December 31, 2005
...ring in the new year...
Spending the week leading up to the new year showing my brother around this crazy city called New York.
I can't believe the number of people that are out.
In droves.
It blows my mind.
This morning we braved the MoMA. Saw some amazing pieces. Later tonight we'll head over to friends and ring in the new year with friends and family.
Wish all you and yours the happiest New Year.
Posted by wendy at 04:43 PM | Comments (8)
October 31, 2005
...art overload...
Over the weekend I went to the AAF to check out Aurora and Lisa’s work in person. I almost can’t believe it was the first time I saw Lisa’s work live. And I loved them. Her pieces are quite amazing. The gallery that they are both involved with had really great pieces. The Boy and I walked around and were surprised by how much art is out there that we don’t respond to. I took notes on some of the artists I liked, but I have to see if I really love their stuff or it was just a crush. Or was it wow that is better than anything else I have seen in a couple of booths.
I responded to all the pieces with resin. Anyone out there know about resin? Is it hard to use? Am I just jumping on a bandwagon? Do you have to paint on wood panels to use resin?
Our brains began to get slow like honey and our stomachs started to rumble after a couple passes through. So we decided to leave and then we saw one of my favorite people - Stefan Killen. He works on the same floor as Oliphant and he is a talented photographer, graphic designer, and all around amazing guy.
I worked on a bunch of things this weekend. I did another little color face (need to put a little paint on her) and I almost finished the last bird bot for plush rush. Also started thinking about my first spt for november.
The photo above is from last weekend when I went to Aurora's open studio. I love water towers. I don't even know why.
Posted by wendy at 07:47 AM | Comments (1)
July 15, 2005
...japanese pop culture - check...
I had a day of Japanese pop culture. First stop was the Japan Society to see Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding Subculture. As I walked in this class was having a show. It was a look at American pop culture looking at Japanese pop culture looking at American pop culture called Experience Otaku!
The most disturbing exhibit was this slide show of before and after photos of eyes. Photos of people (mostly asian, but one really really scary old white lady) that have had surgery to get the double eyelid.
I can’t imagine going to that extreme for vanity. I can imagine it actually (not something that I would do), but it saddens me. Besides the strange slide show those kids had a great show, especially for a nine-day summer program!
The Little Boy show was fantastic. There was a visual history of hello kitty, which was a kick! I love all the toys. How the toys are regional, made especially for the town, like a mascot. I loved the art from Aya Takano and Yuki Ohshima. They both had these beautiful girls with subtle sexuality. Sensual, beautiful and a little disturbing. As you keep looking at the paintings you see that it is not just a cute girl, but there is danger and a lot of sex. Aya Takano has really beautiful watercolors and these soft larger acrylic paintings. I loved Yuki Ohshima's little figures. I searched the web after I came back from the show and I couldn’t find a lot on him. Not really anything. His little figures though are amazing and I would love to get a hold of one of them. Any one know more about him!?
After I was done with the show I went to the Japanese pop culture mecca, Kinokuniya. I almost bought this book called Masaki’s Lifestyle book by the same people that did the Lotta’s Lifestyle book (as in Jansdotter). I think I may have to go back and buy it because I like to dream about one day having a lifestyle book of my own. First I have to figure out my life. The one person I know that could do one of those Lifestyle books is my friend Lola from Madrid. She is so talented and amazing. I miss her since she moved back to Spain. She has a great little clothing store on Calle de Santa Teres. I can’t wait to visit, it has been too long! If anyone knows who publishes these books, I would love to see what other lifestyle books they have.
It gets slow at work during the summer so I try and take off one day a week. It helps do all the projects that are on my plate. Plus I have a list of things I want to try and do this summer.
Posted by wendy at 06:25 PM | Comments (3)
May 04, 2005
...slipping together...
This weekend after I went to Coney Island, I visited the American Folk Art Museum and I felt like everyone wanted to pat me on the head. (I wanted to say I just look young, but I am really older.) I felt like I was trespassing or something while I was at the museum, like I didn’t belong there. I wanted to say have you seen what people are doing out there. The art that is being made?! But I loved it nonetheless. I love the old signage, and weathervanes. I love weathervanes. It makes me feel like I am going to my Nana’s farm when I was young. I love the pure fun people had with a useful item. They also had pieces by Henry Darger. He created these strange worlds with girls running, flying, playing, and fighting. They are intricate and highly detailed little worlds that he created. Bizarre and disturbing, but beautiful.
My world is slipping together because I have noticed the world talking about what I am noticing. (Not that they are talking about it because of me!) I had a day of art on Saturday and I haven’t done anything like that in such a long time. Simply and purely for me. Not thinking about why or making excuses not to go. It felt good.
I first noticed the slip this morning when I was watching my favorite news show, NY1. They were interviewing the Fabricon Carousel Company who made the beautiful carousel in Bryant Park. The company and the park that I am totally smitten with. The new news story that I noticed was about a clean up of Coney Island. Which makes me really sad. I love the charm it has with its rough edges and simpleness. Nightclubs and restaurants? Coney Island is about hot dogs and cotton candy. I’ll have to go again soon and take more photos before it changes. Who are the changes good for? The community will have more money coming in, but will it end up pushing out the neighborhood? The same neighborhood that has made it the beautiful and strange little community it is.
The other weird thing that slipped together in my life was from the amazingly talented Penelope. I was writing this entry on the train and I got into work and checked my email and I got her newsletter and she just way a movie about Henry Darger called “In the Realms of the Unreal”.
And something clicked in my mind. Whatever path I am headed down it is the right one.
Posted by wendy at 11:15 AM | Comments (1)
April 30, 2005
...tarnished beauty...
I went out to Coney Island today. Every time I go out there I am reminded of how much I love it. The visuals are magnificent and today they were hidden in mist and fog. As the subway came into the fancy new station (it is above ground), out the window the wonder wheel is peering out from the fog. I was supposed to rain today and it threatened. But while I was out in Coney Island, it was simply beautiful. All the rides and attractions in their bright and bold colors battling the mist for their beauty. Battling the locked gates for their life. I guess that is why carnivals closed up are so spooky. All of the faces and colors demand to be alive. To have life surround them. Although to me they are no less beautiful in their disuse. Coney Island is strange in that it seems to want to keep a part of it falling apart. It is not trying to be like a new amusement park. Coney Island is definitely an individual and is beautiful in its tarnished glory. Maybe because of it. My main reason to hop on the train was to see the Leland Eve’s art show at the Coney Island Museum. I love the old memorabilia in the museum and I am totally inspired by Leland Eve’s beautiful work. He paintings are gorgeous and delicate. I have admired her work from afar on the internet for a year or so now and the medium doesn’t do her work justice. Her lines and delicate and expressive. Her girls have the most beautiful clothes and in some instances not many clothes at all. They all flirt with you and I am completely inspired by the nature of her work, the simplicity and complexity of her layers, building to a very whimsical and exquisite image. If you have a chance to see it, I totally recommend taking a trip over. The museum is great. As I was leaving the boardwalk I felt a little sorry for the two buses that were unloading. I hope the classes realized that Coney Island isn’t really open for play. But nothing can begin to hide the beauty. As I hit the street I realized that they were walking over to the famous Nathan’s Hot Dog, which was open.
I also went to the Folk Art Museum on my way home, but I will save that for another day. It was great but I felt totally out of place….
Posted by wendy at 10:14 PM | Comments (1)
March 18, 2005
...ashes and snow...
Last night my husband, the Boy and I went on a date, something we haven't done in a while..it was amazing. It was my date to plan. I must say that I did a great job. It was one of those things that was amazing and I wouldn't change living in New York for the world. "ashes and snow", is traveling with the nomadic museum, housed along a pier with shipping crates. The space is long and tall and you walk in along wooden planks with rocks underneath. The photos by Gregory Colbert are printed on iris paper and hang from the ceiling. But the walls are at least six crates high. It was like being in a church or temple. These amazing images are of elephants, Last night my husband, the Boy and I went on a date, something we haven't done in awhile..it was amazing. It was my date to plan. I must say that I did a great job. It was one of those things that was amazing and I would'nt change living in New York for the world. "ashes and snow", is traveling with the nomadic museum, housed along a pier with shipping crates. The space is long and tall and you walk in along wooden planks with rocks underneath. The photos by Gregory Colbert are printed on iris paper and hang from the ceiling. But the walls are at least six crates high. It was like being in a church or temple. These amazing images are of elephants, cheetahs, lynx, and the cutest image of a lemur on top of a girl's head. Most of the photos had the person with their eyes closed. It was an amazing sense of trust between the humans and wild animals. Cheetahs with a wise woman just sitting on a dune. I was in complete and total awe. As you walk down the pier there is music playing and then when you get to the end there is a video of all the images. The images were beautiful and awe inspiring. I only hope I can grow to Gregory Colbert's level!, the cutest image of a lemur on top of a girls head. Most of the photos had the person with their eyes closed. It was an amazing sense of trust between the humans and wild animals. Cheetas with a wise woman just sitting on a dune. I was in complete and total awe. As you walk down the pier there is music playing and then when you get to the end there is a video of all the images. The images were beautiful and awe inspiring. I only hope I can grow to Gregory Colbert's level!
Posted by wendy at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)
March 14, 2005
...so it begins...
I feel like I am coming into my own, artistically I mean. I have found a style that is mine and I have created my alter ego, the green girl. I know art is always changing, but I think I am ready to live in this skin for a while. Explore it and see where it takes me. Hence the new site...an art site. Somewhere in the deep feelings of my childhood I stopped trying to draw. Someone must have made a comment or remark, but I sort of decided that I couldn't draw and I tried really hard not to. I went down a scientific path and started college studying biology. After the first day I knew that wasn't a good fit. (There is a really funny story that I'll tell sometime.) I spent the next couple of years trying to figure myself out and settled on photography. I loved it. Looking back I think I always envied the designers in our department...but now after graduating and moving to nyc I think I found where I am going to grow from now and I am really excited! I hope you'll come along and look around.
Posted by wendy at 09:01 PM | Comments (0)