Monday, August 30, 2010

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Helping Myself


If Vogue covers looked like this in the US, I might be inclined to buy it.

I found this picture while hunting for inspiration for my latest collage commission: make elegant, chic, hip collage of women...out of food. 20 of them. In two weeks. More on that later.

Friday, August 20, 2010

JCCGB President Malam Camara

I was really stressed out this morning, after reviewing my payback options at the student loan office yesterday. I had no milk for coffee either, which always makes things seem a little worse than they are.

I put on some high sandals to try to at least not look schlubby, and went to the store for milk and the paper (thanks a lot Roberta Smith, like I needed another article about James Franco).

This is where it got interesting. I was walking home when a man
approached me at the corner of Benefit and Olney Street, and asked for directions to Broad Street.



I tried to tell him how far it was, but it turned out that he was looking forward to the walk. He told me he was here from Guinea-Bissau, and had been at the Youth Crime Watch International Convention in Orlando before coming to Providence to meet his friend. He said his name is Malam Camar, and that he is the president of his countries' chapter of JCCGB (Jovens Construindo a Cidadania Guine-Bissau). I tld him I went to art school, and he said he was an architectural engineer, works in construction. I think he is also running for regional office, if I understood right. I kind of wish I could have walked with him the whole way.


Now that I'm home and caffeinated, I have looked him up, he's the real deal. Awesome.
He is pictured here, in yellow, leading a discussion about a UN model police station project.

After reading books about Sudan, and Liberia this summer, I have spent a lot of time thinking about West Africa, the experiences of people in those war-torn countries, and what it might be like to try to come here to the US and make your way around. Enter Malam.

Go Malam!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Something in the Water



I spent the first part of the summer talking about flashlight eyes. Then I started to see them pop up all over Facebook (and was ribbed for findng inspiration on FB). But here is a selection of them...straight from the source. From Tania, Rubens, Zuri and Frank, respectively. I lost my way as I was finishing my sculpture for Wassaic, but it's nice to revisit this now.

Addendum, 10/20/10:

dinner

one
two
three
four
five


So, the (brief) return of my roommate, Charlotte, gave us occasion to celebrate on our porch before it's no longer ours...in two weeks time. We made dinner of coconut curry shrimp and rice and chickpeas and cucumbers and tomatoes and wine, and watched the sunset. That's all it takes.

Monday, August 16, 2010

hounour's farm & the midnight jelly roll


George and I were reunited in Wassaic, New York, this weekend, for the festival there. George came there straight from his residency at Harold Arts, in Ohio. We got ourselves a little midnight jam. He is the dark cowboy, and I adore him.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Getting Closer

My new sculpture, Junior, which seems to be a tongue-in-cheek rumination about Victorian Mourning Jewelry, graveyards, disco, and death, is almost finished. After being sick for so long, I've been back to working, but this time for 16-hour days at warp speed. Thank god for NPR podcasts and audible.com downloads. The photos here are already totally outdated. The disco ball is out, lots more hair extensions are in...and I have to finish it bright and early, and then drive it to the drop-off tomorrow, in Wassaic. If you are interested, it will be at the Wassaic Festival in upstate New York this weekend, installed in an old grain mill.






Sunday, August 8, 2010

The Summer Reading List, So Far


What is The What - Dave Eggers *****5 stars
The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga **** 4 stars
So Cold The River - Michael Koryta *** 3 stars
The Help - Kathryn Stockett *** 3 stars
The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows *** 3 stars
The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood - Helene Cooper **** four stars
Pearl Buck in China - Hilary Spurling (1/2 Finished)

Coming:

Empire of the Summer Moon - SC Gwynne

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

trolling the net

Still sick, at home and glued to the laptop.
Found the following items:

Aleksandra Mir's Cold War
(Mir's postcard giveaways were some of my favorite things at the Venice Biennale)

Detroit Hair Wars
Birdcage, styled by Niecy Hayes, modeled by Neshia Sutton. Prep time: 1 hr

from Detroit Hair Wars Photos: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2006008_2168675,00.html#ixzz0vhKgjIJL

Pretty Sure Olaf Breuning poached this one, but helicopter hair reigns supreme.

pencil sculptures by Dalton Ghetti (alphabet viewed best large...click on image)


Savannah Region by Nicholas di Genova



Frustrating and unsuccessful attempt to skype with faraway boyfriend, resulting in slightly beautiful pixellated image.