Smell of success: How Chanel No 5 gained a sprinkling of stardust | Chanel

 Posted on March 19, 2024  |  8 minutes  |  1700 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

The ObserverChanelInterviewSmell of success: How Chanel No 5 gained a sprinkling of stardustMichael SegalovAs the fragrance turns 100, Chanel’s perfumer-in-chief Olivier Polge describes what it takes to create and curate a classic brand Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his seventh-floor office at Chanel’s chic Parisian HQ, Olivier Polge can look out over the French capital. From here, in the western suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine, much of the city’s iconic skyline is in full view: the Eiffel Tower, mansard roofs, and the greenery of Bois de Boulogne; the Sacré-Cœur atop Montmartre opposite. [Read More]

The silent disease: Chagas is a killer. Now carriers want their voices heard

 Posted on March 19, 2024  |  8 minutes  |  1525 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

Children in Bolivia are shown the bloodsucking kissing bugs that have been hiding in their home. These bugs carry the parasite that causes Chagas disease. Photograph: Christian Lombardi/AlamyChildren in Bolivia are shown the bloodsucking kissing bugs that have been hiding in their home. These bugs carry the parasite that causes Chagas disease. Photograph: Christian Lombardi/AlamyGlobal healthThe parasite-borne disease is classed as ‘neglected’ yet causes 12,000 deaths a year, mostly in Latin America. [Read More]

What more fun can you have in a field?: the bin painters of Glastonbury | Glastonbury 2022

 Posted on March 19, 2024  |  6 minutes  |  1152 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

Bethany Stenning, a bin painter who will perform with Ishmael Ensemble at West Holts stage on Sunday morning, peeks out from inside a bin. Photograph: Chris Humphrey/The GuardianEach Glastonbury festival, an estimated 17,000 bins are painted to brighten up the site. We meet the warm, eccentric community of artists who make it happen by Chris Humphrey, story and photosAt the end of May each festival year, Holly Larkin arrives at Worthy Farm to find a vast, rusting pile of metal bins, and starts to feel excited. [Read More]

Yes, Ukraine can still defeat Russia but it will require far more support from Europe | Jack Wat

 Posted on March 19, 2024  |  5 minutes  |  935 words  |  Aldo Pusey

OpinionUkraineYes, Ukraine can still defeat Russia – but it will require far more support from EuropeJack WatlingBy finally delivering on their promises, Kyiv’s European allies will find the benefits extend to them, too Jack Watling is a senior research fellow for land warfare at the Royal United Services InstituteHere is one fact that sums up the gap between the promises that Kyiv’s European partners have made to Ukraine and the reality. [Read More]

Brian Sewell obituary | Brian Sewell

 Posted on March 18, 2024  |  9 minutes  |  1843 words  |  Aldo Pusey

Brian SewellObituaryBrian Sewell obituaryBritain’s most outspoken art critic, he went on to become an outraged commentator on politicsBrian Sewell, who has died aged 84, was for many years the best-known, most outspoken and most widely read art critic in Britain. His column in the Evening Standard was loved by London’s strap-hangers, even when they knew nothing about the artists he was laying into. In recent times, he wrote with equal fury on a vast range of other subjects, particularly the postures of political leaders, which eventually won him the Orwell prize for political writing. [Read More]

Cormac McCarthy obituary | Cormac McCarthy

 Posted on March 18, 2024  |  12 minutes  |  2375 words  |  Aldo Pusey

Cormac McCarthyObituaryCormac McCarthy obituaryAcclaimed author whose novels, such as The Road and Blood Meridian, told grim, violent tales of life stripped down to the fundamentals of existence in a hostile worldThe immense talent of the American novelist Cormac McCarthy, who has died aged 89, was for three decades a secret that circulated from hand to hand between a small number of readers, but among them were some influential champions of his work. [Read More]

Fan tried to hit Ghana coach Chris Hughton after shock Afcon defeat | Africa Cup of Nations 2023

 Posted on March 18, 2024  |  2 minutes  |  426 words  |  Aldo Pusey

Africa Cup of Nations 2023Fan tried to hit Ghana coach Chris Hughton after shock Afcon defeatGhana succumbed to stoppage-time goal by Cape VerdeManager accosted at hotel as Ghana returned from matchAn angry supporter attempted to strike the Ghana coach Chris Hughton after their upset defeat at the Africa Cup of Nations and was taken away by police, team officials confirmed on Monday. Ghana succumbed to a stoppage-time goal against Cape Verde, the smallest of the 24 teams at the tournament in Ivory Coast, in one of several shock results on Sunday. [Read More]

I Need That review Danny DeVito makes an awkward return to Broadway

 Posted on March 18, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  813 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

BroadwayReviewAmerican Airlines Theatre, New York A funny performance from the actor is the only saving grace of Theresa Rebeck’s messy comedy drama about a hoarder Dear non-Black playwrights with a panache for family dramas, don’t write, think or “create” Black characters without an intentional etching and investment in their arc. Here We Are review – posthumous Stephen Sondheim musical is hit-and-missRead moreI Need That, written by Theresa Rebeck and directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, is a play about a man’s compulsive hoarding following the death of his wife. [Read More]

Ivan Moravec obituary | Classical music

 Posted on March 18, 2024  |  4 minutes  |  827 words  |  Jenniffer Sheldon

Classical musicObituaryIvan Moravec obituaryPianist most celebrated for his interpretation of ChopinThe Czech pianist Ivan Moravec, who has died at the age of 84, was one of the finest Chopin interpreters of his age. He took part in masterclasses given by the great Italian pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli in Arezzo in 1957–58 and made his London debut in 1959, but his big breakthrough came with his American recordings, issued by the Connoisseur Society, of 1962. [Read More]

Keith Harings Ignorance = Fear: political activism | Art and design

 Posted on March 18, 2024  |  2 minutes  |  224 words  |  Jenniffer Sheldon

Keith Haring’s Ignorance = Fear, 1989. Photograph: © Keith Haring FoundationKeith Haring’s Ignorance = Fear, 1989. Photograph: © Keith Haring FoundationAnatomy of an artworkArt and designKeith Haring’s Ignorance = Fear: political activismThe pop artist and activist created the iconic poster that still resonates after 30 years Express yourself ...Political activism pulsed through Keith Haring’s bright, brief career. He made posters and marched for nuclear disarmament and against apartheid. Meanwhile, alongside the signature dogs and babies, themes of religious oppression versus sexual freedom frequently animated this East Village prodigy’s singular cartoons. [Read More]