Historically, economists have had very little to say about art: in the latter half of this century, that has begun to change. Difficult issues, like pricing and art valuation, the influence on pricing by what is fashionable in art, and the nature of the auction, have recently been tackled by economists in spite of elusive answers. Economic Engagements with Art suggests that taste and fashion in art need not be mysterious or outside rational discourse, and that they can be studied by economists to the great benefit of the discipline. This volume, which deals mostly with painting, is divided into three sections that consider the interplay between art and economics from different perspectives. In the first section, Art and Economic Theory, economists clarify the need to construct a framework for understanding the roles of taste and fashion in art valuation. A historical view is considered in a piece about the teacher of Velasquez and artistic adviser to the Inquisition in Seville, who took into account not only market factors, like demand, but also the “truth” and the nobility of the artist’s profession and of the painting itself. Also in this section is an essay on Rousseau’s perspective on the worth of a painting based on its envy value in social circles; other contributions focus on William Stanley Jevons, a nineteenth century British political economist, whose problems with art stemmed from the uniqueness of each work, rendering definitive market and economic terms irrelevant. The second section of the book, Art and Economic Policy, looks at broader policy issues with regard to the historical role of art. Essays consider policy with respect to art exports and imports and federal patronage of the arts during theDepression; Lionel Robbins and the political economy of art; and the interplay among economy, architecture, and politics as shown in certain postwar Hilton hotels. In the final section, The Business of Art, a variety of perspectives are considered: the economics of art in early modern times, discussed in the context of both humanist and scholastic approaches; the pricing of pictures based on a study of the Smith-Reynolds connection; and the relationships between Otto Nuerath, graphic art, and the social order. The first collaborative and historical treatment of the connection between art and economics, Economic Engagements with Art will appeal to people across, from history and economics to art history.Contributors. Márcia Balisciano, William J. Barber, Neil de Marchi, Bertil Fridén, Crauford D. Goodwin, Guido Guerzoni, Robert J. Leonard, Harro Maas, Ernest Mathijs, Steven G. Medema, Bert Mosselmans, Zarinés Negrón, Marcia Pointon, Helen Rees, Toon van Houdt, Annabel Wharton, Sara Zablotney

hbd saul bass, via Guardian UK

hyperallergic:

Residencies and Radio: New Opportunities to Explore China’s Art Scene

China Residencies maintains a growing directory of residency offerings available to foreigners.

SAN…

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Photo No. f1100c25 National Archive and Records Administration, Northeast Region - NYC, Record Group 181 - courtesy of Brooklyn Navy Yard Archive

The 81-year-old spy writer is in the midst of a hardy late-career bloom.

slavin:

Woke up with this Klee painting in my head.  

(via hyperallergic)

love via http://www.jr-art.net/

catrinastewart:

Cano Cristales River

The incredible natural colours of Caño Cristales, Colombia, which commonly called “The River of Five Colors,” owes its colours to the red of the Macarenia clavigera at the bottom of the river.

slavin:

Blogging this midway through, to tell you this a great use of an hour of your time.

Even if you’ve never watched The Wire, even if you don’t care about newspapers, it’s an extraordinary talk.

In a moment that’s 100% what the what — here’s an hour about the why of the why.

David Simon: “The Audacity of Despair” (by UCBerkeleyEvents)

catrinastewart:

David Jien

fotojournalismus:

A man is smeared with vermillion powder while celebrating “Sindoor Jatra” vermillion powder festival at Thimi, near Kathmandu on April 15, 2013. The festival is celebrated to mark the Nepalese New Year and the beginning of spring season in Nepal.

[Credit : Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters]

slavin:

these are the amazing times we live in, wherein Anonymous pursues Rehtaeh Parsons’ rapists, and 4chan goes after suspects in the Boston Marathon bombs.

laughingsquid:

4chan’s analysis of photos from the Boston Marathon bombings