Rosary Resin Hand

Face Off

The bottles in my magic desk should feed directly into my face, so I can suck up the energy 

collected therein. An old friend stopped by the studio last week and remarked that now he 

understands why I didn't do too many drugs in college (with all my other friends) - because 

my brain is already that psychedelic. I don't know about that, but here's what it took for 

Gabriela, George and me to make a mold of my face:

pouring on the alginate

adding the plaster strips

the inside of the mold after de-molding from my face

pouring FGR plaster into the mold

since the sides of the mold weren't steady, it expanded.

Magic Desk

I am working on the last of my pieces for the show in Maine (along with
everything else at the same time...I shouldprobably stop while I am ahead,
but I'll think of Dieter Roth and Martin Kippenberger: More is More!!! I
have almost all of my detritus samples, and I am working on the desk...

And Counting.

I am trying to prepare this piece, and it is giving me a hard time. Rosary is a project I have 

been working on (and off and on) for three years. Since I got into grad school. Since then, 

I have been picking up one object on my walk to the studio each day. There are rules to this 

practice, though, which have developed over time. The rules are:

Last night, I laid it out in the hallway at the studio. It grows constantly, and currently 

measures 84 feet long (so long! I was elated) and is comprised of monofilament, glass 

beads and 475 objects (only 475? I was depressed). 

365days pr year x 3years = 1095 total days-475 studio days = 620 non-studio days

This is not a great average. More than half my time was spent elsewhere? Crap!

Well, let's factor in the variables:

1. vacations, birthdays
2. travel
3. months after graduation without a studio
4. one studio that I drove to (Pawtucket, summer 2010, in my mother's car)
5. months working a demanding day job (Bergdorf, ruining everything again)
6. snow days where it was impossible to find anything
7. days where I just plain forgot (hungover, late, stupid)
8. days where I thought the project was finished, and had abandoned the practice
9. sick days, heat waves
10. bedridden angst days (I can't lie).

What a lot of complaining. So much to think about, so much desire to improve my stats. So much
trepidation about how to install this work in the show (I am not allowed to hang things from the
ceiling, the floor is CARPETED, the work looks best airborne- what to do? Hang it from the wall
in a straight line at eye level all the way around the gallery? With the rules propped up on the floor?)

I may continue working on this piece indefinitely.

In the studio

All I do is go to my studio and lay in my bed thinking about going to the studio. 

With three weeks to go until I have to bring my show up to Maine, the stress in 

the air is palpable- I think at this point it might actually be visible to the naked eye. 

Last night, hours after I finished licking my wounds from an odd studio visit – and 

long after I first wanted to give up and go home – I made this plaster pillow. It is a 

headrest of sorts, a hard-cushion for a glass bowl. It is plaster poured into a zip-loc

bag, with a bowl placed to rest while it cured. It is idiotic and also strangely affecting 

to look at. It was worth wading through all of the brain clutter and staying 

just a little longer and a little longer to get it.

I like it so much – maybe just because my brain is tired. 

Bruce Nauman and Drake

Love this. Thanks to AFC. It reminds me of George.

MoMA Card/Mr. Beuys

Yesterday I went to the MoMA to get an artists' membership. Who knew? For the price of
two admission tickets, any artist with a show in the last year can get a full membership to
MoMA and PS1. This includes all film screenings, discounts at the store and $5 guest passes
for friends. Awesome! Also, I now have a laminated card in my wallet from the Museum
of Modern Art that says "Brett Windham: Artist." I went into the store afterwards, and
looked for one inspiring image for the day. Here it is:

Sneak Peek

Since I only have 8 followers, and they are all my friends, I thought a sneak peek might be in order. If I'm going
to have to work late into a Sunday night at BG, maybe I could show off my one-day-sculpture a little bit. In the spirit
of Alexander McQueen, Liz Taylor and my Aquatic-based holiday window, I made a Golddiggers of '33 style
bathing cap/helmet/headdress for my girl and her couture dress.
 

Speaking of Vampire Blues

One more week of work. And by that I probably mean one week straight.
Window 10– the center window on 5th avenue at Bergdorf Goodman–will
finally be finished, after working on it since March. And then, finally, off to
the studio for what remains of 2011. That little garret of a studio has finally
begun to beckon to me after months of nastiness and leaks and clutter and
construction and mice: I finally like it there a little bit.

But first, a little more time devoted to this guy:

Brilliant as he was, for the second time this year I find myself trying to concoct a 

worthy headdress for one of his dresses (or Sarah Burton's I suppose), and am finding 

that the surprisingly dry and slightly hateful Alexander McQueen monograph from 

the Met show is not helping me at all.

November Required Listening: Vampire Blues

So I dropped off the earth.

 I did, I dropped off. I imagine I'll be back, but not until after Nobember 18th in earnest. New York is kicking my ass. Here are a couple of things that have been keeping me going lately (or for the past 6 months or more, really):

Iris Apfel

Dr. John

Sissy Bounce-where da melph at?

Movie Stills- The Piano

Movie Stills: Amadeus

Lee Scratch Perry

What the what the what is Liz Taylor wearing? I love it.

Nicki Minaj trying to detract attention from Grace Coddington.

Weird facebook pic from Fiorella...headdress!

Sto and Kelie from Cinders- it's been so nice to see them around lately.

First Things First/

I know the video is shaky at first but MAN if only I could have been there. What does
Kanye have around his neck? Look at his swagger. Look at Jay-Z. And then 56 seconds in,
our hero arrives. Nicki, showing up the big boys.

Sorry

Too tired to blog.
Be back soon.

Wedding Weekend

Ella's Wedding, this weekend, was excellent. We all cried during the ceremony, I think.We ate delicious barbecue
under the lollapa-wedding tent full of healing mud, some of us (me) were covered in mosquito welts,
some of us (George) played night time frisbee and a little horseshoes.It was really fun, and great to meet
some more of the VCU sculpture progeny. How I failed to take a picture of the bride or groom is beyond me,
but suffice it to say I'll never be hired as a wedding photographer.

Ai Weiwei

It seems as though Ai Weiwei may have been released on bail by the Chinese authority,
today. I hope he arrives home to his family safe and sound. We love you Ai Wei Wei.

Hip hip hooray for Ai Wei Wei!

Postscript: Some one at ArtInfo seems to have found my gif and linked it to my blog...awesome! There are other awesome art world gifs in their article here:
artinfo.com: the 25 wackiest art themed gifs

A Studio of Sorts, Finally

butterfly trays

I had no idea that butterfly trays are a thing. Now that I have one, they are popping up all over the place.

(The way things sometimes do). If I understand properly, they were mostly made in Rio in the 1920s through 

1940's, and usually have a mahogany inlaid tray frame. I guess mine is a bit of a weirdo, with it's chrome frame 

and all. Maybe it broke at some point and was re-made during it's tenure up in Maine.

Much like with the colorphilia post below, I recommend clicking on the picture to really
see them. Amazing wing mandalas. I practically dream about them.

Colorphilia

While scrolling through my iPhone pictures last night, I noticed a color-philic trend. It seems 

I just can't help it. I wonder how ShakeIt pictures look when they are printed...does anyone know?

I suggest clicking on them to see 'em bigger.

wow

http://defacedbook.tumblr.com/

incredible volcano lightning

http://youtu.be/LJ-sP0ihzbw

some new favorite blogs:

http://mydaguerreotypeboyfriend.tumblr.com/

http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/

Open Studios Are Coming

On a more official note, I am pleased to be participating in the Northside Open Studios,
coming up soon on June 16-19th. There is more information about it here: open studios website.

I have also been invited to participate in a group show at Yes Galley here in Greenpoint-  
Wanderlust - opening simultaneously at Yes Gallery on India Street. Just a couple of collages,
but lovely to be invited.

Click the links, check it out!

Maine

My entries lately have been few and far between, but so be it. George and I took a roadtrip last weekend, all the way up the coast, to meet with thecurator at the University of Maine Museum of Art, in Bangor. It was really fun, and we will both have shows therenext year, in January. Fast approaching! We also had a blast eating lobster rolls, stoppingat Moody's Diner, posing with the largest Paul Bunyan sculpture in the US, and drivinghome down Route 1 so we could check out the early Memorial Day swap meets and junk-tique sales on the side of the road.

Welcome To It

http://elusiveinfluence.blogspot.com/

George has created a blog with links to his videos and installations.
Hoo-ray! Please do check out his elusive influences at the link above.

my marvelous friend Alee Peoples

A Drunk Ernest Hupeden, Ex-Con and Painter of Certain Secrets, Walks West by Brendan Codey from Alee Peoples on Vimeo.

moving and shelving rant

Over the past ten years, I have moved ten times. I didn't seem to get to far, but here goes:

1. 2000- 765 Henry Street
2. 2001- 160 Graham Avenue
3. 2004- 733 Metropolitan Avenue
4. 2005- 216 North 8th Street
5. 2005- 145 Beadel Street
6. 2005- 437 Union Street
7. 2008- 153 Congdon Street
8. 2009-  12 Cady Street
9. 2010- 901 Main Street
10. 2011- 117 Oak Street

Sometimes my friends and family think that my panicky responses to moving are abstract, unnecessary, over-reactive. I would say that no, my fears and stresses are quite concrete. Boxes break, storage spaces flood, roommates leave, rents raise, books and clothes accumulate, and all your worldly goods are exposed to, well, to the world. Friends have a limit on how often they can be tapped to help with this, and if you are a single girl who likes to read and have creature comforts and also makes art, well then you're in even more trouble. God forbid your parents are getting older, and want to help you, because the guilt and shame at needing to continually exhaust their favor is overwhelming.

Once you finally arrive in the new place you hope and pray you can afford, you may need all kinds of things you didn't before, and much of your old stuff just may not fit anywhere. In Brooklyn, especially. You feel like a chump, and a broke one at that- cause if you are an artist, hiring a UHaul and a couple of friends to help and getting all the loose ends tied up is expensive.

Oi, anyway, this time I have George, a full load of work, a studio down the road, and no bookshelves. 
So I've been looking at built ins, trying to get inspired...any favorites from below?

ok lets go

Makes me feel like I am 22 again, rolling around the east village slightly drunk in the early afternoon.
Happy weekend.

What The Hell?

What have I been doing? Where did I go? Moving into new apartment, new studio, and working for Bergdorf Goodman.  Here's a taste:

Blue Jeans Sculpture for Denim Week:

Commission for Alexander McQueen "Plato's Atlantis" vintage mirror mosaic headpieces:

Painting and styling "Water for Elephants" windows, Rosie The Elephant (before her ear was attached)

Dorky DIY

George and I got pretty nerdy this weekend. Between other obligations (helping out at the beautiful Golden Calf, checking out an old Jonathan Demme film at the dizzying Museum of the Moving Image, lunch in Astoria, Cookie Road coffee with Handy) we went to Home Depot and Michaels' Crafts in Queens yesterday, then came home to NV's beautiful house had a leftover dinner and made crafts. It was much needed quiet time. I made a hippie dippie tie dye fringe necklace with materials from M&J...I have been going to the jewelry section of the fashion district way too much, sourcing a job...can't help but get my head turned by the glitz. So, there it is, on me. (Hi friends) I even tried to make a proper clasp at the back. The incomparable Madame Fortuna will always be my official jeweler, but I just thought I'd have some fun.

Meanwhile, George made an amazing popsicle-stick model of a mold-making spinning device he needs to build...one that I don't completely understand but think is beyond cool. More on that later.