Your Blind Passenger

Hold your hand in front of your face, no really- do it. Can you see you hand clearly? All fingers there? If you were in Olafur Eliasson's Din Blinden Passager (Your Blind Passenger) you wouldn't. You might be able to find a blurry distant outline, but I wouldn't count on it.
The only museum I wanted to go to was the Arken because I had heard from my travel buddies that it was hosting an Olafur piece, and since I'm big into his work I knew I had to check it out.
We entered this box which brought us into a dark black room with a door on the other end. Once we were all inside we opened the next door- which led us into the tunnel...

The doors opened into a blinding light and fog/mist. I heard someone say as the fog envolped them that they could use some sunscreen and sunnies. Charley and I were the last ones to enter and almost at once Charley disappeared into the fog. I found myself utterly alone, which was terrifying. But only for a moment. We were in, all actuality, very close to each other but it was impossible to tell unless we spoke. It was also impossible to say where the walls were, and which in direction we were walking. Our senses were completely out of whack, totally on edge and going haywire, which was exactly the point.

(us on the outside, walking the length of the piece)

We slowly started our 90 meter journey to the other end of Eliasson's fog tunnel. Quite suddenly, and yet subtly, it came to our attention that the color was changing. We were now in a yellow tunnel instead of a white one. And then orange. For a moment, as we walked, we were plunged into total black, and emerged on the other side in this most peculiar orange that did a number on my eyes because I kept seeing flashes of pink. I felt like I was tripping. There was no way to see ahead as to what color might be next approaching. We were at the mercy of the whims of the tunnel.
The colors blended so seamlessly together it was hard to tell where one color stopped and then next began, we just knew there was something all together different. What I found fascinating is everyone I was with saw Blue and Purple, however I did not see those colors at all. Yet we were all in the same tunnel.
Because we would probably never have another chance to experience the tunnel again, before we were done at the Arken Museum we walked through it again. This time from back to front. We stumbled out the end, blinking our eyes against the natural light of the museum and crashed on the steps to recuperate from a total sensory overload-AKA top ten art piece ever.
Man, it was really special to see Olafur's work in his home country. What an amazing piece it was!

Note: I really wanted to upload a longer video (with me saying quite a few times "I feel like I'm tripping," but I was really having problems.

Charley and I- New York Urban Planers, I mean Co-Presidents, I mean Co-Gods, I mean Kanye and his Phoenx.

Charles: i say we just get rid of queens and slide brooklyn up

actually midtown too

so brooklyn is still close to downtown

and no one really needs midtown

me: I hate midtown

except for bryant park

Charles: maybe hell's kitchen can be an island

and we'll move bryant park into hell's kitchen

i like that reworking of the city

hmm, although losing queens might not be the best, make it an island too

i say replace it with staten island, but keep the subway connectivity

then just throw staten island into the middle of the atlantic

me: lets get rid of SI

take all teh ass holes, put it on the island and give it to NJ

Charles: yesss

me: we're so smart

Charles: we should be mayors of the city

me: yes

bicycling for everyone!

Charles: who needs midtown!

me: and lots of buses!

Charles: with bike racks on them like in SF

me: and chicago!

Charles: and congestion pricing! and upper manhattan being closer to brooklyn!

me: yes

Charles: i love how i'm charles in your gchat btw

me: hah

its your name dude

Charles: i should legally change my name to charley

like next job i have i want it to just be officially charley

in my signature i still put charles

like my formal signature

i'll still say regards, charley

and then charles ferrari client relationship manager IHS inc corporate corporate corporate

me: CORPORATE

Charles: that's exactly what it says

corporate blahdy blah

me: nice

I love that

when we start a company can it say that at the bottom of our signatures

Charles: yes

yes it can

me: when we are co-presidents of nyc

Charles: charley ferrari

co-president of nyc

corporate blahdy title manager relationship strategist specialist

me: hah

destroyers of midtown

Charles: lol

slayers of staten island

Charles: maybe we can swap williamsburg and greenpoint for inwood and washington heights

i mean they're kind of the same shape

and the architecture in north brooklyn sucks

me: green point is good stuff

Charles: the art deco apartments and hilly topography would be a nice complement to brownstone brooklyn

yea some parts are

ok greenpoing can stay

Charles: bye bye williamsburg

me: see ya bushwick

Charles: yeaaa

me: hello inwood!

Charles: just pop inwood sideways there

but keep the water surrounding it! so make it like a little inlet with inwood popping out

like seriously, we should be city planners, our plans are amazing

me: That's true

except this is more than city planning, this is earth planning

screw being co-presidents, lets me co-gods

Charles: yess

me: of nyc only

Charles: i really like this plan

we'd make awesome gods

the cloisters can be our mount olympus!

how AMAZING would that be

like i always thought, if i ever became a vampire, i'd totally live in the cloisters

me: yes charley- if you ever become a vampire

this is very likely so its good you have a back up plan

Charles: god or vampire is likely?

i think vampire is more likely

god is a good backup

i'll also be very content with satyr

me: five year plan?

Charles: hell yea

i would be an awesome vampire

i've been told on more than one occasion my teeth already look like fangs a bit

like my incisors are very pronounced

me: good to know

Charles: if you were to be something supernatural aside from a god what would you be?

besides a gho0o0o0ost

me: like an established thing, or something I can make up?

Charles: you can make it up, be entrepreneurial

me: I'd be a kanye

Charles: i could be your phoenix!

me: perfect

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!

Atlantic Ave Tunnel

Oh hey big guy, there's a hole in the ground. What do you suppose that is for?

Babs! You're climbing in! What are you doing?!
Actually it was I who invited Barbara along. I told her to get excited, because for my birthday we were going to do something totally amazing, that she would love, that was very New York and kinda rock and roll underground. I don't think she understood I meant literally underground.

This guy, Bob Diamond, found this tunnel when he was in college. He heard a story which mentioned the tunnel briefly on the radio and decided to pursue it. It became a treasure hunt with a little wild goose chase mixed in. It turned out he found the world's oldest underground railroad tunnel.
He is the tour guide of the tunnel and is really quite good at it. He tells the story of the tunnel, its history, his tremendous and inspiring story of perseverance of his quite to find the tunnel, and the corrupt "Tammany Hall" political goings on during the time of the tunnel. He inserts bits of humor, but not in the way tour bus guides do where its not really funny, he's quite good at it. He also describes they way the tunnel was physically constructed which was fascinating. A hole in the wall is not just a missing brick, but where the wooden arch would sit while they built up the walls. The rubble on the floor becomes a sign of a political cover up.

This is the first thing we saw after we climbed down the man hole and through the trench. The tunnel for the first time! They strung up a few incandescent lights for the first half of the tunnel, and the rest we needed our flashlights, which ended up giving the tunnel an underwater feeling to it.

These are the trenches in which the railroad ties used to sit in.

And here is the other end of the tunnel which is blocked off right now. They have raised funds to tear it down. They suspect at least one real steam powered engine is on the other side. And perhaps the missing diary of John Wilkes Booth.

After exploring the end of the tunnel the tour was over, but we were left to wander back at our own pace, exploring and touching anything we wished really. I think they don't bother with rushing everyone out because you can only leave one person at a time through the man hole. Babs and I decided to meander back slowly and without our flashlights on. Sppooookkkyy.

This is the hole they cut into the cement to provide access to the previously hidden tunnel.

Waiting to leave.

AAahhhh! Fresh air and sunlight after an hour and a half! We loved it! Not exactly recommended to execute hung over but hey it was my birthday and there wasn't much we could do about that little detail.
For more info and to find out about the next tour go here.

Booty Shakin

So I've been a lazy mofo and haven't uploaded new images, but here is some fantastic booty shaking from the Carib parade. You'll totes adore it.

Photobooth

My baby boo boo, Barbara, who I talk about ad nauseam, probably because she is so awesome, has recently fallen in love. I know right, very exciting! She of course has fallen for photobooths. If we are ever in proximity to one her little beeper goes off inside and we just have to take a photo. Or four, because that's how the machine works.


I particularly love how crazy my eyes look in the first photo.
Yes that is my favorite thing.

This one was taken at Niagra on 7th and A, but there is, apparently, a whole website devoted to NYC photobooths. I know this because I've been to all of them with Babs.

BEST TEE SHIRT EVER

Okay- it was only ten dollars and I probably should have bought it, but I left it for someone more deserving. HOWEVER I think it is brilliant- amazing- wowzah.

The sky says farewell to Sura

Before I left for Nova Scotia, that very eve before, Sura and I threw our last party together. Tomorrow my loved roommate leaves for LA. Obviously that was Sura's going away. The sky stopped weeping long enough for the sun to set through its clouds, and resulted in the most beautiful lighting I've seen in ages.



Photo credit to P-money.

Bubble Battle 2009- Times Square Style

BUBBLE BATTLE!

Last Friday I met up with some lovely ladies in one of my most hated places, Times Square, to blow bubbles at each other. That's right- it was time for this years annual Bubble Battle, hosted by those darling kids at Newmindspace. I mean, if the event was able to turn HORRID Times Square into a wonderland... well this is an example of why I started this blog to begin with. I LOVE NEW YORK!
This was just a fantastical moment, the weather was perfect, the attitude was good, clean (get it!?) fun.
Smokin' the bubble.






At some point these assholes came over asking for permits. Basically anyone they asked was kinda like -
"...a permit... to blow bubbles?"

They were for the most part largely ignored.
Let that be a lesson to you non-New Yorkers, this is a big bad city full of trouble and evil doing, like damn bubble blowers.

the best morning

Let me tell you about the best morning.
I slept in, because that's what I do best. My Babs-a-doodle called me to go to the Guggenheim with her, which of course I was excited about. I put on a jazzy outfit (which later that night someone said I looked like Clarissa Explains It All, which is a compliment if you ask me) and my sunglasses which made me feel sassy.
And it was so nice and warm and sunny that I just needed a cute little hoody, no coat required. I wanted a milkshake for breakfast, and I splurged and made it malted. The milkshake was organic and it was given to me in a biodegradable cup.
Talking to my Chloe on the phone, catching up and loving on each other, I walked down the streets in my favorite boro, Brooklyn and happened upon THIS DOG! I had to put down the malted milkshake to take a few photos of the dog that was also a polar bear and a teddy bear and a fluff. SOOOOOOO ADORABLE.



And it was the best morning ever.
And then I found five dollars.

a Year in Review

As my beloved Katie did, I wanted to make a photo journal of the fawesome year I just finished up.
The year started off with bang at my very first Winter Black Belt camp. Very cold, very exciting. A new form, the first of its kind- a two person form- was debuted. I witnessed history.
The Yale club black and white masquerade ball aka Barbara's bizzirthday par-tay, complete with best friend bonding, sexually deviant acts, and cell phone throwing. A good time was had by all, for what we can remember of it.
Oh, and I wore Chanel for the first time
Great and many trips to the Brooklyn Museum for its first Saturday's were had. I saw Judy Chicago's Dinner Party more times than I ever thought I would.
In March I headed over to Chi-city (and started this blog upon my return) to see some art and holler at my some of my most favorite people ever. My heart force.
Sura and I attended a few open studios including Parsons, SVA, Bars, Columbia and Hunter (above.)
As the seasons became warmer I bonded with the kids on the block.

I went to Chicago again, on my very first business trip, and attended Neo Con, contract furniture galore!
I saw the best thing you will ever see.
And then a miraculous night, I saw Agyness Dyen and met Katie. And got really really drizzunk.
I.D. Annual Design review, fabu!
I made out with Diplo.


No I didn't, but I did see him on the ones and twos. Baller.
My best friend came to visit and we went to the farmer's market, DUMBO and much much dancing.
TKD in the mountains summer trip, some new black belts were made!
Oh yeah, New York Paris Tokoyo- Baby, I'm the way to go... or something I don't really remember the lyrics to Richie Rich's one song, but I do remember an amazing time.
Oh yeah, backstage at Fashion Week, the most exhausting week of my life. And so much fun. And so inspiring. Just you wait, February, here I come.
Montreal, a very cool city indeed, received a visit from me and Nick. It was happy to have us. So was Tim.
For the second time this year I saw Michel Gondry, and for the second time in the year I couldn't really breathe, and got all butterflies in my tummy-ish and swallowed all my words and didn't say a word to him.
We added a new member to the fam fam.
The year ended with Katie's quarter century (by they way, that's Tracy on Katie's lap, a most fabulous and amazing lady in her own right, another new friend of the year- and an amazing one... and its totes, not toats)

Here I am, pretending to be Kanye, welcoming you into a new year, new york, new you, new me.