Batman and Robin, if nothing else, taught us about the value of loyalty in getting through a struggle.
Some local comic book dealers – who have absorbed their share of BAM! POW! CRASH! during the recession – say they’re finally starting to see a glimmer of light at the end of the bat cave, thanks to faithful longtime customers and an economy showing signs of improving.
Art from every period of Pablo Picasso’s career will soon be on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The new exhibit opens April 27 and features 34 paintings, 58 drawings, 12 sculptures and more than 200 of his works on paper, all from the museum’s collection.
Just outside of the city, in Larchmont, N.Y., one artist is showing off Picasso’s work in a different way. Jitka Exler makes plush toys based on concepts made famous by Picasso and other Modern artists. Exler hopes her creations will inspire kids to learn about art.
In the face of the Kindle, the Nook, the iPad and a shrinking publishing market, boutique publishers and book arts are thriving.
Corinna Zeltsman, a book artist and administrative aide at the New York Center for Book Arts, said demand for classes in bookbinding has risen substantially in the last year. “Book arts have entered the mainstream because of a technological backlash and a new generation of artists and designers wanting to use their skills for something other than the digital realm,” she said.
Ugly Duckling Presse in Brooklyn is one publisher in the city creating boutique books, using letterpress and hand assembly for many titles. Business is booming – the company has published 17 books so far this year, compared to 24 in all of 2009. Matvei Yankelevich, one of the company’s directors, said submissions and demand are higher than ever. In the accompanying audio slideshow, he and one UDP book artist, Normandy Sherwood, explain why.
National auto sales jumped 24 percent in March over the same period in 2009 – an increase attributed, at least in part, to tax incentives for purchasing environmentally friendly vehicles. Green – not only on in money, but in technology – was the unofficial color of the recent New York International Auto Show, which featured new hybrid vehicles, no-emission electric cars and even autos fueled by hydrogen. There were lines outside the “EV” (“Electric Vehicle”) pavilion, where 10,000 attendees took electric cars for a spin during 10-day show.
