Ernesto Neto's Navedenga

Last night, I had the rare privilege to go on an evening tour and lecture of Brazilian contemporary artist, Ernesto Neto's work currently at MoMA. The work shown is Navedenga, 1998, Polyamide stretch fabric, sand, Styrofoam, cloves, cord and ribbon, 144 x 180 x 252" (365.8 x 457.2 x 640.1 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Gift of Donald L. Bryant, Jr.

Ernesto Neto's art is known as interactive sculptural environments usually consisting of stretchable and translucent fabrics. The piece in the photo above encourages the audience to go inside the "ship" and engage their visual, olfactory and tactile senses. Navedenga was awkward, sensual, strange, uncomfortable, funny, sexy, unusual and perverted.

I think we all need more of these ships in our lives.

New York City: 1, Valerie: 0

There are some days you just think how hard it is to be a human being. Who else is 8+8+8=24? 8 hours sleep, 8 hours work and then 8 hours life?

I hate rants but this morning deserves one. We've had two entire days of pouring rain and general awful weather for months on end...I have broken two, count 'em, TWO umbrellas in two days, water splashed on my pants this morning (thank you NYC cab driver), delayed trains (thank you L train), bad hair days (thank you Greek ancestry) and general bad attitude (thank you office recession coffee) to pair with this awful weather.

On one good note, I have received many compliments on the Aigle boots I've been wearing (thank you lentil soup I ate for weeks that helped me pay for the rubber beauties at Barneys).

Aaaaaargh. The above photo is out of my office window. Trust me, it does not accurately portray the buckets of rain being dumped.

Record Deals...

Guns n Roses
Appetite...
CD Universe
$16.95
Vinyl LP









Two words why you must own this record: Paradise City.

Happy Birthday, Cry Baby!

The above photo is yours truly with mia madre (blowing out the candles) at my birthday party celebrating my second year of birth in Spain. I was born on March 31, 1976.

I want to say thank you to everyone for their very sweet birthday wishes, cards and kind words today. I am looking forward to joining everyone @ 138 Ludlow (private room nearest the street, same one as always) 7pm for $3 beers, cocktails and cupcakes. Thank you for coming out and celebrating my 34th skip around the universe tonight. I have the best friends in world.

This is one life that has been (and is still very much being) lived. And yes, I am crying in the photo. I cried at everything when I was a kid.

Love you all, V.

Pioneer Town Sounds...

We all have our favorite songs we play in the car (boo!) or on the walk (yay!) home that are strictly reserved for that time specifically. The warm New York City weather is allowing for later nights out and more beers consumed than usual which is providing for more curated songs on the old iPod.

My latest favorite on the walk home through pioneer town has been Modest Mouse's All Nite Diner. The clip is from their 1998 show at the Black Cat in Washington, DC. I was at this show actually and still rank it one of the best I've seen. Ever.

Hearing this song with the warm breeze felt through the newly cut mullet and perfectly buzzed walk home really makes me smile. It also allows for the sounds of Beirut aka: Bushwick (car alarms, ice cream trucks, sirens, three legged dogs barking, etc...) to be covered up by a little piece of musical genius.

Have I told ya', Have I told ya'...

The Underdog...

So I'm walking to work this rainy (oh, boy bad weather again) morning and listening to Spoon's The Underdog. Man, I was practically skipping in...

Great way to start a Monday.

NYC Public Library Digital Archive

Sunday and I have a complete love hate relationship. I long for it to arrive all week. I anticipate having just one day that I don't have to work, one day that I don't have to volunteer for MoMA or for New York Cares, or one day that I don't have to take the train, or one day I don't have to walk ten effing miles to do anything, or one day that I don't have to run errands, etc...Sunday is my sacred day reserved (hopefully without too many obligations) for myself. It's the one (rare) day coveted just for me.

This Sunday was spent with the NYT weekend edition (I usually devour the fashion, arts and home & garden portion before noon) paired with my best pressed coffee and some old Loretta on vinyl. She is always conserved for perfect lazy afternoons and late nights.

Anyway, this Sunday was also spent looking through the New York City Public Library's amazing and recently archived impressive digital library (image above from the archives). Please note, this is for total nerds. It's really amazing. The collection in the Arts and Literature section is my new obsession. I now have a new a place to spend hours and hours online looking at the most gorgeous prints and photos of WHATEVER I want to view. What is even more amazing about the site is if you are inspired to own one of the prints, the NYC Public Library has a section that allows you to "click and buy" a print (framed or unframed) for your own home. I had no idea this existed until I was there on Friday for a small exhibition of works on paper and a staff person mentioned it.

This Sunday was also reserved for meeting great pals for a late coffee (which naturally led to proseco on the best patio ever, thank you Patrick!) in the West Village.

As noted, Sunday is love hate. I long for you all week but am sad when you always seem to be the shortest day and tease us with a great time but always remind us that Monday is fast approaching.

Enjoy your week everyone...

Jean Seberg and Fig Newtons

Today was full. I had a morning researching William Kentridge, an entire day of volunteering at MoMA, followed by a quick stop at St. Patrick's Cathedral and then the usual errands here and there...

I am finally at home (with all the windows open!!) and getting ready to watch my favorite film Jean-Luc Godard's masterpiece A bout de souffle. I don't know how many times I've seen this film. I never get tired watching the costumes, the jump cut edits, the obsession it has with Humphrey Bogart and the obsession I have with Jean Seberg.

Saturday night with Jean and fig newtons. This is near perfect.

NYC, Dresses, Bicycles & 70 degrees...

As the first day of spring approaches (Saturday!) New York City has finally been embraced by an old friend today. The sun came out. We were woken up with warm rays that cast sunshine and finally ended our doubts that good weather would never arrive.

It's been a looong cold winter. Trust me when I say this....

Soon enough we'll be adorning shorts, dresses and riding bicycles! Yes and Yes.

Above image from The Satorialist.

Monday & Robots...

Bruce Nauman, Lip Sync, 1969, Film still

Today was/is a long day that ended with a lecture on Bruce Nauman presented at Dia via the Artists on Artists series.

Best part of the lecture was this interesting, strange, quirky, hypnotic, uncomfortable, lo-fi, annoying, funny, profound, simple and genius Nauman video Good Boy, Bad Boy, 1985.

Robots.

Thurston Moore + Saturday = Paradise

New York City has been graced with 40 - 50 mile an hour wind gusts and nonstop rain all weekend. Yippee! Only the masochists are out and about today.

What's an apartment ridden, day drinking gal supposed to do on a Saturday? Um, listen to Thurston Moore's genius record Psychic Hearts. Haven't heard it? Well, you probably shouldn't be reading my blog then...Suck all the luck here.

Turning lemons into lemonade...

I've Got Style for Miles and Miles....

Pavement, oh Pavement! We all know they are touring again and their most recent release titled Quarantine the Past is perfect for their much anticipated reunion. Pavement has a very limited body of album studio releases and a ton of EPs, including last year's major deposit of their (perfect) sounds on Matador that allow the old and new to love and (re) live their sound.

Quarantine the Past is a release of their most stellar and fan favorite songs. There is no chronological order to the tracks, no programmed curatorial picking of what goes where, here or there. It is a magical release of their work that is obviously out for the upcoming tour but nonetheless, perfect.

Every song is positioned perfectly as "an unimpeachable gem". Don't believe my word? Here is a perfect 10.0 Pitchfork review from musical historian and reviewer Matthew Perpetua.

This record reminds me of Malkmus' genius that offers a fine line between the complex and dirty, the melodic and unkept, the intelligent and simple, the poetic and pedestrian, etc...Malkmus is definitely the driving sound and melody of Pavement. Hearing this album only allows that to resonate over and over again.

Pavement to me (and so many others) means indie rock in the 1990's and was the pinnacle and driving force of it. I think Pavement and think of college sounds, naturally. I think of the Volvo wagon driving to endless shows on the east coast to hear them play for $6. I think of the fondest memories and meeting Stephen and talking about Leonard Cohen and feeling like an "insider" and part of a sound that was so young, dirty, pure and innocent. We were all were perfectly naive and reckless back then.

This post is dedicated not only to Pavement but to all of my friends that were part of of those formative years. Thank you very much Bryan Vickers, Slin Jackson, Charley Beresford, Carrie Bollerup (now Beresford), Pat Raison, Justin Craig, et al. I love you all as I hear this amazing album.

Quarantine the Past, released on Matador/Domino is not only a record, but a time in my life that I will always cherish.

As I write this I am singing (in my head) "your cheeks have lost their luster, luster, luster, luster..."

Again, thank you kindly for the songs and memories Mr. Malkmus.

Old Friend...

Today I was finally woken up by a very special friend. I was so happy to see my old pal again this morning.

I've missed you dear friend. I even took the very long way to work today to get reaquainted. It's been a while SUN, where have you been for so long?

Great video here - makes you want to enjoy life. You know - eat, drink and soak it in.

Enjoy your weekend!

I survived week two at my new (and perfect) job!

The (much anticipated) weekend will include the following: drinking a bloody mary ASAP to nurse last night's lingering headache @ Botanica on Hudson with Mr. Nolan, et al. I proudly wear my dance-off winner badge of honor today however. It was well worth it.

Tomorrow is a full day of volunteering @ MoMA (yay tours), pizza party and then a little Cake Shop rock show. Sunday is Drawing Center in Soho, my favorite teeny drawing gallery for a lecture.

Enjoy your weekends and here is a little treat from my San Francisco favorites, GIRLS.

Rock On!

Thursday...

Ka-boom!