Highlighter

A practice in absurdity.

Phillip and I often have lunch together, on a more or less weekly basis. And we have also decided that the most bizarre, yet delish place to get or lunch on is the Burrito Bar(n). The sound system is always pumping out awkward music, and the food is all named strange things like- The Tiny Tim Tacos. Sounds a bit cannibalistic, hey?

So to add to the delightful aura of the Burrito Bar, they gave us a highlighter to sign our checks with...
I mean, why not?

Tru Luv

I just want to make video like this-


I'm in love with everything about it. And the song makes me feel like dancing.

AH! Real Monsters!

When I was in Chicago Kirsten and Becky brought me to an under-the-radar gallery show. The artists had, ahem, helped themselves to the "FREE JOB LISTINGS" and "HOMES AND CARS" mailboxes that litter the city streets. While in the artists' studios, the mailboxes were able to express themselves in their truest form, as MONSTERS!

This was by one of my most favorite lady killers ever, 18andCounting.

TEWS set up the show, and dressed to match his mailbox monster.
Peter also came, and met up with his friend Peter. We were curious how this Dane knew the craziest person in all of Chicago...but didn't dwell on it for too long. For the record, crazy Peter had a bike with a fridge on the back.
KA-CAW!

Animal Print Day

Just for giggles, and because Halloween is mostly the best holiday, and who doesn't love dressing up with their best friend (?)- Kirsten and I declared the day before Halloween to be dress up Animal Print stylin'. Which thusly got us 5 dollars off at the Buffalo Exchange because we were "in costume" and led to getting a bit drunk at the Skylark.
I think we can declare that day a success!

Oldies but Goodies

Chicago has these wonderful parts that are still decaying in this really fantastic way. Unlike major cosmopolitan areas of NYC which are almost all kinda glossy and plastic, or the opposite, deep in neighborhoods in the boros where there is no, what I like to call fabulous economy, is alot of decay and old school feeling, Chicago has done a decent job of blending, although making me nervous with all the independently owned coffee shops turning into banks... and don't get me started on the Loop-uh, I mean shopping mall.
These signs are just from Milwuake between Damen and Division. I'm kinda in love with them, and I'm sorry to see it rapidly turned over for shiny. There is something to be said for a worn history in a city. There is an archaic beauty in it.

Parson's BFA

Most of the time BFA work impresses me less than MFA work. This was not the case in one of the BFA studios at Parson's.
Maybe it was the quality of the illustrations, the technique. Maybe its because I love using butcher paper for final work, the paper's quality I find sultry, alluring and non conformist. It whispers sweet nothings in my ear. Plus it always manipulates the medium in really interesting and textural ways.
Maybe its because the artist took something that isn't really that interesting (his/her friends) and tweaked it so I, too, care. Maybe that tweaking also made the fact that the work appears in a series not bother me.
Bad-da-da-da-da I'm lovin' it.

Chola

Hopefully y'all remember when I was all excited about my genius Halloween costume? Finally photos to show off the genius. Fake nailz, mad lip liner, penciled on brows- and not pictured were black low top cons.
Hellz to the yeah, papi.

Happy Bizzirthday Jay-Z!

One of my favorite people ever, super inspiring, tenacious, incredible business man, master of the flow and hes got the hottest chick in the game wearing his chain.
Jayz, here's a high five to you. Happy 40th!

Pink Hair Strikes AGAIN!

I am so jealous...

from the facehunter.

Thrifting in Chicago

I finally received in the mail the memory card I had left in Chicago, so now I can overshare with all y'all. Like this time time Kirsten and I went thrifting. We stopped in a furniture store because I just can't help myself. So what if I can't take it home?
Aren't the walls crazy awesome? I mean, yes, the colors are kinda barf-y, but the idea is super sweet. I could see this done with tone on tone, or pink on red...that might be a bit much.... whatever I'd probably love it.
And then I was really jealous of anyone who could buy this chair in Chicago. Its like an Eames lounger, but cooler because it isn't. Its a one of a kind and unique and I like that.
Look at all these adorable totzkes you can get for your place, if you live in Chicago. I have to say New York City thrift stores are really picked over. These sorts of things are not common place.

Photos of photos

I really enjoyed these photos from the Parson's MFA open studios. A hint of humor, a second glance is required.
I hate mounting anything with push pins- I'll let it slide because its only an open studio...

Art-o-rama: Parson's take one

So- this is what happens after art school ends. The floor falls out and this entire fantasy land that is a community where everyone talks about art just no longer exists. If one moves to NYC then one no longer has any sort of real studio space, and their poor roommate has to suffer a cluttered living room full of art making stuffs. There is no critical discourse, no exhibition, no fostering of the creative from one's peers.
This is why I LOVE going to the MFA open studios in New York. Last week Parson's, Hunter, and Columbia had their kiddies open up their studios and let me in. And anyone who wanted free wine. And I got to tell them art kids what I thought or their work, which I'm sure they really wanted to hear all about it.
Here is a small selection from Parson's. I have so many photos and not enough time to process them all, or edit them down. But this is a start.
Charley was my accomplice. He was a way good sport about me geeking out and talking to everyone who interested me.
Here he is, after we filled out a scantron. This work was from the great Chris Mansour who went to undergrad with me.

Not that I found these particularly interesting, but they reminded me of little Eames birds, on really big poops. I hope someone brought that up during crit.
This work was done by my former boss when I was working in Chicago. It was so crazy to walk in and be all like- HEY! I know you! And you're MARRIED?
My brian exploded a bit, and then Charley and I admired his landscape which only came to its truest form when viewed through the binoculars.
Charley said he had this book as a child. Weird. It's all MILF-y and Jesus-ey at the same time.
This makes Charley important.
The Importance of Being Charley.

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!