatle John Lennon, artist Yoko Ono’s third husband, was shot and killed in 1980, Ono went into deep mourning.
John Cage
Opinion
John Cage's 1960 Game Show Performance
"He is probably the most controversial figure in the musical world today and when you hear his performance, if you will forgive me, you'll understand why."
In Brief
New John Cage Archive Offers Access to His Compositions and Collaborations
Launched yesterday, a free online archive of John Cage performances presents a comprehensive overview of his career, from a watering can poured on national television to a rhythmic solo piano performance inspired by lost love.
Art
John Cage: Mushroom Hunter
John Cage, legendary composer of experimental sounds and silence, was absolutely fascinated with mushrooms. This little-known legacy consists of his revival of the New York Mycological Society in the 1960s and his extensive fungi collection, now at the University of California, Santa Cruz. A new exh
Art
Next Stop, Reality: A Sixties Radicalism Revisited
Radio Waves: New York “Nouveau Réalisme” and Rauschenberg at Sperone Westwater is a long-overdue exhibition revolving around the enigmatic Swiss artist Jean Tinguely.
Art
The Original: John Cage, "4'33" (In Proportional Notation)" (1952/1953)
The original version of John Cage's "4'33" (In Proportional Notation)" will go on display at the Museum of Modern Art as part of There Will Never Be Silence: Scoring John Cage’s 4'33" (October 12, 2013–June 22, 2014).
Books
Reading the "Nothings that Are": Craig Dworkin's "No Medium"
“In No Medium Craig Dworkin looks at works that are blank, erased, clear, or silent … point[ing] to a new understanding of media.” So goes the back cover copy of the author’s new book, which was released in March by MIT Press. This paratextual statement, while certainly catchy, is a bit misleading r
Art
Duchamp's Endgame, in Chess and Art
BRIGHTON, UK — Swapping out pieces in a game of chess is only a smart move provided you hold the most on the board, or at least the strongest position. But a new show at the Barbican in London suggests chess could be a “metaphor of exchange” between the artists it lines up. According to the theory,
Books
How Zen Catalyzed Conceptual Art
So, let's just go for it. What the hell happened in art history after the 1950s when the real, discrete art movements started to break down? That’s right — we’re taking the bull by the horns here, tackling the big questions.
Art
Jackson Pollock and John Cage: An American Odd Couple
Jackson Pollock and John Cage are legends in American history. In the centennial year of both artists’ births, two exhibitions now on view in New York celebrate their work and underline the fact that even after their deaths, their influence continues to play an important role in how we understand, i
Art
Northern English Museum Celebrates Ten Years
GATESHEAD, UK — I've visited 35 states in the USA since I moved to Chicago ten years ago, and I've been struck many times by the presence of high-quality art museums in out-of-the-way places, but it'smore surprising to see a comparable art space in England. But the Baltic Mill Art Museum, in the nor
Art
The End of the Legacy: Merce Cunningham's Final Performances Begin Tonight
With a final series of performances beginning tonight and continuing through New Year’s Eve at the Park Avenue Armory, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company will close, ending nearly sixty years in operation.