Regifting

On the wall at Parson's. Sometimes I like the stuff around the studios more than I like the intended work.
This reminds me of when a pal will call me up to come over and look through their give away clothes before they are given away. Except I always want it.
That's what she said.

Gear Up: Bicycle Safety n' you!

Hey Ladies and Gents! Without any further adieu here it is, the Film Festival Cut of Phillip and I's winning Public Service Announcement!

i do

so lately, I've become kinda interested in watching crappy television. Well that isn't that recent....
but as of late I've been watching so much wedding channel and lifetime "stupid shows about weddings." I don't know why? Its not like that sort of thing is anywhere near close in my personal lifeline. And these women are so... stupid. I especially hate Bridezilla. In a I-can't-stop-watching-this-crazy-bitch sort of way.
So last night I got to thinking about my wedding, my imaginary wedding.... okay anyway so all these stupid women want flowers on everything. I don't really care about flowers, aesthetically or otherwise, and I think that its incredibly wasteful, both monetarily and environmentally. Plus its impersonal, its just what everyone does for thier wedding. WELL I AIN'T BUYING IT! This thought process led me to thinking about robots and dinosaurs and the like for my centerpieces. RIGHT?! I know!
Like every table would have something that me and my future husband were interested in, as the themes, and maybe we could scout vintage and thrift shops for old fifties toys and make the BALLEREST center pieces. And like one could be mini Eames chairs. Except those are mad expensive. But probably cheaper than a shit ton of flowers. And way more personal to me and mines. And then when you got your table assignment it would just have your name on a card in the shape of a T-Rex. But the classiest T-Rex, not one for five year olds but for married people. Duh. And then you would know you're at the dinosaur table. And who wouldn't be happy at the dinosaur table, I'd like to know?

I went to the Parson's, Hunter, and Columbia open studios this week- artsy fartsy photos to come.

Jeanne Claude

February 2005, then a sophomore in college, living in Chicago, I had decided to purchase a plane ticket back to New York to witness the unveiling of The Gates, the newest work from Christo and Jeanne Claude. It was the only time in the entire history of me going to school that I came home for a reason other than winter break, but I figured this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

This inspirational and ethically bound artistic duo could do no wrong in my eyes. I was always flabbergasted, awe struck by their previous endeavors. Their massive scale installations always appealed to me on a primitive and purely aesthetic level, which as I delved into researching them, I found that's really all that they were striving to archive anyway.

I also found that they never sell their work, they recycle it when each project is done. It is for no one to own, just to experience. And they accept no money from the cities in which the pieces exist in. The pieces are all financed from the sale of their preliminary sketches (which I had the privilege to see at Art Chicago) independent from anyone else's money. They chose never to accept outside funding, because it may alter thier work if they have to appease other finacers. I know that The Gates took over 20 years to be realized, talks with the city, logositcs and fund raising, yet they never gave up.
So one very cold morning in Feburary I grabbed the 6 and took it into Manhattan, to the very North part of Central Park, and witnessed the unvieling of the Gates. The staff used long poles with hooks on the end to pull the curtians of safron colored fabric out of the shells, to hang draped between two poles along many of the paths in Central Park. Bystanders like myself were handed small squares of the fabric, samples which we could keep and touch, put in scrap books or throw away.
It hurts my heart to say that last night one half of this amazing duo passed away. Jeanne Claude has died at 74 due to a brain annuerism. I have been truly touched by the work her and her husband did, and the way in which they did it. Always an inspiration, forever in my heart, bonne travaile Jeanne Claude!

I'm a winner!

Phillip and I spent a chunk of time working on a project two months ago. Basically for a whole week we spent every night behind a computer editing a video which had consumed hours writing, recording sound, figuring out logoistics, and filming. Being our second project (our first wasn't really a project, just a good bye song for our darling Agathe) we weren't sure how it was going to work out- just that we were amped, and really were excited about working on a real project together. Our project was a Bicycle Safety PSA for the Biking Rules PSA Film Festival.
We made a 70's themed piece, with some off kilter humour. The best part was that we involved all our friends who were willing to help, and my dad gets a special thanks for providing the voice over. Several weeks ago we received an email saying that we made it into the final round and our piece was going to be screened at BAM! That was some of the most baller news ever. And the other piece of news was that the winners would be annouced at the event- the grand prize for our catergory- ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS!
(yes I took a picture of myself on the big screen at BAM. Don't be jealous.)
Our piece was screened third to last, and after spending close to an hour watching all the other amazing pieces we weren't sure how ours fared but- WE WON! We were winners! $1,000 winners!
Many thanks to our friends and my family who came out, bought tickets to the event, and supported us. For our first endevour, we feel acomplished, affirmed, loved, and a little richer.
Also my dad wore a bow tie. I think that's why we won- fer realz.
After the screening they had a beer reception, with Brooklyn Brewery, my fav. We all drank and rejoiced. Phillip and I tried to network, kinda. I really wanted to talk to No Impact Man, who was on the judging panel, and a personal hero of mine, but I couldn't really remember what he looked like. Probably to his benefit because all I would have done was gushed gushed gushed.
I also wanted to find Tod Seelie, whose blog I read on the regular. He submitted some fantastic photos of tall bikes from when he was traveling in Bali, Jarkata, Toyko, and basically everywhere I want to go. I've seen tall bikes before (and tragically tried once to ride one), but my mom has definitely never been exposed to them and was really excited about them. I don't think he was there.
During dinner my mom said, "You know, this makes me want to ride a bike." All in all, fantastic night!

Chicago Industry

Finally I brought my camera into the office- so I can tell a tale or two about Chicago. Riding my bike from Pilsen to the West Loop brought me to this industrially beautiful place. Right here, this is something you can't always find in New York, though near the Gowanas Canal it gets pretty close. I can't get over the expanses of space all over the city, the industry that is another world. It existed the entire time I was in Chicago, and I never interacted with it more than an observer and a voyeur. Yet I must have known there is a whole community whose world revolves around the industry. A whole hidden history, a hidden world.
Once, while still in college, I took my video camera out to Bridgeport, Back-of-the-Yards Chicago to record the industry, the empty. I never did anything with the footage, but its proof the space always intrigued me.

Blu Sky

Last week I ran around the city doing work for a client. It was totally hands on and I loved it. We snuck on rooftop in Chinatown to do some surveillance photography for the project (more on that in a month). While the crew was setting up I took this photo- I just loved the way he centered himself along the building, totally unawares of his genius composition.

Tonight! Family game night chez moi, plus some Carlo Rossi- I'm amped!

I got the plauge

I have been home, sick as a dog, for almost a week. Thusly- I have not posted. I didn't get "swiney" as some people liked to poke fun, just a never ending cold, that seems to be more or less over except for this persistent dry cough. I was banned from the office yesterday due to my contagious-ness, so I ran around the city getting stuff to make necklaces for all my friends for x-mahanzadan. Do you want one? Let me know!
In other news, because I'm ab-fab, Bradford wrote about me- and my fashions- on Full Frontal Fashion.
Check it out, I look adorable. Comment away!
(Today I'm not feeling modest at all...)
Plus its the last day I was healthy, it was all down hill from there.

My dog is totes adorable

This is old man Merlin, and yes hes adooorrrraaabbllleeeeeee. My brother and his girlfriend are taking care of him just because they want to. Merlin seems to be enjoying it, I don't know if he's ever visited the reservoir before. This is totally a geeewwwyy post of my dog. I understand its gratuitous. But its really cute.

Chicago makes me happy

I just got back from Chicago, after being away for three days from the office I'm swimming in lots of work. And tomorrow sounds like a whole day away from the office running around on a special top secret mission. Look out for me in the city... and maybe Queens. These posts will be short.
My camera is at home, sleeping after being exhausted during its trip. And also, maybe I forgot it. So short, and photoless.

Highlights of my trip:
-Halloween, duh
-Meeting Kirsten and Becky's new roommate, Bill, a championship swimmer who wakes up at 3AM every weekday to go swimming, still wears his retainer 7 years later, and Barbie is the name of his girlfriend. This dude was totes amazing.
-Riding bikes with three other ladies in costume through the Chicago streets on Halloween night, hooting and hollering, and being hooted and hollered at.
-Spooning Becky and Kirsten
-Two dollar PBR's at the Skylark
-Tews and Sean Web djing so good
-Sleepwalking for the first time ever
-Eating Caprese Eggs Benedict at Orange, TACO BURRITO KING, homemade potato chips at Jerrys', and a veggie burger plus caramel milkshake at Earwax
-Thrift shopping, in an all leopard print outfit with Kirsten in an all zerba print jumpsuit. Animal Print Day.
-Seeing some amazing people, loving them, having long lifetalks
-Chicago Bike Messengers make great eye candy
-Getting drinks with my favorite Chicago EIC, at the ballerest cafe in Chicago, and exploring Southport
-Riding the El and the buses in general
-Running around the O'Hare terminal like a crazy person with no shoes on and hands full of tenthousandthings flailing about, "Hi can I skip you my flight is in just minutes! Okay? OKAY! thank you sooooo much!"- just making my flight by a hair.

Chicago is amazing, and this trip was fabulous. So much more to come.