Travel
-
-
Sad songs of cicadas drift on the hot Santa Ana-like wind. Undulating water softly rocks the boat atop which I sleep under stars of the southern skies. It’s the wee hours of what will become the hottest day on record in New South Wales. Dew has gathered on the flybridge, but the dampness did not deter when faced with the heat and still air of the cabin below. I have been on a boat for five days now with the Hard family living what we jokingly refer to as The Hard ... more -
Twenty some odd hours in transit and no shower in my immediate future, our first official stop after the Nelson airport was an icy river apparently fed from caves in the mountain above. A quick roadside change into what would become my uniform for the next three weeks, and I was jumping into a breathtakingly cold lagoon. I'd like to enhance the story a bit by pretending I had jumped off a substantial cliff, but alas, those daring feats will be left to Juanita (more on that in Aus ... more -
Three weeks ago I set off on a flight to New Zealand flanked by a specific group of travelers; tittering teens on their first unchaperoned adventure, elderly couples with an innate knowledge of sheepherding and its obvious correlation to international air travel, and a slew of middle class quarterlifers, predominately male, many of whom would return with a regrettable Maori tattoo around his thigh. A prison of politeness, economics and engineering, our 747-400 lumbered across the Pacific - 13 hours to Auckland. California law protects poultry against similar confinement. I sat ... more -
The end of an era is coming. Timely, exciting, laced with nostalgia. As promised, the Mayan calendar ushers in the new. Moving out of my beloved 5th floor studio in the Mission and throwing it all in storage for a few months. Following my Holiday travels, I'm embarking on an adventure in honor of my 27th birthday (here's to you stupid curse!). Off to Australia and New Zealand to see some old friends and get my Hobbit on. As a former movie theatre employee (circa LOTR) and eternal geek, New ... more -
Interesting how one reacts to the trial by fire that is putting on an installation in the matter of a week. Save a few donated hours by dear friends, I found myself working alone, hours on end to make National Anthem come together. Gallery time intermixed with day job totaled 2 weeks consecutive of 10 hours or more. I had forgotten what it felt like to work for a living. Called my sister Tayler, who works on the ranch, to complain of my physical ailments each night. All things considered, ... more -
Back from NY and getting into my routine again. Working on some fun new projects at the studio. I'll leave you with a bevy of photos from the Armory Show once more. [caption id="attachment_666" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Ai Wei Wei on Duchamp. Ya. Enough said.[/caption] Didn't see a lot of painting at the fair, and even fewer paintings that I actually liked. Of all the contemporary painters gaining some momentum, Kenhide Wiley takes the cake with his hybrid of modern imagery with traditional techniques and motifs. [caption id="attachment_670" align="aligncenter" width="640"] ... more -
A whirlwind art trip in NY wouldn't have been complete without a little tourist action. A trip to the top of The Rock proved to be a strong choice. Views are pretty insane for those not plagued by vertigo. Out of general curiosity, I had to check out The Art Students League, where my great grandmother Minerva studied a century ago. The students happened to be having a show, and I drew the conclusion that the academic style of painting hasn't changed much in 100 years. ... more -
The dealers at The Armory Show reassured us once again that sex does indeed sell. In context with the work in his booth, one is forced to wonder what he's looking at on that laptop. . . I dug these empty arcade games- reminded me of a similar yet slightly more engaging work by Steve Lambert, Simmer Down Sprinter, where the player is supposed to do as little as possible to win the game. [caption id="attachment_630" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Mike Bouchet[/caption] [caption id="attachment_604" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Takashi Murakami[/caption] Tony Oursler's ... more -
After waiting in line in the cold for a Madison Avenue eternity, we finally made it in to see the Whitney Biennial. My apologies for the lack of photos, for I only realized that they were permissible toward the end of the exhibit. Don't worry, I did much better at the Armory Show. I was rather intrigued with the mysterious magnetic substance in Sam Lewitt's work called ferrofluid. Will definitely report back on my experiments with it. [caption id="attachment_592" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Sam Lewitt, Fluid Employment[/caption] After seeing the esoteric works ... more -
My comrade in the arts Alex and I are headed to New York this week for the fabled Armory Show. Bracing myself for an inundation of excitement and visual stimuli. Will pop into the Whitney Biennial as well, so I will report back with lots of contemporary art chatter (read:gossip) and photos. On that note, I'll wish myself Bon Voyage!
