Phemale Photographer

I came across Debora Mittelstaedt today on the Paper Magazine website. I love the way her photographs lend modern females a retro quality.



Check out Debra Mittelstaedt's work here.

Concrete Jungle

Cool street art concept from The Wooster Collective website

Check it out here!

Tibor de Nagy Gallery

Rudy Burckhardt, "Parking Lot, 1970, oil on linen

le freak c'est chic!

On a rainy Thursday night last week a couple of us rode the subway to Brooklyn Art Museum (BAM) to see a dance performance choreographed by British choreographer Matthew Bourne. The dance performance was based exclusively on Tim Burton's movie Edward Scissorhands, a personal favorite of mine, and tells the story of a boy who has sharp, twitching blades for hands, and the suburban town who welcomes him onto their carefully manicured lawns. While the movie's morals are apparent, the story, expressed through movement highlights the nuances of the tale that much more.
Burke is a renowned for his offbeat, comedic, and sometimes dark performances such as a homo-errotic spin on Swan Lake, and a version of the Nutcracker where Clara, the young girl falls in love with and is kidnapped by the Nutcracker! In Edward Scissorhands, Burke relies on a modern dance aesthetic, coupled with a brilliant set that adds enchantment to a typical suburban town. Clearly, Burke possesses enormous talent as a choreographer, as he encouraged his dancers to rely on the natural way their characters would move and then syncs the performers on one stage. The housewife slut prowls the stage, moving quickly, while the suburban mom who takes Edward in steps gently with graceful movements in her hands and neck. Edward himself alternates between ferociously swinging his blades as he leaps across the stage and gently sliding his scissorhands back and forth in timid strokes. Finally, the dark side of the town which is a female character in the movie is portrayed by a group of gothic teenagers whose clustered formation and stealth like steps resemble the crucification of Jesus!
In addition to an excellent, all around performance by the dancers, the score, played by a live orchestra evoked both a dark and tender mood, the perfect compliment to the story of a skittish freak in American suburbia. The music, costumes, and stage set were exquisite elements in Bourne's Edward Scissorhands adaptation. But, as the performance came to a close, it became clear that while body language is often regarded, we can actually rely on human movement as an entirely complete form of communication and expression.

sexy time

wooster is opening this building up

So, I have noticed that more and more stuff has been being stuck to that building too. I like the grocery boxes that say FRESH. It's on my way to work from Alex's house. I want him to put something up of his own but he is too busy for his art these days. Did anyone read the New York magazine article about burn out? They compare public school teachers and ibankers. Anyway, Wooster wont say what days its going to open the building because it's afraid of the hype but I'll post the info if they give it up. I think it's tours and DJs and art.. should be cool. The whole glorious place is being converted into condos soon, likely for rich, boring people who will never fully appreciate the neighborhood. It's sad. I agree that New York needs more quality street art. Have you seen the pieces by Banksy?

street art

A few weeks back during some of our regular Thursday night debauchery in town, I asked a couple of you to pose in front of this vivid display of street art right down the block from my apartment.

Well, turns out there is actually some sort of mission behind the madness.
Check out the Wooster Collective for more incredible displays of street art from across the world:

Wooster Collective



The very idea of a collective seems to me like both a glamorous (1960's hello!) and practical way for a bunch of individuals to make an impact.
With regard to graffiti or street art, New York City seems to have the most stringent opposition to this type of self expression compared to other urban destinations across the globe. In Barcelona, I was blown away by the long stretchs of graffiti murals as in Berlin where there were also periodical street exhibitions consisting of junk sculptures- an old mattress, or a broken rennaisance-esque sculpture with weeds growing out of it, artfully arranged in a large alleyway. Well, for my photo 1 class last semester, I took several black and white shots of this display which were pretty well received...my creativity or the original artists?
Which brings me to my final topic of appropriation be it art or public space, but i'll leave it at that as i've written one too many reading responses about the topic on courseworks. The cool thing about this avenue is that you can post pics!!

Soul Sisters

So I saw this in NY Magazine and then again on someone's facebook profile.
I love it. I think it was on exhibit somewhere in NYC but where? Who made it? I'd really like to know so I can commission him/her for a mural in my future home...

In hindsight, the theme is Eastern Europe

I'm so tired of hearing people speculate over celebrities' eating habits and twig-like extremities and affinity for trailer-park drugs. I feel like they're children almost: you can't pay attention to them when they act out. It's totally the way I deal with the kids I babysit for; if they freak out and cry I tell them they can just go to their room and do it. Although I gotta say, I did like Sienna's Marchesa dress. I don't hate Marchesa clothes, but they definitely don't deserve the hype they get. Does anything? Let's see. Here are some interesting cultural events I am dying to go to, and if anyone else is interested, then COME ON, let's GO!

1. Spring Awakening: This is some play from Eastern Europe in the 19th century about kids and their reckless sex lives at the turn of the century in Prague (I think). Anyway, Duncan Sheik (oh yes, you remember the 90s pop hit, "Barely Breathing") revamped the score and now it's (off? on?) a Broadway play. There's S and M involved, in case you needed that extra incentive.

2. Neue Gallery/Sabarsky Cafe: Ridiculous I've never been to this considering I swoon at the sight of a Schiele. It's on 86th and 5th and currently has on display the highest selling painting of all tell (Klimt's Adele Bauer-Blcoheriojpaosidjfwhatever). We should go and look at paintings and eat pastries afterwards.

3. Met: The Met has German Portraits from the 20s now, which all have this creepy darkness to them. Totally up my alley.

Speaking of Eastern Europe, I applied to teach English Kindergarten in Vienna. How dope?

With regards to the six month slump, I do think it's a pretty regular thing, but if it persists I'd revisit the subject. Unfortunately Andy Warhol's Montauk estate was just purchased so my plan of buying it and turning it into our own little fashion/art/lifestyle commune (with our resident doctors in case one of us gets injured collaging) is thwarted. Alas, not sure I had the 30 mill anyway.