Ingrid Calame, whose skid-mark tracings turn into art.
Contemporary art
The art of Ingrid Calame: A speedway palette By DOROTHY SPEARS One pattern was a famous pretzel-shaped skid mark made by Dan Wheldon in 2005 after his Indianapolis 500 victory. Now an enamel and latex wall painting based on his celebratory gesture is the 76-by-20-foot centerpiece of "Ingrid Calame: Traces of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway," opening Friday at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Seeking the truth of war, with ambiguous results By A.O. SCOTT A growing roster of movies this season - including "Redacted," "Rendition," "In the Valley of Elah" and "The Kingdom" - are trying, in different styles and with varying degrees of success, to bring the conventions of cinematic storytelling into contact with the truth of the war.
At Drouot, a collector's dream in Haute Epoque works By SOUREN MELIKIAN European art collectors have for generations been drawn to art of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the early Baroque age. For those who love it, Paris is its world capital and Drouot remains its center of attraction.
Porter Wagoner, country singer, dies at 80 By DOUGLAS MARTIN Porter Wagoner was a country singer who mixed rhinestone suits, a towering pompadour and cornball jokes with direct, simple songs over a career best known for his partnership with Dolly Parton.
The art of 15th century Ferrara, Italy, reassessed in a dazzling show By RODERICK CONWAY MORRIS "Cosmè Tura and Francesco del Cossa: Art at Ferrara in the Age of Borso d'Este" at Palazzo dei Diamanti and Palazzo Schifanoia provides a look at the distinctive styles of Ferrarese art during its golden period in the mid-15th century.
The Safavids' joyful celebration of life By WILLIAM PACKER The exhibition, "The Song of the World: The Art of Safavid Iran 1501-1736," at the Louvre shows that even though their culture may be remote in time, these pots and bronzes, implements and images were made to be used and enjoyed, and are of a beauty and interest that speak to us still.
John Burdett: Detective writer at work in a seedy Bangkok district By THOMAS FULLER Burdett, 56, has spent the past seven years chatting with hundreds of bar girls as inspiration for his critically acclaimed novels of gripping detective thrillers set in Bangkok's netherworld.
Claude Miller's 'Un Secret': A Jewish history lost and found in France By JOAN DUPONT The film tells the story of François, a child in postwar Paris, who discovers his parents' past, the origin of their passion and their shame. Patrick Bruel plays Maxime the father; Cécile de France, Tania the mother; Ludivine Sagnier, Anna, the mysterious first wife; and Mathieu Amalric, the adult François trying to piece a history together.
Film Review: A dark but exhilarating tale of destruction By IEWED BY A. O. SCOTT "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," directed by Sidney Lumet, shows the evil in this world arises not out of any grand metaphysical principle, but rather from petty, permanent features of the human character. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Brian F. O'Byrne, Rosemary Harris and Albert Finney.
