Spagetti People

Here's a HILARIOUS short by Travis Betz. In this short, Travis dives into a plate of spagetti and battles the evil mushroom to save the spagetti-haired heroine.

Family Blogging

Nancy Benac, my aunt who is a reporter for the Associated Press, has written an article all about family blogging. She has included a reference to this blog in that article! Thanks Nancy!
Go here to read her surreal account how the bloggosphere is taking the place of the dinner table. . .

Christina Ramberg

I walked into Nicole Klagsburn gallery yesterday and saw a group show that included the work of 'Christina Ramberg'. They were showing some little pen drawings she did of torsos bound by corsets and women binding their hair. Never having seen her work, I assumed she was a young living artist. In fact, they look a lot like what would be shown out at Pierogi. I checked the price on the drawings and it was around $2500 each which meant I couldn't have one! A little internet research told me that she was actually a contemporary of Eva Hesse and worked Chicago from the 60's to late 80's. Her drawings weren't made for exhibition, just used as studies for larger paintings. Yet to me they are so much more interesting than her paintings. There's so much narrative in these little drawings if you compare one image to the next. A head bound in a scarf will morph into a domestic object like a slice of bread or head of lettuce. A corseted body turns into a vessel or land mass on a map.

Here's one of her paintings:

Amanda Church

Tangled Web


A friend asked me to help pick out some artwork for the walls of a medical office yesterday, so I started doing a little snooping and came across this artist. Probably too cool for a medical office, but I'm definitely putting these painting these paintings by Amanda Church on my wishlist! I think they're very educated abstractions and can see the influences of everyone from Lichtenstein to Inka Essenhigh in them. The colors are very 'interior design' and the forms look like the underwater sea vegetables that I would eat in Singapore. As it it turns out, I've seen her work back in 2002 back when she exhibited in a group show called 'Barometer' at Cynthya Broan with my good friend Valerie Atkisson. Amanda is with Michael Steinberg Gallery.

Hanging Garden

Doral

Flash-Point

Heatherette

Fashion week is over and it can pretty much be summed up by Roberto Cavalli's words this week to a television reporter when asked how American Fashion compares to Milan. "Americans care too much about fashion. But in Italy, it is about art."
But Heatherette is one of the few American design teams that really makes their runway shows an artistic extravaganza! Where other designers are paring down their color pallates for the fall 2007 collections, Heatherette pumps up their pallate with more nonsensical combinations that could only be worn at the wackiest parties. Here's a bit of Trivia: Designer Richie Rich (Blonde) was once an ice-capade! Maybe that's where he got so comfy with wierd gaudy outfits and stretchy dayglo colors?
(thanks to style.com for the pics)



Yes, those are googley eyes on that dress. . .

models included "BabyPhat" director Kimora Lee Simmons




I love the pants (not the straps, okay?!)

Judith Scott

It's about time I put up a post on this very special artist. Her name is Judith Scott (1943-2005). She was born with Down Syndrome and soon after went deaf. Judy was institutionalized for much of her life until her twin sister rescued her. Free from the institution, Judith began making mysterious fiber sculptures wrapping discarded objects with string and cloth strips. Documentaries of her working process show that Judith had the patience of a spider- carefully knotting the colorful threads around her armatures. Though her work is formally beautiful, many wonder whether she knew the concept of art at all, or if she created these pieces because of a more basic urge.

Jessica Stam

Gaultier couture spring 2007


Today I thought I'd hilight one of my favorite models, 20 year old Jessica Stam. Every time I see her picture I smile because she reminds me of a cute little bug! What incredible features. She would fit right into a Victorian drama movie. She'd also be a beautiful Ophelia. Yes, I think she would look beautiful in a drowning scene. Jessica was discovered at the age of 16 in a coffee shop in Canada. As soon as photographer Steven Meisel laid eyes on her she became his muse. Marc Jacobs even named a bag after her! Currently she is ranked #5 model in the world (models.com). Few models have more experience or work more runway shows than this girl.

I was going to use more recent pics from this week's shows but the spring clothes are so much prettier than the fall ones!

Carolina Hererra spring 2007 ready to wear


Christian Lacroix spring 2007 couture


Michael Kors spring 2007 ready to wear

Backstage at fashion week

Fashion Week in NYC

Here's Mrs. Herrera herself backstage at her show this week:

It's fashion week here in NYC! I'm not attending any shows but thought I'd do a little online reporting. I love Carolina Herrera's latest collection! Here are some pics. If I had the figure and the funds, this is exactly what I would wear. (But lose the furs and give me a cute little pooch instead.) Blue is my favorite color, plus there is something about this collection that reminds me of gloomy rainy days. My favorite type of weather! I love the prints. How does she do it without going totally overboard? Click HERE for the whole collection. (I promise not all the outfits are grey and blue!)

For runway reports, log on to style.com.

Sweet Things

I'm addicted to the drawings of 'Nellie Mae Rowe'. This one's called 'Picking Berries'.


In the reverend Howard Finster's work, text never took a backseat to the images. Here's a letter he illustrated where he expresses his excitement about an upcoming trip to Washington D.C.



Clementine Hunter, a southern folk artist, created work that was the very definition of quaint. Here's a painting she made called 'Dancehall'. Clementine was born on a plantation in 1886. In her old age she was invited to the white house by President Jimmy Carter.


Here's an oddly creative jewelry box made by an anonymous artist out of a cypress knot.

Alfred Jensen @ James Cohan's 'Cosmologies'

Here are some works by Alfred Jensen, whose 'Research in a Growth Hormone' is featured in the show 'Cosmologies' at James Cohan gallery in Chelsea.





The show 'explores the wide ranging strategies used to depict notions of the universal'. In this show, selected artworks represent various attempts to 'diagrammatically map belief systems'. From the mathmatical geometries of Alfred Jensen to the hermetic boxes of Joseph Cornell, each artist employs a highly personal vocabulary to give form to the concept of existence within this in the universe. I also found strange illuminated books with indecipherable charts. There are archaic figurative etchings and fresh video installations, pottery and sculpture. A few of the best pieces were the ancient Himalayan diagrams such as 'Wheel of Life' borrowed from the Rubin Museum.
(Wheel of Life, 1700-1799). Some of the more detailed drawings are so heavily symbolic that I couldn't make myself try to untangle the images and instead tried to appreciate them for their physical beauty.


The show is up till Feb. 10th. It's cold on that block, so bring a scarf!
www.jamescohan.com

Atom Films

I just rediscovered Atom Films. It's a website where you can go and watch films, shorts, and even play games for free. They show a lot of films that have been through the festival circuits and the comments people leave are often very insightful. I'll warn you that there's a lot of trash but lots of treasure too! Here's a short film for the moms out there. It's called 'Jelly Baby', an Irish film. Directors: Bob Burke, Ronan Burke. 10 min.

Also, here's another called 'Fourteen' that I find very interesting and contreversial. It's about a very 'special' day in the life of a teenager whose life is anything but average. Featured at the Sundance Film Festival. Director: Nicole Barnette, United States. 6 min.

Whisked away inside a Jellyfish

Here's a clip from a strange and magical short film by 29 year old French director Gaelle Denis. It's a blend of live action with weird animation effects. This scene that occurs right after the main character falls into a swimming pool and knocks herself unconscious. This animation is showcased in the annual Animation Show tour. Coming soon to a city near you, and I totally recommend it!