Woman Claims Crossword Puzzle Copyright

90-year old Hannelore K., a retired German dentist, recently visited Nuremberg’s Neues Museum and viewed a 1977 piece by artist Arthur Köpcke that looked like a crossword puzzle. The woman, who mistakenly started filling in said crossword puzzle, now claims that she holds the copyright of the “new” work created by her insertions. She told the police that she interpreted the phrase “Insert words,” which appeared in the piece, as explicit instructions (and permission). The woman’s lawyer claims that his client has even increased the value of the work (rather than having damaged it, as the museum claims), bringing it out of obscurity to the attention of the wide public. Unfortunately, no one can ask the artist what he thinks of the accidental additions, as Köpcke passed away in 1977. Regardless of the outcome in this case, most people can probably agree: it’s a good idea to exercise caution before touching anything in a museum.

The Amazing Art of Rio de Janeiro 

As all eyes have been on the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, many photographers and journalists are reminding the world that Rio de Janeiro is more than just a host city–the stories of its people and the beauty of their art deserve the world’s attention as well. A recent Huffington Post article provides a glimpse into the fascinating range of street art in Brazil’s second most populous city. Since a decree by the Brazilian mayor in 2012, all graffiti and street art created on designated city property is entirely legal (and art on private property simply requires consent of the property owner). This has given street artst in Rio a level of freedom muralists around the world are sure to envy–vibrant designs cover facades all around the city, coloring many of the panoramic shots being shown during the Olympics. Street art is especially popular in Rio’s slums, called favelas, where the beautification of decaying buildings helps revitalize portions of the neighborhoods and brings beauty to places plagued by economic disparity. One recent mural in the city, Kobra’s “Ethnicities,” depicts faces from the five world continents represented in the Olympics and may break the Guinness World Record for largest outdoor mural. Rio stands as another example of the healing power of art and the importance of allowing beauty to shine even in dark places and hard times.

Has Method Acting Lost Its Way?

With the most recent panning of Jared Leto’s performance as The Joker in DC Comics’ film Suicide Squad, many in Hollywood actors and critics, including The Atlantic’s Angelica Jade Bastien, are questioning the current iteration of “method acting.” As a technique, method acting allows actors to ‘lose themselves’ in a role, blurring the line between life and art and signaling a certain level of dedication to a role. The method itself has origins in the early 20th-century teachings of Russian theatrical realist Konstantin Stanislavski, whose work influenced Lee Strasberg, the commonly recognized father of method acting in Hollywood. As actors aim “to draw on their own experiences and emotions as a way to strip their performances of artiface,” they often end up starving themselves, skipping sleep, and withdrawing from friends and loved ones. The list of method acting “greats” has become quite long, including Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Daniel Day-Lewis, Christian Bale, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Leonardo DiCaprio, among others. Those on the list seem to have one glaring thing in common, argues Bastien: they are all men. “Method acting, as it’s practiced today, depends on framing less drastic techniques as feminine, and therefore inferior,” she argues. An (often overlooked) list of equally successful women method actors like Gena Rowlands, Marilyn Monroe, and Tilda Swinton suggest perhaps, Bastien argues, that authenticity and transformative performances need not require such intense suffering.  Bastien ultimately questions whether we should buy into method acting because it may limit the discussion about what types of performances are “worthwhile.”

The Art of Seats

Last month I featured a story about Sebastian Erras, a photographer making us think twice about the beautiful floors beneath our feet. This month French film director Julien Potart is reminding us not to overlook the seats with rest in everyday on our way to work. Through his Instagram account “idontgiveaseat,” Potart has inspired a new appreciation for the fabric on subway cars and bus seats. Potart explains that his inspiration came on work trips, as we would notice different patterns all around him: “I really liked getting lost in thought as I contemplated these patterns…So that’s why I decided to take photos and collect them. It’s a way for me to pay tribute to these ‘seat-artists.'” Though the project started as an individual endeavor, it has developed into a collaborative one as Potart now receives photographs from people around the world: “So I need help from everybody, all over the world,” Potart admits. Another wonderful example of seeing art in even the most common of places.