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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 27 July 2019

HBO's 'Dark Materials,' 'Gemstones' both grapple with faith

By ANDREW DALTON to take on religion, I think
Associated Press they make the deadly mis-
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — take of lampooning peo-
HBO's forthcoming fantasy ple for their beliefs, which is
series "His Dark Materials" not something I'm interest-
and its new televangelist ed in doing," McBride said.
comedy "The Righteous "I would not go and pass
Gemstones" bring wildly dif- judgment on other people.
ferent worlds to the screen, For us it's about lampoon-
yet both grapple with the ing a hypocrite, lampoon-
same central problem: ing somebody who pres-
How to take on religion ents themselves one way
without degrading and de- and is not that way."
meaning viewers' beliefs. The rest of the Gemstones
"His Dark Materials" is based cast were asked about
on the novel series from their religious experiences.
author Philip Pullman that John Goodman, who plays
has been embraced by patriarch Eli Gemstone,
atheists and condemned said he remembers a lot of
by believers for its villain, a Executive producer/writer Jack Thorne, from left, executive producer Jane Tranter, Dafne Keen, "splendor and screaming"
powerful quasi-religious or- Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda participate in HBO's "His Dark Materials" panel at the Television in the Protestant church he
ganization called the Mag- Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Wednesday, July 24, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif. was forced to go to as a
isterium. Associated Press child in Missouri.
But the show's executive The show's 14-year-old star ming chief Casey Bloys "When I say we're not tak- Adam Devine, who young
producer Jane Tranter Dafne Keen said to her the said the makers were "very ing aim at people's faith, pastor Kelvin Gemstone,
told a TV critics' meet- Magisterium is another ver- thoughtful" in their treat- I'm being honest," said who tries to make Christi-
ing Wednesday that the sion of Big Brother in George ment of religion. McBride, the man behind anity fun for teens, said he
show and the books are Orwell's "1984." She's just "It didn't give me concern," previous HBO shows "East- spent his Catholic child-
a critique of authoritarian now reading it for the first Bloys said. bound and Down" and hood jealous of friends
organizations of all kinds, time, she said, after finish- "The Righteous Gemstones," "Vice Principals." ''I'm not whose megachurches had
embrace spiritual themes ing the three "Dark Materi- which premieres August just saying it to try to shy "rock-climbing walls, and
and are "not an attack on als" books to prep for her 18, portrays a sometimes away from controversy. ... video games to play. We
religion. role of Lyra, a girl who un- sincere, sometimes sleazy Ultimately I'm not taking a just had a hard wooden
"Philip Pullman talks about covers dark secrets through family of televangelists, swipe at her or what she bench."
depression, the control of her elders. The show also milking them and mocking believes in, I'm setting a The souls and spirituality of
information and the fal- stars Lin-Manuel Miranda them for laughs. story in a world she's famil- the characters in "His Dark
sification of information," and Ruth Wilson. But creator and star Danny iar with." Materials" take the shape
Tranter said. "There is no di- Asked whether he thought McBride said he sought to McBride said the goal of of animal companions
rect contrast with any con- controversy would accom- make a show his aunt, a the show is "not to be a that they talk to, known in
temporary religious organi- pany the fall premiere of minister in Atlanta, would takedown of anything. their alternate universe as
zation." the show, HBO program- find funny. "When Hollywood decides "daemons."q

Artist Leon Kossoff, who painted post-war London, dies at 92

By JILL LAWLESS the world in which we live,"
Associated Press the gallery said.
LONDON (AP) — British artist Though never as famous
Leon Kossoff, who painted as Bacon or Freud, Kos-
his home city of London in soff's works have sold for six
all its moody, rough-edged and seven figures. A 1971
glory, has died. He was 92. painting of London's Willes-
Annely Juda Fine Art, which den Junction railway inter-
represents Kossoff, said he change fetched 1.39 mil-
died Thursday after a short lion pounds ($1.74 million)
illness. Another of the artist's at a Christie's auction last
galleries, LA Louver in Los year.
Angeles, also confirmed his Kossoff represented Britain
death. at the 1995 Venice Bien-
Born in London in 1926 to nale, and had a major show
Russian Jewish immigrants, This image provided by Annely Juda Fine Art shows a painting by the artist Leon Kossoff. British the following year at Lon-
Kossoff grew up in the city's artist Leon Kossoff, who painted his home city of London in all its moody glory, has died. don's Tate gallery. His work
tough East End and served Associated Press has been shown around
in the army during World careers in figurative paint- churches, swimming pools, Annely Juda said in a state- the world, including at Lon-
War II before studying at St. ing regardless of changing subway stations and rail- ment that Kossoff "saw don's National Gallery and
Martin's school of art. artistic fashions. way bridges were all ren- beauty in everything and the Museum of Modern
He is considered a member Inspired by the Old Masters, dered in dark-hued, thickly everybody." Art in New York. He was an
of the "School of London" Kossoff painted portraits layered oil paint. Kossoff "His death robs us of one of honorary foreign member
group of post-war artists — of friends and family, but would often paint all day Britain's greatest painters, of the American Academy
alongside Francis Bacon, is best known for his urban and then scrape off most but his work reminds us of of Arts and Letters. Funeral
Lucian Freud and Frank landscapes of a gritty, war- of it in frustration, repeating the continuing potency of details were not immedi-
Auerbach — who pursued scarred London. Streets, the process day after day. painting to comprehend ately available.q