Christian-Muslim Mix in Art
Stirs Furor in Australia
A print depicting Osama bin Laden in a Christlike pose and a statue of the Virgin Mary covered in a burqa has ignited debate in Australia after they were showcased in a competition for religious works at the National Art School in Sydney, Reuters reported. “The choice of such artwork is gratuitously offensive to the religious beliefs of many Australians,” Prime Minister John Howard told The Daily Telegraph. The works — “Bearded Orientals: Making the Empire Cross” by Priscilla Bracks and “The Fourth Secret of Fatima” by Luke Sullivan — were among 500 competing for the $12,300 Blake Prize for Religious Art. It was won on Wednesday by the Aboriginal painter Shirley Purdie for “Stations of the Cross,” a recreation of stories told to her in childhood. The Rev. Rod Pattenden, a spokesman for the prize, defended the choice of the controversial works, saying the aim of the prize was to encourage discussion about spirituality in society, which was the goal of both artists.
Hirst’s Diamond Skull
Fetches $100 Million
Damien Hirst is selling his diamond-encrusted platinum skull for $100 million to an investment group, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. The skull is studded with 8,601 diamonds, including a 52.40 carat stone valued at more than $8 million. Mr. Hirst’s business manager, Frank Dunphy, said the buyers, who were not identified, did not receive a discount and would pay in cash. He would not specify the payment period but added that the sale would close in three or four weeks, and that the buyers would be required to exhibit the work for two or three years in museums around the world. The skull, which cost $23.6 million to make, according to the White Cube gallery in London, where it was exhibited, has been on the market at least since June 3. Art professionals said Mr. Hirst, 42, who made his name by pickling sharks, cows, sheep and the like, is likely to get 75 percent or more of the proceeds of a sale.
‘Scissors’ Author Settles Suit
A $2 million lawsuit against the author Augusten Burroughs, by the family that sued him for defamation for his best-selling book “Running With Scissors,” has been settled, The Associated Press reported yesterday. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Mr. Burroughs and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, agreed to call the volume a “book” instead of “memoirs” in the author’s note, although the word memoir will still appear on the cover and elsewhere, and to change the acknowledgments in future editions to say that the Turcotte family’s memories of events he describes are “different from my own.” In addition future editions will express regret for “any unintentional harm” to them. But in a statement released yesterday by St. Martin’s, Mr. Burroughs declared his work “an entirely accurate memoir.” Howard Cooper, a lawyer for the family, said financial terms of the settlement were confidential. Mr. Burroughs lived with the Turcottes as a teenager, and though the book calls them “the Finches,” the lawsuit maintains that they are easily identified.
More Outlets for Simpson Book
Just over a week after Barnes & Noble said it would not carry copies of “If I Did It,” the book in which O. J. Simpson hypothesizes about how he might have murdered Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in 1994, the bookseller is reversing its decision. In a statement yesterday Mary Ellen Keating, a Barnes & Noble spokeswoman, said the company had initially responded to “widespread customer outrage and disgust” when it decided not to offer the book in its stores. But the company was selling it at bn.com, where advance orders propelled the book as high as No. 1 on its best-seller list. (Yesterday it had fallen to No. 17.) The company has “concluded that enough customers have expressed interest in buying the book to warrant stocking it in our stores,” Ms. Keating said. “We do not intend to promote the book, but we will stock it in our stores because our customers are asking for it.” Eric Kampmann, president of Beaufort Books, the publisher of “If I Did It,” said he had increased the first print run to 150,000 copies from 125,000. MOTOKO RICH
Lebanon Retracts Ban
On Performance Piece
Reacting swiftly to Lebanon’s revocation of its ban on his performance piece, Rabih Mroue presented “How Nancy Wished That Everything Was an April Fool’s Joke” twice yesterday at the Theater of the City in Beirut. “Nancy” presents an episodic history of Lebanon’s civil war, using interwoven narratives by four fighters who belonged to — and betrayed — various militias. This month the Interior Ministry had banned the script, written by Mr. Mroue and Fadi Toufic, from being performed locally, citing concern that it would incite sectarian strife. The ban was appealed to the culture minister, Tarek Mitri, who said that he found no justification for the ban. On Monday it was reversed. KAELEN WILSON-GOLDIE
Country Music Competitors
George Strait and Brad Paisley, with five nominations each, led the field yesterday when the Country Music Association awards nominations were announced in Nashville, The Associated Press reported. Besides competing for entertainer and male vocalist of the year, Mr. Strait was nominated for musical event of the year, album of the year and single of the year. Mr. Paisley will compete for honors in the categories of entertainer, male vocalist, album, single and music video. Other competitors for entertainer of the year are Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. The ceremony is Nov. 7 in Nashville.
Film Festivals Begin
This year’s Telluride Film Festival, from today through Monday in the mountain town in Colorado, will bestow its Silver Medallions on the actor Daniel Day-Lewis, the composer Michel Legrand and the Indian director Shyam Benegal. ... The 33rd annual Deauville Film Festival, opening today at the beach resort in France, will pay tribute to Michael Douglas, Agence France-Presse reported. The 10-day annual festival of American films will open with Mike Cahill’s “King of California,” starring Mr. Douglas.
