Featured Articles
Fuse Book Review: “The Shelf”‘s Splendid Ambition — to Burst Open the Literary Canon
Like me, Phyllis Rose frets about the zillion fine books out there that nobody bothers with. Why their neglect? She reasons that it’s because no one pedigreed has championed them.
Fuse Music Interview: “I Can’t Admit Defeat” — Wussy Carries On
“Music is kind of like a religion in a way, and your heroes become your patron saints.”
The late Otto Piene was a world-class artist. He created large scale and elegant environmental art pieces that seamlessly combined art, participation, and technology.
Fuse Visual Arts Review: “Turner & the Sea” at the Peabody Essex Museum — A Grand Performance
Some of J.M.W. Turner’s most personal, experimental, and enigmatic works have been selected for this show. They are also among the most fragile and least often shown.
Fuse Theater Review: Richard Snee and Paula Plum Make for a Rewarding “Auld Lang Syne”
Local playwright Jack Neary always captures the frisson of nostalgia and resentment familiar to Catholic school graduates of a certain era, teasing gently without ever offending.
Two significant feature debuts at the MFA’s French Film Festival — Age of Panic goes where few movies have gone before, while Apaches trains a calm, dispassionate gaze on disaffected youth.
Fuse Visual Arts Feature: Tadao Ando at the Clark — More than Meets the Eye in Williamstown
Tadao Ando’s new Clark, minimalist in its materials and understated presence, is more Zen than a billboard for its disparate architectural elements, more harmony than postmodern dissonance.
Fuse Music Review: Matthew Sweet/Tommy Keene –The Indelible Pleasures of Power Pop
One good reason to see Matthew Sweet is that his songs are more immediate live than on CD.
In Brief
- Fuse Remembrance: Otto Piene, Pioneer Environmental Artist and Former Director of MIT’s Center for Advanced Visual Studies
The late Otto Piene was a world-class artist. He created large scale and elegant environmental art pieces that seamlessly combined art, participation, and technology.
- Fuse Visual Arts Feature: Tadao Ando at the Clark — More than Meets the Eye in Williamstown
Tadao Ando’s new Clark, minimalist in its materials and understated presence, is more Zen than a billboard for its disparate architectural elements, more harmony than postmodern dissonance.
- Fuse Coming Attractions: What Will Light Your Fire This Week
Arts Fuse critics select the best in music, film, theater, visual arts, author readings, and dance that’s coming up in the next week.
- Fuse CD Note: Pianist Gilbert Kalish — As Usual, Distinguished and Appealing Performances
Gilbert Kalish’s recital is as distinguished and appealing as one would expect.
Music
Fuse Music Interview: “I Can’t Admit Defeat” — Wussy Carries On
“Music is kind of like a religion in a way, and your heroes become your patron saints.”
Theater
Fuse Theater Review: Richard Snee and Paula Plum Make for a Rewarding “Auld Lang Syne”
Local playwright Jack Neary always captures the frisson of nostalgia and resentment familiar to Catholic school graduates of a certain era, teasing gently without ever offending.
Film
Two significant feature debuts at the MFA’s French Film Festival — Age of Panic goes where few movies have gone before, while Apaches trains a calm, dispassionate gaze on disaffected youth.
Literature
Fuse Book Review: “The Shelf”‘s Splendid Ambition — to Burst Open the Literary Canon
Like me, Phyllis Rose frets about the zillion fine books out there that nobody bothers with. Why their neglect? She reasons that it’s because no one pedigreed has championed them.
Visual Arts
The late Otto Piene was a world-class artist. He created large scale and elegant environmental art pieces that seamlessly combined art, participation, and technology.
Dance
Fuse Dance Feature: Wonder X 2
In red gloves and dark glasses, popping and locking, the Wondertwins are both imposing humans and robotic objects, organic and mechanical reproduction.
Television
Television Review: “Louie” at Season Four — Art House TV
Louie is a difficult show to advertise because it is the only example of art-television at the moment.
Food
Fuse Food Review: At Sam LaGrassa’s — Corned Beef, The Essence of Jewish Goodness
The best corned beef in the Boston area by far is, get this, at an Italian lunch joint in Downtown Crossing, Sam LaGrassa’s.
Video Games
Fuse Video Game Commentary: The Ideology of “Angry Birds” — Back to “Animal Farm”
The mega-popular video game Angry Birds is nothing if not hypocritical. A story of political and moral resistance is packaged to fill corporate coffers.
Judicial Review
REVISED: Judicial Review #11: “The Great Gatsby” — A Great Opera?
This Judicial Review deals with the Boston premiere of John Harbison’s opera version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. Read the reactions and join the conversation.
Commentary
Fuse Video Game Commentary: The Ideology of “Angry Birds” — Back to “Animal Farm”
The mega-popular video game Angry Birds is nothing if not hypocritical. A story of political and moral resistance is packaged to fill corporate coffers.
Interview
Fuse Music Interview: “I Can’t Admit Defeat” — Wussy Carries On
“Music is kind of like a religion in a way, and your heroes become your patron saints.”
Preview
Fuse Coming Attractions: What Will Light Your Fire This Week
Arts Fuse critics select the best in music, film, theater, visual arts, author readings, and dance that’s coming up in the next week.
Review
Fuse Book Review: “The Shelf”‘s Splendid Ambition — to Burst Open the Literary Canon
Like me, Phyllis Rose frets about the zillion fine books out there that nobody bothers with. Why their neglect? She reasons that it’s because no one pedigreed has championed them.
2014 Summer Fundraiser
Fuse Fundraiser: July 2013-July 2014 — The Year That Was For The Arts Fuse
We have lots of plans to expand our readership and reach, to build new ways for our readers to read our online arts magazine. But we need some more resources and support to make this happen.
The Arts Fuse Thanks:
Join the Discussion!