Il faut cultiver notre jardin.

Ready, set, grow!

2010-04-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

This morning I made my way over to the annual Oakhurst Community Garden Plant Sale with my friends Nicole and Jason. (I am kicking myself for not taking any pictures while I was there! Anyways, here's some shots from their website of what it looks like. Just pretend you can see us in there... I'll get better about taking my camera along with me...). Jason and Nicole got a lovely, restrained selection of vegetables, herbs, and flowers for the pots on their deck. I on the other hand went a little overboard with excitement.

My load for the morning included romaine lettuce, butter lettuce, chard, cilantro, lemon thyme, parsley, basil, pickling cucumbers, beefsteak tomatoes, rainbow cherry tomatoes, San Marzano tomatoes, calliope eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, and summer squash.

While it does seem like a lot, I feel like this is probably a realistic amount to start with. The herbs I will do in pots that can stay on the porch with easy range of the kitchen, and the rest will go in the raised bed that my mom's boyfriend, Mike, my gentlemen, Matt, and I will all build tomorrow. I am heading to Home Depot after work to pick up materials, and then over to Gardenhood for all of the soil, compost, and mulch I will need for the bed.

The weather this weekend is perfect out and it is honestly killing me that I am stuck in the gallery at work today and am not outside working on my garden. Soon!

A few words on fate and chickens

2010-04-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

I certainly am someone that believes that idea of making your own luck and am not totally one for predestination. But, sometimes, it is hard to ignore the fact that certain things have a way of coming into your life where pieces fall seamlessly into place like it was always meant to be.

I can only chuckle at the now aptly named title of this blog, as its near future will most certainly be shifting to more of a focus on my attempts at self-sustainability in the form of gardening, chickens (near future, please!), and the can of worms diving into those interests produce. I hopefully will indeed be cultivating my garden soon enough.

So, how is this fate? In the last month I have been doing a good amount of research and digging into the world of vegetable gardening. While my house is a mere 600 square feet, the back yard is significantly larger. While I have always had a bit of bad luck with growing things, I was suddenly overcome with a potentially insane, but optimistic nonetheless, desire to create a vegetable garden of my very own.

The first thing I did was to finally get on the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle train about two years late. I was sold. Now, any ideas that have previously been shoved off as impractical have come to a head. As I finished the last page of the book, hell as I finished the third chapter of the book, I felt like I had been given a dictate. Then, this afternoon I received an email announcing that I had won a contest for books on canning and chicken raising! It is meant to be.

So, from now on the blog will be shifting more in this direction as I begin to try my luck once more with growing a green thumb.

For more writing on Atlanta's arts community go to my other website, BurnAway.

Burn Away

2008-10-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

I'm sure those of you who actually read this have been wondering where the hell I have been. Well, myself and fellow Atlanta art bloggers are starting something big:

Burn Away is a visual arts website based in Atlanta, GA. Through weekly reviews and columns, as well as studio visits with local artists, Burn Away attempts to answer the famous challenge issued by William Faulkner:

So limitless in capacity is man's imagination to disperse and burn away the rubble-dross of fact and probability, leaving only truth and dream.

To "disperse and burn away"—a statement about the nature of creativity that compels us to look beyond what merely is and envision what could be.

Click here to subscribe to our RSS feed. Expect regular content: loads of articles and local art reviews are on the way, so definitely keep an eye on this space!

Playlist

2008-09-03T12:41:00.001-07:00

In light of distractions at work I have decided to make you all a list of my current playlist at work. Just for kicks.

Sun Kill Moon, Carry Me Ohio
Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania
Lungfish, Wailing Like Dragons
Townes Van Zandt, Marie
Blame Game, Lemon Drops
Captain Beefheart, Pachuco Cadaver
Secret Chiefs, Exodus
Ennio Morricone, Giorno di Notte
Jim O'Rourke, Therefor, I am
Medicine Shows, Chevrolet Car
Cat Power, I Found a Reason
Shipping News, Axons and Dendrites
T Rex, Jeepster
Smog, Dress Sexy at my Funeral
John Fahey, Desperate Man Blues

Since I am still not able to make a good post

2008-08-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share this article on the disappearing critic with you. You may remember Cinque's discussions on this a few months back (I will link to these later) and thought this was a nice supplement, although belated.

The Disappearing Critic from Big Red & Shiny.

Bloggers, now is your time.

2008-08-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

The Contemporary has certainly been a punching bag for the Atlanta art's community for quite some time now, and I must say with reason. Not to harp on the "good ole days", but the programming has not a fraction of the old exuberance and intelligence that once reigned during the Nexus years.

Local artist, curator, director, founder, activist, general bad-ass, Ms Julia Fenton has taken on quite a campaign against the tailspin that The Contemporary is caught in. After many shove-offs from board members, she has taken the matter to a higher level: the press. Cathy Fox will be doing a story on the institutions current changing of the guard. If you would like to comment or provide your opinion for this story either on or off the record, please make sure to do so before the 14th of August when Cathy leaves for China. If you are interested and do not have her information already, please leave me a comment and I will get you her information.

Below you can read a snip of the much lengthier letter sent by Julia Fenton to the Contemporary.

As I see it, The Contemporary has pretty much reduced its programming to exhibitions, and a minimal number of education programs. I feel the concensus of people I talk to here in Atlanta is that the exhibitions are marginally aceeptable, generally neither current nor cutting edge, composed of the smallest possible number of Atlanta participants and more often than not of out of town artists represented by Stuart’s fairly small circle of gallery friends. I see no evidence of sound research in putting together exhibitions, no evidence of any long range plans on the part of the gallery, no evidence of any coherent exhibition design. It has been my experience that successful programming of the kind that not just I but a number of The Contemporary’s former Gallery Directors put together took full time research, lots of legwork, and broad involvement in Atlanta’s and other major arts communities. It is not possible to run a successful, exciting, stimulating gallery schedule on a part-time basis...

Artists on the whole are rather astute about their profession, and there is a very large number of well respected artists in this community and beyond who are offended by their treatment at the Contemporary. Most professionally run non-profit galleries schedule their programming at least two years in advance. Last minute invitations to exhibit are on the whole professionally offensive. And, unfortunately, the word I hear most often used to describe Stuart is arrogant; the second most frequent comment is that the Contemporary is haphazard at best, if not sloppy, in its programming content. I believe the community also has a vague, unsettling sense now of having been used rather than served. Many of the artists in the last Biennial were embarrassed both by the look of their work in its installation and in the general content of the show. These are comments I am now also hearing from some of the Portland arts community.

2008-06-10T10:38:00.001-07:00

now that your thighs are probably sticking to the seat of your car by the end of your commute, and there is no point in even drying off after you get out of the shower becuase you start sweating again, i figured you migth want a refreshing image to forget about the heat for a minute.

Schedule

2008-06-07T19:29:00.001-07:00

I know that I have had more than a difficult time trying to compile all of the loose schedules being circulated through emails and the like. For sake of your ease, I wanted to post the schedule for A (new) Genre Landscape.

June

6.8 Ruth Stanford- Grant Park 2-3.30 pm

6.10 Last Stand Collaborative- Grant Park 6-7.30 pm

6.11 Avantika Bawa- East Lake Park 6-7.30 pm

6.12 Angus Galloway- Lake Claire Park 6-7.30 pm

6.13 Tristan Al-Haddad- Brownwood Park 8-9.30 pm

6.14 Public Art Safari Bike Tour- Grant Park 9.30-1 pm
Michael Reese- Grant Park 2-3.30 pm
Matt Haffner- Coan Park 4-5.30 pm
Danielle Roney- Adair Park II 8.30 - 9.30 pm

6.16 Steve Jarvis and Susan Kraus- Pekerson Park 6-7.30 pm

6.20 Sheila Pree Bright- Mozley Park 6-7.30 pm

6.21 Van Tour - All Parks 10-1 pm
Michael Reese- Grant Park 2-3.30 pm
Joe Peragine, Pam Longobardi, and Craig Dongoski- Sunken Garden Park 8-930 pm

6.23 Nat Slaughter- East Lake Park 6-7.30 pm

July

7.14 Van Tour - All Parks - 10-1 pm

7.19 Public Art Safari Bike Tour - 9-1 pm
Michael Reese- Grant Park 2-3.30 pm

7.26 Danielle Roney - Adair Park II 8.30-9.30 pm

8.16 Van Tour- 8.30-9.30 pm

I think this is one of the most important things that has happened in Atlanta in quite sometime. In the same way that Shed Space was able to evoke energy becuase of all of the parties it drew in, this project will be able to function very similarly. I hope that everyone can make it out to a few of these lectures. I will be trying to attend as many as possible.

Collecting is a neurosis

2008-06-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

Got to show off a little bit... here are a couple of shots from Laura Noel's photo shoot with the bf for her Smokers series.

Lopped off.

2008-05-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a fateful trip to the hairdresser and instructions to simply trim up any split ends, I emerged looking more like Anna Wintour's 3rd grade yearbook picture than a neatened up version of myself. I am not sure whether or not this more coiffed version is an improvement, but on the plus side it is much less work in the morning and if I decide to be a mod for Halloween I won't have to go out and buy a wig and hairspray. Maybe I should have a Quadrophenia party in celebration. No, wait, in respect to the Anna Wintour reference I think we would have to go Blow Up. Who's in?

Young Americans

2008-05-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

Sheila Pree Bright's current Young Americans exhibit at The High reeks of shallow propaganda. The series is comprised of portraits of young voters, all who appear to be in the 18-25 age group, posing as they choose with the American flag. From the uninspired concept to the naive statements of the models on their ideas of patriotism the entire show was a flop. Perhaps it was that I went into the show with such high hopes. After all, Pree Bright's previous work has been smart and thoughtful commentaries on African American culture. Her Suburbia series was one of my favorites of last year. What made this work so emphatically one-note was that her usual subtlety was completely absent.

The Young Americans portraits were saddled with recycled connotations, but without any undercurrent of commentary. Each of the portraits featured the subjects dressed in what seemed to be their everyday attire against a stark white background. If the point of the portraits was to show the newest generation of voters' relationship to their country, then the execution of the portraits was too blank to convey that. Based on Pree Bright's previous bodies of work, this minimalist canvas shouldn't have been a hurdle, but it was. I wish that Pree Bright had interjected a bit more with the poses, because I have the impression that it was the models' lack of inspiration as opposed to the artist. Unfortunately the exhibit came across as a GAP ad as opposed to a study in Americanism.

For a subject matter that was so revered by our 19th century counterparts, it seems that the idea of nationality has simply turned into another pop cultural notion, as opposed to something that deserves to be looked at with a bit more rigor.

Posers

2008-05-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

For anyone that hasn't been to Atlanta Station recently, let me assure you that the contractors are getting dumber by the day. On my way home this evening, I noticed as I was sitting at a traffic light on 17th Street that the median is now adorned with a triumphal arch. Say what? I know Atlanta is trying to make itself more appealing to tourists, but the last time I checked the most recent battle through Atlanta resulted in us being burned to the ground. After laughing hysterically in my car I became absolutely dumbfounded. First of all, if there is going to be a triumphal arch in Atlanta, why in the hell would it be placed in Atlantic Station? Let's choose the most vapid part of the city to place what I'm guessing is intended to eventually be an architectural landmark. Secondly, why would they build a triumphal arch? Did they not realize that Paris, Rome, Vienna, I could go on do not have these merely for show. They are markers of the cities success. An illustrator of history. Ok, I get it. They want to show how Atlanta Station is a marker of the cities success in building an enclosed "urban landscape." This arch is a sign of Atlanta's capitalistic virtuosity.

Ugh. Between that and the Atlantic Station logo, "Life Happens Here" I don't think I'll be able to keep my dinner down tonight. More to come on this atrocity, I just couldn't wait to let you know.

The joys of being a homeowner

2008-05-16T09:25:00.001-07:00

My new stove arrives today.

2008-05-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

It is always kind of surreal when an artist as iconic as Rauschenberg dies. I don't know if it's becuase they are idolized and examined so closely in art history classes, retrospectives and the like, but it's kind of a slap in the face when they are brought to a more human level.

A show proposal

2008-05-13T06:55:00.001-07:00

On returning from a thankfully brief trip to see maternal family members in New York this weekend I am realizing that I have so much catch-up reading to do, that it just may not happen. From what I have gleaned so far though, the discussion over at Thoughtmarker right now on group shows and the roles of critics-curators-artists in these shows is certainly worth taking a look at.

Perhaps as a supplemental post to said discussion, I wanted to talk about a show that I am currently working on getting on its feet for January at Eyedrum. On my flight into New York I finished Michael Kimmelman's An Accidental Masterpiece and became really interested in one essay that he wrote on Hugh Francis Hicks, who was a dentist in New York who collected lightbulbs throughout his entire life. His obsessive collecting resulted in the largest private lightbulb collection in the world and consequently a personal museum in his basement. Call it peeping tom syndrome, but I have always had a certain fascination with the private sector of peoples lives. That has manifested itself in fairly bengign forms of snooping in people houses to see what exactly is on their bookshelves (and more importantly which books appear to have actually been read), taking note of exactly what kind of soap people like to use in their bathrooms, what is displayed on the mantle as opposed to a nightside table. More recently, since the beginning of undergrad specifically, this has shifted more to the makeup of artist studios. Not surprisingly, the most telling thing about an artist's work is in how they keep their studio. After reading Kimmelman's essays, I started thinking about this tendency of collecting in artist's work as well as the pack rats who unknowingly become collectors in the same way as Hicks.

Charles Wilson Peale, The Artist in his Museum

In the 16th and 17th centuries in Holland, before the modern-day concept of the museum came about, collectors of anything and everything held a similar status to that of the Met or the Tate Modern today. Collections became iconic symbols of the society. The underlying interest in these earlier forms of the museum though, certainly touch on this innate fascination in peoples life. In the same way that you can learn about a person through what they choose to present to the public, the undisclosed is always where the most captivating details are present.

On a local level, artists like Tom Zarilli, Susan Cipcic, and Susan Winton have all managed to merge their private lives and the objects that they find and collect in their quotidian routine into a kind of self-portrait of themselves. What my plan is, as of now, for this show is to work more in the mindset of these archaic museums, or "wonder boxes," which they were originally called. Perhaps showcasing side-by-side both the colelcted objects that become the artwork, as well as the finished projects.

I have certainly not worked out all of these details yet, but it always helps to write these things out.

[EDIT] More visuals that I am thinking about in relation to this show, not directly, but as background visual cues.

Joseph Cornell,
Hotel Eden

A counter:

2008-05-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

After speaking with a friend of mine last night about Jason Freeman's piece, Graph Theory that opens tonight at Spruill, I wanted to address his criticism. His main concern with Graph Theory is that it is pretentious and completely ungratifying. Frankly, I just don't understand that at all. If anything, what makes Freeman's piece so intriguing for the average bear is that it allows for something, music composition, that is generally restricted to a select educated few to become a realisitic possiblity for anyone. In the same way that paint-by-numbers destigmatized fine art by allowing anyone to paint like Van Gogh or Matisse, now the same is true of music.

Come and decide for yourself. Beaking New Ground opens tongiht at Spruill Gallery from 6 to 9 p.m. We are so much more fun and more free than Radiohead.

Like a tall glass of water

2008-05-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

For a myriad of reasons I rarely will attend shows anymore. Be it having too little money in the bank for both rent and covers or the cramped rooms with no breathing space I just don't really enjoy it. Call me an old woman, but I just have been on hiatus. It takes a lot to drag me out of my home-bodied existence. However, when a band who tours about as often as I emerge from my cave comes to town, that can be enough. Especially when said band is Seattle based drone band, Earth.

For a band the tours as infrequently as Earth, and for a band with as many followers, their show at the EARL last Thursday was shockingly empty. As myself and three friends perused the crowd we bemusedly found ourselves to be the only ladies persent with the exception of one other who appeared to have been mistaken and was actaully looking for either the Suicide Girls audition down the street or the ICP show at the Masquerade. Either way, she was a treat to watch throw pelvic thrusts at Dylan all night. At one point I did happen to notice, after an accomplice pointed out that this would be a great show for someone who was smoking pot for the first time, three young'uns who certainly should not have been allowed through the doors had indeed had that same train of thought. I am failry certain they missed the entire show. Outside of that, the usual characters of Atlanta's bartenders guild and various other familiar faces.

But, to move on from the people watching extravaganza, Earth was everything I could have hoped it to be. Right before they started playing I was told that they had been playing 1.5 to 2 hour sets, which just about defeated my spirit before they even began. I love Earth as much as the next person, but dear god, 2 hours of drone might just put me to sleep on my feet. Good thing I mastered sleeping with my eyes open during 7th grade trig (not really! that's super creepy, and anyone with that skill should cease and desist immediately). In my opinion, Bees Made Honey in the Earth's Skull is easily Earth's best album (followed closely by Hex, of course) so I was pleased as punch to hear THE ENTIRE ALBUM played. I kind of wish I had the foresight to have brought a Lazyboy with me, though.

Anyways, I have no illusions of being a music critic so I won't bother to make an attempt at descrbing how awesome the show actually was. My point in this post was primarily to share with everyone a fun little tidbit of information that I learned. Dylan, Earth's founder and prodigal son, if you will, is the person who gave Kurt Cobain the shotgun. Now, if I have ever heard of something to give someone a guilt complex, that has to be number 1. And I haev a Jewish grandmother, so I know all about guilt. That is intense.

Well, anyways. Lovely weekend to all. Enjoy the festivities at Eyedrum for me this evening. I shall live vicariously through you as I continue to paint gallery ceilings this evening.

Oops.

2008-04-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Dearests,

I have never claimed to be technology savy. Needless to say, I am afraid this has manifested itself in alienating myself from YOUR feedback. Please consider this an apology to those who have been unable to comment.

XO,

Susannah

SNEAK PEAK: Breaking New Ground

2008-04-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Here is the press release for Spruill's upcoming show.

SPRUILL ART GALLERY PRESENTS
BREAKING NEW GROUND: Intersections at the frontier of art and technology

Curated by Hope Cohn

Spruill Art Gallery presents, Breaking New Ground: Intersections at the frontier of art and technology, an exhibition curated by new Spruill Gallery Director Hope Cohn. Breaking New Ground will be on view from May 9 to June 26, 2008. The exhibition opens with a public reception on Thursday, May 8 from 6:00 until 9:00 p.m.

Breaking New Ground offers a look into the influences that technology has on artists to develop new and innovative ways to express themselves. Through painting, music and interactive sculpture this show celebrates the use of technology in art. The Italian composer Luciano Berio said that "change is always upon us" and the artists included in this show have embraced that change with originality, creativity and skill. Rejecting the "formulaic," they have set out on a new path, a new journey of discovery and invention that welcomes viewers to take a ride with them.
Included in the exhibition are works by Atlanta artists, Danielle Roney, Kathryn Refi, Sarah Emerson, Dick Robinson and Philip Galanter. In keeping with the theme of the show, Spruill Gallery has paired with Georgia Institute of Technology to showcase the work of Faculty instructors Gil Weinberg, Jason Freeman, Carla Diana and Tristan Al-Haddad. These pioneering artists and educators explore exciting new methods and advances in technology to create a new and fresh artistic vocabulary.

Highlights from the show include Carla Diana's piece entitled "Nest," an interactive, music themed installation. Using glowing balls of light, participants place these colorful objects in a sculptural "nest." "This particular work is part of a series that is based upon encouraging people to experience the joy of musical composition, free of any formal constructs" explained Diana, Visiting Professor of Industrial Design at the Georgia Tech College of Architecture.

Kathryn Refi's paintings explore the use and derivation of color. How do we choose our personal palette? Is it a reflection of our individuality, our environment? Mounting a camera on a baseball cap, she captured a typical day in her life by wearing the camera every hour of the day for a consecutive week and then digitally manipulated the frames, extracting the colors to their very essence. Each painting is 100 inches wide, with each inch the equivalent to 10 percent of Refi's day.

Danielle Roney is an installation, multimedia artist examining the impact of modernization in society and in different cultures through sculpture, digital media and public intervention. "For me, the creative practice represents fascinating degrees of perception when combined with scientific theory and innovative technology," states Roney. She has created a site-specific installation for Breaking New Ground which will allow the viewer to reach beyond the walls of the gallery, incorporating the energy of intersections, cars, people and the vernacular architecture. Roney shot and recorded the images then recreated them, turning everything upside down and inside out. She re-interpreted the environment as a unique and highly charged environmental experience.

Morphing, stretching and expanding information is what Tristan Al-Haddad also expresses in his work and as a Professor in the Architecture Program at GA Tech. Al-Haddad focuses on the continuous exploration of digital technology in design. He uses technology to model, design and produce sculptural forms that are organic and fluid and has created a series of pieces for this show that allow the viewer to engage in an interactive dialogue.

Philip Galanter's lightbox drawings explore the physical generative systems, analog and digital video. "Generative art refers to any art practice where the artist uses a system, such as a set of natural language rules," says Galanter.

Also on view is a new outdoor mural by artist Sarah Emerson.

"Graph Theory" designed by Composer and Professor of Music at GA Tech, Jason Freeman, seeks to connect composition, listening and concert performance. Freeman's works break down conventional barriers between composers, listeners, and performers using cutting-edge technology and unconventional notation to turn audiences and musicians into compositional collaborators. The work of Dick Robinson is featured in Breaking New Ground. He is one of Atlanta's great musical pioneers, beginning his career as a classically trained musician when he played for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. His recent compositions utilize technology to create eccentric, abstract and uniquely special pieces of music. Included in the exhibition is a listening room in which both Freeman and Robinson's work will be featured.

As the Director of the music technology program at Georgia Tech, Gil Weinberg works to expand musical expression, creativity, and learning through technology. His inventions, including Haile the robot, can listen to live players, analyze their music and play it back in an improvisational manner. This work as well as many other inventions of Weinberg's can be viewed through video in Breaking New Ground.

Breaking New Ground: Intersections at the frontier of art and technology paves the way as the Spruill Center for the Arts begins construction of the new Arts Center and Gallery this summer. "We welcome this new period of change and growth for the arts center and this exhibition is a celebration of that in every way, inside and out,"" says Hope Cohn, Curator and Spruill Gallery Director. "We are so thrilled and excited to have the opportunity to showcase the work of Georgia Tech's brilliant faculty and to share it with the Atlanta community."

Established in 1975, The Spruill Center for the Arts is a private, non-profit organization, whose mission is to foster understanding and appreciation of the visual and performing arts, by offering an extensive and diverse program of classes, a professional artist exhibition series and outreach programs for seniors, youth and audiences with special needs.

Spruill Art gallery is located at 4681 Ashford Dunwoody Road at the intersection with meadow Lane. For more information about Spruill Gallery and its programs please call 770-394-3447 or check its website.

Kids these days

2008-04-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

High school art shows always seem to divide up into the same kinds of groups every year: the girl who does gorgeous renderings of her friends but has yet to have enough life experience to translate into content to behind any talent, the pretentious high schooler who will be humbled when he gets to college and realizes that there are more just like him, the doe-eyed student who has no idea how good they actually are, the student with a cause, the sexually frustrated, and the copy-cat. Grady High School's exhibit at Eyedrum last night was able to meet all of my categorical requirements with ease.

I will not spend any time being a curmudgeon about the students whose work was intriguing than others, because it just doesn't seem fair to critique people who have only had the judgement of their friends at this point. Give it four years and I will be happy to tear in. For now though, I just wanted to say that John VanDerKloot's work was one of the best bodies of work I have seem come out of a high school student. The work was predominantly light boxes, with a mirror front that has various things etched into them. His work had a definite Klimt-style with the attention to small, repetitive details that seemed wise beyone his years. His pieces did not have the same limited-seeming scope of his peers. I would imagine that given a few years, he will be able to tighten up his imagery and produce more provocative work.

CASE IN POINT: Joel Dean, Aftermath

For anyone who missed the Grady Show a couple of years ago, it was the best high school artwork I have ever seen. I don't even think it needed to be clarified as high school. Almost every piece could have held it's own in a group exhibition.

By request

2008-04-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

In my last post I mentioned the Prada dressing room in Soho. Here is a clip from the paper I wrote on it.

In December 2001, Prada opened the doors to a new store in Manhattan. The space was fully equipped with new technology to reinvent the way we shop. The store offers amenities including everything from cataloguing shopper’s personal preferences to providing staff with identification clips so that they can better serve the clientele. The most striking achievement can be found in their dressing room: The fitting rooms allow Prada patrons the opportunity to experience themselves in the clothing through a full range of situations and environments using various simulated effects. While these technological advances are yet another step forward in the increasingly progressive fashion arena, the fitting room technology forces a quotidian action to be mediated through simulated experiences. This change fundamentally alters perceptions of ourselves in reality...

...Fashion is about the process of creating an image. Our clothing choices are but one way we create and present an image of ourselves to the world. Jean Baudrillard wrote that we have ceased to be spectators, and have become actors in a performance where we “face up to the unreality of the world as spectacle, we are defenseless before the extreme reality of the world, before this virtual perfection.” Fashion allows us to become performers so that we make attempts at perfection: because a person has the ability to alter the image of themself they project to society through fashion. The innovations in the Prada dressing room mimic the transformative ability of fashion, but take it a step further. Now there are computers that can help us to mimic the perfection we strive to achieve: by placing a camera in the fitting room and using computers to help recreate the looks shown on the runway, the identity of the model is imposed on the customer. The model is an image of constructed perfection; by combining the controlled image of the ideal (the model) with reality (the customer in the fitting room) a new perfection can be achieved.
John Berger wrote in his essay collection, Ways of Seeing, “We are always looking at the relation between things and ourselves” (9). While Berger speaks of the relationship of the person to the mirror, and furthermore the ways in which people are perceived by others, his ideas are applicable to the case of the Prada fitting rooms. They give customers an alternate way of viewing themselves: instead of simply looking at their reflection, the shopper’s self-perception is replaced by others’ perception. Through the process of photographing the client in the Prada clothes, and then comparing these to runway models, the dressing room allows clients to see themselves as images- divorced from the present, made anonymous like models. The lighting options make it possible to remove oneself from the moment in the fitting room. In a sense, this mirror provides a sense of escapism. Though the system is intended to be more real, it uses images meant to show how one is perceived in “outside” realities. Simulating alternate experiences distorts any sense of reality. As Jean Baudrillard writes, “…pretending, or dissimulating, leaves the principle of reality intact: the difference is always clear, it is simply masked, whereas simulation threatens the difference between the “true” and the “false,” the “real” and the “imaginary” (Simulacrum 3). By promoting both the actual reality as well as potential realities, the shopper is able to inhabit multiple scenarios simultaneously, blurring the distinction between the constructed reality of the simulated lighting and the actual moment occurring in the dressing room.

Daniel Canogar for Art Papers Live!

2008-04-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

***Sorry for lack of images. My computer will not let me put any in here right now.***

Daniel Canogar deals wtih a lot of big concepts in his work. His pieces address topics from phantasmagorias and the history of humans fascination with the spectacle, to consumerism, to identity in the technological age. What's impressive is that he does all of it well. For me, the most salient portions of the lecture were the works that dealt with identity and the incorporation of technology as a way to assess and shape it.

During the lecture he brought up the still from Kubrick's 2001: Space Odyssey. Much like Kubrick, Canogar's work addressed both the historical and contemporary attempts to visualize the impossible. His work presents the limitations and abilties of technology in his depiction of self. I was alost disappointed that Canogar didn't use the scene from 2001 where Bowman is experiencing a surreal fast-forward of his life before his eyes. I think that Canogar's work acheives a similar sense by incorporating the viewer into the work. As the viewer experiences being envelopped within the layers of projections on the walls, having a somewhat out-of-body experience as you view yourself become part of the work, you are simultaneously aware of your actual self watching this projected view. Even more appropriately, the fact that Kubrick ends his projection of Bowman's character in a room surrounded by objects from the Rococo period so does Canogar in many ways, and perhaps this is why he so aptly titled his lecure, "Electronic Baroque." It would seem that in the same way that these periods experienced an influx of cultural stimuli (granted Rococo's being much more vapid than the Baroque and Kubrick's critique was a bit more pointed at the wasteland of flash and nothingness in the Rococo as would be in the future) it seems Canogar plays off of this mentality of overloading the senses and discovering ones identity through the mediation of a projection within a larger context.

Canogar discussed his search for a background at decent length, which I think also played into his idea of layers exposing ones identity. Cultural background certainly defines a person, whether for better or worse, and Canogar's pieces bring up the issue of whether or not we know the extent to how it defines ones identity. I like that as Canogar's pieces and the viewer adapt to each other through his projections, it allows the viewer to question as well how their own culture has imprinted an identity on them.

This also brings to mind the Prada dressing room in Soho. For you that have not been (or had the luxury of writing a final paper on said dressing room) it is very similar to Canogar's pieces in theory. The customer is given the ability to see themselves in the items they are trying on by cameras that shoot them in the dressing room. By having the ability to completely envision yourself as a Prada labeled customer you are given the ability to choose how you wish for your identity to play out. Canogar's work is the same. The piece is interactive in how it lets you, as the subject, become involved and to what extent.

I hope some of you were able to make it to Solomon Projects today or the super secret post-lecture fete last night to rack his brain some more. I was quite disappointed that my ball and chain kept me from going to either.

What do tooth fairies bring to puppies?

2008-04-14T19:32:00.001-07:00

Today, my sweet puglet, Orson Emmanuel Bean Darrow lost his first baby tooth. Yes, he is becoming a man. It was the back left top molar. I am so excited. My roommate found it next to her on the couch this evening. She was not as excited as I was. It is now safely in a jewelry box on my dresser. My little man is growing up!

Throwin dubs with the big shots

2008-04-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

I should preface this post, by saying that on the way to the MOCA Gala last night I had a remarkable invitation to throw dubs on Camp Creek Parkway. As I was making my way down Northside in hellacious basketball game traffic I looked over and saw a girl signalling me to roll down my window. To my surprise and delight, she thought I looked like someone acceptable to invite to her party. Apparently Lil' Wayne and someone else whose name I missed was there. She promised me that they would have liquor and green and of course, celebrity sightings galore. To my dismay, when I woke up this morning I realized that in my morning-after a free-booze event stupor I forgot to go.

MOCA's Gala was a stunning example of what an difference a new space can make. The old exhibition space at Peachtree and 15th Street was terribly restrictive, not allowing for installations much larger than Sang-Wook Lee's ramen fortress (and even that seemed stunted by the ceiling height limitations). The new space, located in the old Lowe Gallery space, has been completey remodeled and is finally starting to look like a museum. The Gala last night was a good sign of things to come. The auction showcased 109 pieces by Georgia artists, and good pieces at that. Unlike Art Papers auction this year, which seemed to have gotten the scraps of every show in Atlanta last year, MOCA was able to get some stunning new pieces from around the state. Last night, the museum announced the next line-up for the Working Artist Project. I was super excited to hear that they chose Matt Haffner and Maria Artemis. I think Marcia Cohen is totally deserving of the grant, but I am curious to see the ArtNEWS reaction on account of the fact that she was just chosen for their multiples project in August.

This isn't the piece form the show, but I have to upload my images from last night still...

Matt Haffner's piece from his "Project for a Revolution" series was gorgeous. I love the pulp fiction quality of the images and the fact that he owns up to it entirely, reinventing scene compositions from classic film noir and comic book scenarios. Laura Noel's piece from her "Car Wash" series was a complete departure from her carefully considered portrait series she has worked on for the last few years. The piece from the show was actually several years old, but seemed to be one of the most fresh ones there. The image was an abstracted mesh of blues and greens, resembling a Rothko more than a photograph of a car wash. Danielle Roney's fluid architecture composition which she completed through her current grant from MOCA's Working Artist Project showed that they are getting their money's worth. The dynamic piece was easily one of the most captivating from the live auction, followed closely by Lucinda Bunnen and Susan Cofer. Peter Bahouth's sterescopic viewer had a gloriously voyeuristic quality to it, that could certainly let any Peeping Tom get his kicks out in a more benign manner. The scene captures a moment that seems to be just as a young woman wakes in the morning and is lazing in bed.

Hopefully the improved exhibition space will allow MOCA to become an even more important figure in shaping the Atlanta arts. For a city that lacks the number of museums of the average urban arts hub, it is good to see another institution really stepping up to the plate. I don't mean to say that MOCA was not already an important element of the Atlanta arts, but I think that the improved space will allow them to truley function as a museum now, and not just another gallery.

Harper Lee in mixed media

2008-04-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

By the 9th grade, most have read Harper Lee's seminal, and only, novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Alongside of the horrors of the holocaust, genocides in Africa, and the bombing of Horshima, children are shown the horrors that the world is capable at an early age. On a more micro level, To Kill a Mockingbird is able to destroy that youthful innocence taught to us through Disney movies and the like through more subversive means. I know when I first read the moralistic tale at around age 8 I was infuriated by the injustice of the book. Of course, this naivete would disipate with age, but the book certainly remained a salient point in my formative years.

Red Weldon Sandlin and Mark Sandlin's I Still Hear the Mockingbird that opened at Whitespace last night illustrated the poignancy of the novel in their lives as well. The show consisted of pieces they created using pages from the book, drawings, sculptures and paintings to pay hommage to some of the more arresting passages from the novel. Although at times pieces seemed too literal, others made insightful studies into the characters' personas. In a style reminiscent of Kojo Griffin's beastial-headed children commiting wrongful acts, the Sandlin's illsutrated the characters according to the fabled characteristics they represented. The depiciton of Scout and Dill with the head of sheep was certainly not a stretch, but in the context of the show, provided a reminder of the viewers personal tendencies as well.

The strength of the show is not the depiction of various scenes from the novel, but the connection of the viewer to the text, and the elements of the text that are perhaps too much of a reminder of why the story is still an important one.

Leaps and Bounds

2008-04-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

UGA MFA shows are tricky. The show should be one of the highlights of the year in terms of innovativeness, technical skill, and general execution. These are the young minds of the artistic community who have had time and energy dedicated exclusively to making a body of work for 3 years straight. The 2005 UGA MFA show was phenomenal; Stephanie Dotson’s installation was triumph of printmaking, fiber arts, and general Oldenberg sensibilities. Kathryn Refi’s color field paintings took 1960s abstract expressionsim and brought it into the video installation era seamlessly. In 2006 Claire Joyce exhibited a sparkle extravanganza. Unfortunately, this sabbatical from the rest of the world does not always result in the genius one would expect. Last years MFA show at UGA was a one note catastrophe. Even those whose thesis projects were worthy of praised suffered from the bad hanging job, and blandness of the majority.

Luckily, this years line-up satisfied those still with a bad taste in their mouths from the year past. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t let me take any pictures, so I’m waiting for somet o come up online to post pictures of my favorites. Here’s a short list for now: Euni Figi, John Powers, Jessica Ann Mills, and Leigh Ann Johnson Swift.

I was certainly not the only one who was completely enraptured by John Powers’ pieces. The mechanized grass in the wind was surrounded by masses of people throughout the night. Each of his pieces utilized elements of sound created by the mechanisms he created. Nothing like nature in the machine age.

I am a sucker for Jessica Mills’ work. Her thesis show was a lovely as I expected it to be. Americana prints with a twing of old photograph. Reads like a Cormac McCatrhy novel.

Euni Figi’s rice apron were absolutely gorgeous. Figi’s approach to rendering a functional item almost completely decorative is quite a feat: The train extends about five feet in front of the wearer, and the weight of the rice that fills the apron would stunt any movement that the train did not. I found the juxtaposition she created between the idea of the long train of the dress immediately signaling visions of matrimony, and of course the added domesticity of the apron, with what she mentions in her artist statement about the apron serving as a type of protective armor to be an interesting approach. Before seeing the statement I had assumed that she was using the apron in a perjorative way, and just covering it in the gorgeous construction of the apron. And maybe she still is.

I’ll post pictures when someone puts them up. They wouldn’t let me take pictures inside, but I am guessing one of the MFA students will put some up soon.

Playing catch-up

2008-04-02T05:42:00.000-07:00

Ah, sweet blog. I feel like a bad partner who is going back to a relationship two months too late to try and make-up for lost time. Lots of reviews of shows that I have been meaning to post. I will only do the ones that are still up for relevance sake.

City Gallery East has hung its last show. For a gallery that has displayed local greats such as Wayne Kline, Mario Petrirena, and Sheila Pree Bright the final exhibit went out with a bit of a fizzle as opposed to a deserved fireworks show. Granted pin-up shows can be a bit piece-meal and at times redundant, but The Pin-Up Show #4 on top of the usual critiques, the show came across as more of an art school foundations show than a showcase of local talents. The number of figure drawings was absolutely overwhelming and smothered even those that were truly a tour de force. Because of the accompanying mass of figure studies, Tania Becker’s abstracted mixed media pieces, which are usually ethereal and transcendental came across as sophomoric and trite. Anita Arliss’ work suffered from bad placement and was completely lost in its sad corner, despite the fun, punchy colors. Stan Woodard’s piece was the only one that escaped the downward pull of the rest of the show. In his cubicled section of gallery towards the front of the exhibit, his sparsely lit topographical spread, Untitled (Dawn to Dusk) was one of the few pieces that creatively handled the task of a pin-up piece. Woodard’s piece was my choice pick for the show, because it so eloquently embraced Atlanta, whether intentionally or not through the landscape of the sculpture. For the last exhibition of a gallery that so embraced the city and supported its arts, this seemed like a sweet little farewell kiss on the cheek.
Stan Woodard,
Dawn to Dusk, 2008

I don’t know if it’s the undeniable girliness in me, but I love glitter. The more the merrier I say. If you are going to do kitsch go all the way. Despite being pushed up by a couple of months, Marianne Lambert was still able to pull off a spectacular display of glitz and gaudiness at the Swan Coach House Gallery’s current exhibition, All That Glitters. The strength in show lies entirely in the fact that every artist completely embraced the slight vulgarity of such a saccharine theme. Joni Mabes’ slightly garish glitter portraits of some of our flashiest pop icons including P.T. Barnum and Elvis in appropriate grandeur could not be more endearing. Claire Joyce’s contribution to the show was a glittertastic punch that would put any pop artist to shame. If anyone was destined for this exhibit, Joyce certainly proved that she was it. Her all-glitter psychedelic rendering of two cakes are the epitome of the show: unabashedly cutesy and blissful. Between Jim Waters pastel, Vegas Chapel-style crosses, and Sarah Emerson’s sparkling Dark Forest I can’t help that this show came just in time for spring and Easter candy cavities.
Claire Joyce, Double Birthday Explosion

Silence of the Lambs style

2008-04-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

There is something about alternative space art shows that gets me every time. When a space can be chosen to perfectly complement the work and layer on the ambiance, nothing gets a whole lot better. Maria Watts’ Reynoldstown basement fit the bill this weekend to a T for the video-performance-installation-sound showcase, Electro-Scuro. The one-night exhibition featured the likes of Karen Tauches, Maria Watts, Jason Cochrane, Mariah Cagle, Lauren Macdonald, and Carrie Elzey. Although the ever-so reminiscent Silence of the Lambs basement night light vision scene was a bit off putting at first, as you wound your way through the basement, the echoes of each video and sound installation became a bit more haunting still and even more all-encompassing.

Maria Watts, who curated the show, showcased a new twist to her video installations. Watts’ past shows, including her piece from Mary Stanley’s 21 Under 30 show and her installation in Eyedrum’s small gallery over the summer paid homage to her relationships and a fascination with capturing the tactile elements of her day to day life. Her installation for Electro-Scuro, “Untitled: A Work in Progress”, provided a spin on her approach to the sensual from her previously unabashedly candid views into her life. The room was harshly lit, and in contrast with the darkened, damp basement was an immediate draw. The room was lined wall to wall cracked eggshells along the floor begging to be walked on. In the corner of the room a video of Maria’s feet clad in the perfect eggshell cracking Doc Marten boot stomping the ground, but without any eggshells beneath. I must say, her suggestion was a hard one to resist, considering that the lack of sound in the video was dying to be filled with the sound of my own two feet doing the favor of crushing the shells. Considering the title, it seems she intended the viewer to be the one to finish the project.

The back-most room was a sound installation by Carrie Elzey, “While My Heart’s Still Beating”, which utilized the space the most effectively by engaging the somewhat buried feeling of the basement. The room featured a window which spanned the wall of the room and looked directly onto the yard outside, but right at grass level, without much room to see what space lay beyond the span of the grass directly outside. A record player in the corner was started followed by a pulling of a cord in the ceiling which triggered an outdoor light. I honestly don’t even remember what was playing on the record player, but the sound mirrored the lives of the grass dwellers outside of the window.

Karen Tauches’ performance, “The Lines of Communication”, had a definite Twilight Zone feel to it, that I think gave me nightmares later that night. Tauches sat at a desk and recited a customer service voice message while an accompaniment attempted to order from a catalogue in the chair next to her. I don’t know whether it’s the fact that online shopping has taken the place of late-night catalogue ordering, or the fact that the installation used an old-fashioned phone which hung from the ceiling, but the otherworldliness of that act seemed more striking to me than the installation itself. The fact that the human element of things has been removed from so many aspects of our day to day life is not anything new, but Tauches presentation of it was such a caricature that it certainly brought the discourse to a head once again.

Watt’s show if nothing else confirmed for me that video installation can strike many more chords than the average art show these days. Eyedrum’s show from a few weeks ago, ReNEW, ReUSE, ReVIEW, seemed to stress that it is going to be a stretch to find the truly avant garde through traditional media. Electro-Scuro was aware and moved ahead with the trend.

Cross posted from the other blog I write on, Pecanne Log.

Back from the dead...

2007-12-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

Well, back from the hell that is final papers. Besides the point. I know today is not Friday, but it seems like I have enough catching up to do that the day doesn't really matter anymore. So, this weeks Belle of the emerging artist ball is photographer, Sunni Johnson.

Johnson does photography as well as mixed media sculptures and collages, but I think her strong suit is really her photography series. She uses her friends as models in theatrical backdrops created in their everyday environments. Johnson's photographs recall iconic pop cultural figures on a subconscious level. Between the costumes and dramatic poses Johnson is able to create renderings of film stills from the type of movies that would have seemed legendary cinema classics for the early '80s generation.

The two series that Johnson has completed to date are Portrait of an Ingenue and Knave or Not. Here are my favorites from the two collections:

UPCOMING SHOWS: Johnson will be showing at MINT Gallery in February.

WEBSITE: Website is under construction but should be up soon. I will post it on this review once it is up and running.

TGIF!

2007-11-02T12:30:00.001-07:00

So, now we have a photographer and a printmaker. Needless to say, I think it is time to look at some sculpture. This weeks artist is Atlanta native Dana Haugaard. I feel I must preface this post by saying that I have only seen two pieces of Haugaard's work, so this is not necessarily a fair or in any way complete look at his current work.

Of the two pieces I have seen I have loved one and been less in love with the second. The first piece was in the Spruill Gallery's Looks Good on Paper exhibition. The work consisted of a plaster hand emerging from a black frame against a red background. It was nicely executed, but I think suffered from having too small of a scale. Unfortunately, in a salon style show pieces are easily lost, and I think that happened with the work.

The second work was at his show at Eyedrum over the summer. Longer was a much more impressive installation.

The piece took up the better part of the small gallery, which paired with the precarious-seeming hanging of the heads created a spectacularly anxious environment.

Haugaard will be one of the artists participating in the Mattress Factory Open Studios tomorrow afternoon-evening.

The Hipster Life

2007-10-27T08:03:00.001-07:00

Sorry I didn't get this up yesterday, everyone. I was a bit out of commission, but am now back and ready to update your visual horizons.

Karly Wildenhaus' series Atlanta Portraits, despite being a bit too embrasive of the hipster counterculture is quite a well composed, and produced series that could easily scale the pages of VICE. I have never seen these photographs outside of her website and I'm sure that in person something about the size or printing of the pieces might make them less striking for me, but as it stands, I still enjoy them.

Wildenhaus just moved to Chicago and is attending the Art Institute for (I think) visual criticism, which is unfortunate, because I think fashion photography would be a great route for her to pursue. Right now her work exudes a kind of raw talent and understanding of composition and color that with the right training could become really phenomenal work in a few years. I believe when she completed this series she was actually working for a fashion photographer, which I'm sure didn't hurt the richness of these images.

Here are some of the portraits from the series that I like in particular:

Besides the fact that Wildenhaus has a wonderful grasp of what makes a GOOD image, her content has certainly been considered. Granted, I think the style of the work pulls from photography less focused on content and more on dazzling the viewer, but that's not to say that her subjects are solely pretty faces. There has obviously been a great deal of attention to capture these people in their environment and to include objects, pets and people that have some amount of significance in the portrait-sitters lives. This is the one place where I think a couple of the images fall short. In more than one case the subjects seem a bit uncomfortable and stiff in their poses, which considering the locale, should have been considered. Although, going back to my previous statement, I think that these images draw heavily enough on photography that uses blatantly posed figures that is isn't too terribly bothersome.

On the whole, I think the series captures a small sect of the Atlanta population in a very well executed manner. I am very curious to see what else will be coming out of Wildenhaus in the next few years.

WEBSITE: www.karlywildenhaus.com

Jessica Mills

2007-10-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

This week's artist, and the first to begin the trend is a MFA Candidate at the University of Georgia in Printmaking. Her approach to printmaking is a great departure from a medium that can be very traditional and limiting for many artists. Several printmakers, including the greats, seem to become overwhelmed by the medium. One of the most common criticisms of printmakers is that they are more concerned with the process of making an image than in the image itself. The criticism is far from the truth for this artist.

So without further ado, Jessica Mills.

If I had to guess, I would say that Mills is going places. Her work is able to achieve a familiarity with its' audiences that is hard to find outside of old family photographs and movies that you can replay in your mind. The underlying Americana sensibility is one of the characteristics of this series that instantly won me over. Mills' upbringing in Nebraska is undoubtedly what gives these images such a personal stake in her wide and minimalist landscapes.

Her current body of work is predominantly trace monotypes. Previously she was working with intaglio, so I'm guessing this was a pretty smooth transition for her. The work deals with the idea of memory and the images that your mind saves from specific instances, although not necessarily particular events. From what I understand of her working method, she pulls her images from photographs she takes using a digital camera that never leaves her side. This close companion is definitely helping her to turn out some stellar work.

Here are some of my favorites:

Under the Red Sunlight, 2007. Trace monotype.

Afternoon Drags On and On, 2007. Trace monotype.

Passing Afternoon Series, 2006. Trace monotype.

ARTIST STATEMENT (SNIP)
Through intimacy in layering, the transparency of papers and meditative mark making the prints invite the viewer to enter into them. Invite the viewer to read into them in a similar fashion to his or her own approach to a favorite book. To react to them in a similar way to a song that could just break hearts. These images serve as evidence of the body’s imprint on land, of our constant dialogue with the environment that surrounds.

WEBSITE
www.fadefade.net

EXHIBITS
Mills has work up at the Lamar Dodd School of Art right now. In terms of upcoming I have yet to find anything, but will post if I see something come up.

Hair to the throne... sorry bad pun.

2007-10-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

Bands have made it based off of their hair. Take the 80's. I'm not saying I condone it, but would hair metal have been able to achieve its success without the obscenely Cowardly Linoesque coiffures. Try and imagine Motley Crue without the hair. Damn near impossible. Even the ladies of Motown. Hair is a critical part of the image if a musician. Diana Ross has her sweepingly long (and immense) locks, Kurt had his grease laden face curtains, and Dolly had her blindingly towheaded do. Even today, Britney has become even more infamous after the shaving of her ever-changing style.
Jennifer Anniston will forever be known by the infamous "Rachel" haircut she sported on Friends for so many years. You get my point. Hair makes the celebrity.

Last night I attended a phenomenal show at the 40 Watt in Athens ad believe you me, this hair furthers my point like you would never believe. The Melvins lead guitarist and general face of the band, Buzz Osborne has the coiffure of a lifetime. His signature hair is the before picture of a John Frieda Frizz-Treatment commercial in the best way imaginable. I can only imagine what goes into this production. At one point during the show I turned to the constantly mentioned Sara and asked how much hair product she thought he used. She replied that there was probably not much to it. I beg to differ though. If your career has been marker by a signature look that you carry you have to keep it up. Surely Melvins fans do not rely on Buzz's hair alone to enjoy the band, but think it goes without saying that when going to a show it is one of many elements that makes it even more thrilling to see them perform. Watching his hair bounce around is as much a part of the show as watching him play. There is a theatrical quality to it that is an integral part to the show, and I believe that is true of every performer who has a signature style. To think that Buzz doesn't give it a little tease on a flatter day, or occasionally have it cut to achieve maximum buoyancy is just naive.
I would even go so far as to suggest that there is a little spritz involved before the show.

All I'm saying is the hair doesn't make the man, but it certainly doesn't hurt. And, the next time the Melvins are in town I would highly recommend going for the hair watching.

Resident Evil

2007-10-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

No I'm not talking about the snakes. Okay, the snakes. My gallery had two clay snakes in the store at one point. I broke the coiled one when I had to pick it up one day and jerk-reaction threw it across the room. The long one that looks like it's slithering just caused an almost fainting episode on more than one occasion. The snakes are awful. The man that made them is also, not surprisingly, a bit evil himself. Every piece of ceramics he had in our store was incredibly racist, offensive, and just downright ugly. Luckily, he picked his things up yesterday so that I never have to scream in the gallery again when I walk into the store.

Never have to scream again until today that is. In the porch area of the house that the gallery is in we have three residents by the names of Lucifer, Evelyn, and Gertrude. They are healthy, turd-making rats. The Terminix man arrived yesterday and set the trap with a brownie in hopes of killing at least one of the beasts. Never having hunted rat I had no idea how quickly such traps (the instant death kind) worked.

Today, while setting up for the groundbreaking at the gallery I realized I was in need of some things from the porch. Upon opening the door I had what might have been one of the most embarrassingly cliche girl moments of my life. There on the floor right next to the refrigerator was Lucifer, in the trap, looking up at me. One of the other staff members heard my squeal and immediately asked if I saw a rat. My face turned red. Of course I saw a rat! And he was gross. Gross. Huge too! I know it was Lucifer and not one of the girls because he was so large! His tail was at least five inches long. Light colored gray fur.

I considered posting a picture so that everyone could understand my experience with Lucifer but decided to spare you.

Hopefully, after setting more traps Gertrude and Evelyn will also be caught. I just hope Lucifer wasn't as fertile as I think he might have been.

The Cultural Enthusiast

2007-09-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

I have attempted to write a post about Cheyenne* three times now. All of my attempts were thwarted on account of the fact that I continually deleted the post (accidentally). So, here goes a shorter, hopefully less self-destructive try: Cheyenne is a Native American Cultural enthusiast who is a food runner at Highland Bakery. Sara and I encountered her during brunch several weeks ago. We posed as fashion bloggers and had her model for us to put in our non-existent blog, Atlanta Looks. So, without further ado, meet Cheyenne.

Many of you probably remember the Hipster Handbook that came out several years ago and provided a fairly harsh, but none the less accurate portrayal of the infamous HIPSTER. Well they released a follow-up book to the Hipster Handbook, which identified idiosyncrasies within American culture generally, not just hipsters. One of the title characters of the book draws a striking parallel to Cheyenne, the Cherohonkee.

Note the similarities: feathers in the hair, on the arms, a general sense of well-being for Mother Earth. I am the only one catching this?

Now, I must include in this post that Cheyenne was very nice and this is nothing against her personally, merely a general observation on cultural oddities.

*Name shave been changed to assure the privacy of the mentioned persons. Or to ensure that she doesn't find out what I was actually taking her picture for.

A little bit of shameless self-promotion

2007-09-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

This Thursday the Spruill Gallery will have an opening reception for "Language" and "Howling and Other Justifiable Acts." The reception is from 6-9pm. Language will feature new works by Sarah Emerson, Jennifer Cawley, Gregor Turk and George Long. Howling is an outdoor installation by Terry Hardy.

The Spruill Gallery is located at 4681 Ashford Dunwoody Road (just north of Perimeter Mall). If you have any questions please call 770-394-4019.

The Disappointment Artist

2007-09-01T07:14:00.001-07:00

As the Decatur Book Festival kicked off yesterday I must say my hopes were high. Originally slated was poet-painter-punk god Billy Childish. Unfortunately Billy came down with a kidney infection and his talk was canceled for the fair, although his booth will still be open. In his stead they found a more able-bodied, but disappointingly less articulate Kinky Friedman.

Now, for those of you who don't know Kinky Friedman he is an eccentric musician-mystery novelist who attempted to run for Governor of Texas in 2006. Friedman has promoted himself as the Jew from Texas and likes to slip in nods to this oxymoronic existence as often as possible. His country music project, Kinky Friedman and The Texas Jewboys is merely the tip of the iceberg. He has recently begun a business venture into the cigar market after his trademark cigar constantly in mouth, although never lit. Needless to say, Kinky has a pretty stacked resume. I was actually fairly curious to go see him.

So, at 7.30pm Friday night my friend Lee Maree and I head in the direction of Agnes Scott to go see the novelist- musician- politician in action. We arrive about 15 minutes before the speech-lecture is supposed to begin and are shuffled into the overflow auditorium where we will be watching Kinky through the mediation of a large television screen. As we enter the auditorium there is an immediate sensation of discomfort. As we make our way to seats towards the front I notice the audience is comprised of Decatur residents who seem to be very proud of being at a pseudo-academic event on a Friday night and Kinky enthusiasts. Both demographics are ones I would prefer to avoid. After introductions Kinky walks onto the stage attired in cowboy hat, western-style button-down, black jeans and cowboy boots with a cigar in mouth and brown-bagged bottle in hand. First things first, Kinky goes out of his way to set the bottle down in order to make sure everyone can see his contraband item. Kinky and his piano player have a somewhat humorous exchange for to prep the audience for the unfortunate thing that is coming their way. Throughout this entire entrance Kinky has either had the cigar in his mouth or is pretending to puff on it, which considering the cigar is not lit merely comes off as a hokey facade as opposed to a promotional tool for his new company.

First things first, Kinky spends the first ten minutes promoting these cigars and mentioning where he will be to sign boxes of cigars. He then proceeded to go into a long list of one-liners he had clearly been saving up since the dawn of time. Too bad fort he audience, all of these one liners were elementary derogatory jokes that you and I have heard some version of in every kitchen we have worked in. The ones that weren't half-baked minority humor were uncomfortable asides about his non-existence but still hopeful sex life at age sixty. Now, before I go any further I should say that I like dumb humor and mean humor as much as the next person. It is not that I consider myself above these kinds of jokes; the jokes were just bad. BAD.

What was baffling though was that the entire audience was in hysterics. The woman sitting directly behind us let out an orgasmic squeal if he scratched his nose. The cult following was eating it up, so unfortunately he never moved passed the recess yard humor. After about thirty minutes we left. I don't know if it was the squealer, the bad sound emanating from speakers every time someone spoke to closely into the mic, or just Kinky but we had to get out.

Kinky Friedman is indeed a name everyone has heard more than once for his numerous accomplishments (and attempts), so the fact that he dumbed down everything that he is capable of discussing was almost insulting. He would have been exponentially more successful if he had instead taken the approach of talking about his history and inserting a few lewd jokes along the way. Oh Kinky, I hope the cigars can support you now.

Director of First Impressions

2007-08-30T11:33:00.001-07:00

Almost one month ago (to the day) I started a new job working at the Spruill Gallery in North Atlanta. My first day was uncomfortably enough not my predecessors last day. As I was moving in my new Rolodex, calendar and all of my other accoutrement's the young man was job hunting for a position in California, where he was following his girlfriend as she began graduate school. While scrolling through potential job opportunities one popped out to both of us: Director of First Impressions. Now while this was merely their clever way of saying Receptionist, it got me to thinking: If I were the director of first impressions what exactly would this entail? Dressing appropriately was an obvious one, saying hello and smiling until my jaw hurt more than likely. The list goes on. First impressions are a big deal. I suppose technically since I am the first person one sees when they enter the gallery, that is my job now. I am a Director of First Impressions. Suddenly my new job became much more daunting.

Last weekend, my friend Sara (the same mentioned in the previous entry on movie watching) and I were brunching at Highland Bakery to do gather material for her new endeavor, Howdy Foodie, the Atlanta Food Guide for the GastroVegetarian. While enjoying our delicious assorted muffin basket an old acquaintance of mine from high school strolled over to our table. Introductions were exchanged, hands were shaken, and then he left us to return to his own brunch partners. After he left Sara looked at me and said in a very concerned manner, "He has a very weak handshake." Needless to say this spawned the conversation topic of the importance of a good handshake.

Handshakes are one of the most important ways of judging a person at first introduction. A weak handshake is is too passive and suggests the person can't hold their own, even in a simple grip with another. Too firm of a handshake is overpowering and brutish. The ideal handshake is firm, not too long but not so short that it seems like you are running away from your fellow hand-shakers embrace. I have always prided myself on having a good handshake and have never been concerned about the way other people will perceive me based upon it. What about Ben though? He could destroy any opportunity for being taken seriously in the professional world with the dead fish of a hand he is passing off as an introduction.

As the Director of First Impressions I began to think about this seriously. Would I hire someone with a weak handshake over someone with an assuring, self-possessed demeanor about their hand. Probably not. The first handshake is like the first kiss. If you can't get it right the first time, you probably are not going to get an opportunity for the second. So I say this as a word of caution: Be confident in your handshake and fear not the grip of another's hand.

List of my favorite fist-pumping, go-get-em, you can do it movies ever:

2007-05-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Sara and I have developped quite the weekly routine of dinner and a movie on Tuesday nights. Generally we stick with hunks of the 80s and early 90s classics (read Ethan Hawke ca. 1992, Robert Downey Jr) to get our fill of melodrama and coke abuse once a week. Last Tuesday however was a refreshing departure thanks to an unexpected treat from Sara's Netflix list. We ended up watching a movie (I'll get to it in just a moment) that was one of those heartwarming, cheer for the underdog's success as they struggle through some kind of familial/medical/etc problem to end victoriously. Now, this is not by any means intended to mean chick flicks. This is not the love triumphs films catergory. This is the fist-pumping, go-get-em, you can do it film category. I was so excited about the movie that I decided to make a list of some of my favorites that fall into this category:

On a Clear Day can go at the top since that is the movie that spawned the list. This is about a 55 year-old man who is forced to retire ealry from his career in a ship buildng factory in England. Frank, our protagonist, in order to rebuild his shattered self-esteem and sense of purpose decides to swim the English Channel. Of course there are trials and tribulations to overcome, such as his non-existent relationship with his son over the *SPOILER* drowning of the son's twin at age 12, his growing separation from his wife, and personal demons. There is something about old men that you can't help but rally behind them. I can't help but think that it has something to do with associating them with your father and grandfathers and connecting the characters success to the film or something odd and Freudian along those lines. But, regardless of what the reason, the film is wonderful. Certainly a classic to be added to the category.

Anyone who doesn't love this movie, especially during Olympic years has no soul: Cool Runnings. If you can't get behind the Jamaican wonder team in the bobsled competition for the Winter Olympics with an overweight cheat for a coach than I don't know what to say. This was my favorite move growing up, and I still LOVE it. With lines like "I'm feeling very Olympic today," there's just not a whole lot you can't find endearing.

Shower is another great that my old roommate and I discovered last year on the Staff Favorites shelf at Vision Video (good job, guys!). This one has every essential element to make a great movie. Father and two sons: one son is retarded, the other a successful, married business man, the father runs a bath house to support himself and the son. Best of all, it is Chinese. Of course the successful son comes back to help take care of the father after he has a medical issue and cultivates a relationship with his father and brother. Of course, they keep the bath house going and the family ties strong.

Billy Elliot is one of those that everyone saw when it came out on account of its indie film star child of 2000 status, but that does not mean that further praise is undeserved. Young, lower class English boy who takes ballet lessons despite dsapproval from his peers and parents. Only the ballet teacher believes in him as he pays for dance lessons with the money his father gives him for boxng lessons. Trust me, even if you can't enjoy most of the movie, I will put money on the fact that you will hold your breath in anticipation at the end when he auditions for dance school. Oh yeah, it's one of those.

Water Boys. I don't know what it is with me and Asian films, but for some reason in the feel-good category I just can't get enough of them. Well, this one is a treat. Agroup of Japanese high school boys who are encouraged to form a synchronized swim team. Now, I must preface this by saying that if this were not a Japanese film, it would be a stupid American one. But, for some reason it is absolutely endearing and of course they overcome the mocking of their peers and get the girl(s).

An older, but great movie for the list: An Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain. If you have never seen this, go to your video store today and rent it, immediately. First things first, Hugh Grant is in it, which for some reason to me makes it even better. Well, Hugh Grant plays a mountain surveyor who travels to a Welsh village (apparently I am obsessed with Asians and Brits today) because the town has a local mountain, the highest in the area, which is not listed on any official maps. Grant arrives and finds that in fact their mountain is actually a hill; this is not good news for the townspeople. But the community perserveres as they mobilize and gather earth from the land below to put on the top of the mountain so that it can gain the 20 feet (or something like that) it was short of the mountain.

Mystery, Alaska: Granted Russell Crowe is in this which makes it slightly harder for me to root for his under-dogged team, but if I manage so can you. Great movie that makes you get that cheesey grin when the team pulls through. Classic corporation vs. the local town, but this time its wth hockey. Not much more to say, other than it certainly fits the category.

Hop into spring.

2007-04-10T13:34:00.001-07:00

Despite the burst of cold, spring is here! Now, I am not a spring chicken. My prime months are early May to late October. I will take a fading summer over an oncoming deluge of allergies and rainy weather any day of the year. But, the one thing that I do look forward to every year, right as the pollen comes, fresh blades of grass sprout, and magazine racks piled sky high with the 'prom' editions erupt has finally arrived: The day after Easter candy sale. Oh yes! The week is still young and I feel confident that there are still plenty of Cadbury Creme Eggs left to be had. Seriously, whoever thought of creating a candy that looks like an egg is brilliant. What a fabulous way to celebrate the commerical aspect of a holiday all about eggs. Although I am not in this grouping, I'm sure there are numerous people who dislike hard boiled eggs. Because of Cadbury, they too can enjoy the holiday! Brilliant.

The writing's on the Wall.

2007-04-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

So, last week I accompanied a contemporary art history seminar class to New York for a long weekend that promised to be full of eye candy and delights. And it was. After what I estimated to be 9 hours of Chelsea gallery meandering, a full day of the Whitney (although sadly without a view of the current Gordon Matta Clark exhibition due to unfortunate timing) and MoMA, followed by another day of museuming at DIA: Beacon (which I must say has made me come around to many of the minimalist sculpture that I had previously brushed aside during many an art history class) I think it is safe to say, on reflection, that the highlight of the trip was, by far, the Jeff Wall exhibit at MoMA.

My favorite piece from the exhibit (as if I could choose one, which led to the purchase of a rather expensive book I could not afford) was his 'Picture for Women' from 1979.

The most interesting thing about his work was that he was so aware of the historical context in which he was creating his images. 'Picture for Women' is such a well done reworking of Manet's piece 'A Bar at the Folies-Bergères' (1881–82), but does it in a way that avoids being overly referential and is simply a beautiful hommage to the Manet. The entire show was filled with wonderful examples of this. Wall's work is very aware of itself, but in that is very careful to reconsider the work to give it a modern context. All of his works can easily fit into traditional genres of still-life, historical, and portraiture but none of them seem dated or cheesy. His ability to revise those traditional categories created work that still seem relevant today, both in an art historical context and in general pop culture. Wall's depiction of an eviction in a lower middle class suburb speaks wonderfully to this in that he uses the same monumental scale as historical paintings and a similar active narrative, but the subject matter is profoundly contemporary. I think that was perhaps the greatest feat of Wall's work was his ability to fill every work with a sense of contemporary society, chock full of literary and historical illusions but never to the extent that they overpowered the work and became its focus. Every piece was filled with exceptional attention to detail and little treats if you observed each work long enough. If anything his meticulous attention to detail reminded me of a Kubrick film in its subtelty. Every photograph was enough in itself a well composed and thought out composition and idea. But, within that every element held imformation that illuminated the intent of the imae even further.

More to be said on the wonders that I came across through gallery hoppings later, but for now, adieu.

A brief introduction.

2007-03-20T08:38:00.001-07:00

So, as my undergraduate career is coming to a rapid close I am realizing that the only traces of work that I hve to show for myself are very dry, academic writings. Well, hopefully this blog can correct this sorry state. So, I christen you, dear blog, to be my forum where I can unleash musings on things that I encounter in my daily happenings. Hopefully there is some continuity to this once it is all over and done.

Since I have no writings to present at the moment, I suppose the best way to start things off are to establish some sort of connection between this blog which will eventually be chock full of writings, and my other cherished internet addiction which simply has things that I find throughout the web and post either for research, general amusement, or simply things to keep in the back of my mind via internet.