New blog...

So, I have been sucking at this blog...mostly because it requires some deep thought and amount of energy. I have chosen to dedicate my time to a blog easier to maintain--strictly because it mostly comes from my brain/Wikipedia/Google-Image. Hope you like it and continue to follow me on this ridiculous journery/blogging-career.

Welcome to Alarm Clock Optional.

Business

If you haven't noticed, I change the way this blog looks more than I update it. I guess it's my curse of wanting one thing to be perfect (or near-perfect) before I can move on to some other task. This is not the way I operate in all facets of my life, but ever since I've been introduced to online-journaling/blogging/whatever I have been unable to achieve the exact look I want for my chosen outlet and, because of that, I have never been a reliable writer.

This is me trying to overcome the need for the perfect layout-color sheme-header and just write instead. We'll see how long this lasts.



So, I've been quite busy with my internship and socializing this semester. Notice how I did not say classes. This omission was intentional. I only have 3 classes this semester: Issues in Contemporary Art: Installation and Environment, Issues in 20th Century Art: Purity in Abstraction, and my favorite: French for Reading. It is sad that my favorite class is my nonsense French class instead of my 2 art history classes and the only reason French wins out is because the teacher has us play games, gives us prizes and brings in candy and snacks. (Yes, I'm back in elementary school and I love it.)

The reasons why I dislike or disfavor the other classes is not important. What is important is my general ambivalence to the whole academic semester. I don't know if it's because it's Spring semester and I'm still wiped out from Fall...or if it's the classes themselves...or if it's because I love my internship so much that I just don't want to put the effort into school...or I just realized last semester that I can get away with a lot less work than I thought. No matter the reasoning, the ambivalence is not good, it needs to stop, and I'm at a loss as to how I can stop it.

Anyhoo, back to what I am excelling at! (Disregard the negative, focus on the positive!)

Socializing! This semester has been great in that I have been able to hang out with my fellow MA students a lot more and we've been able to do lots of fun things. Last semester, I think I went to the movies once with a fellow classmate and maybe went for a drink once or twice...THIS semester is a different story. Since the end of January I have done like 10 times that amount and it's been fantastic. This is the part where I bore you with my personal life...bear with me:

1. K-Rae's birthday party where her boyfriend Justin made fabulous hors d'oeuvres. My first experience with Guitar Hero (the band edition).

2. Brunch at a first-semester professor's house in the Upper East Side. Great apartment, company and crepes! Too bad I was not feeling the copious amounts of wine they were supplying due to my abundance of alcohol the night prior.

3. First NYC gay club experience at Mr. Black. The atmosphere was amazing (chandeliers the size of my bedroom), the music was great, bartenders were cute (got a gay bartender to give me, a girl, a free drink: Tequila Flower!), AND the one, the only Amanda Lepore was there. I have included a picture so you can see her in all her glory. And yes, we took pictures with her, and yes, she looks plastic in them.

from her Wikipedia page

4. Went and saw Coraline 3-D, which was a lot scarier than I was expecting and truly amazing for cinematography and graphic reasons. I highly recommend it even though it's no longer playing in 3-D. (And yes, I do feel slightly wrong posting a picture of Coraline next to Amanda Lepore--hey, art is art.)

Retrieved from Cinetopia Website

5. Have had many gatherings at my lovely abode (including K-Rae's weekly sleepovers) where wonderful discussions, various televisions shows, yummy cuisine, and various alcoholic beverages, have been plentiful.

6. Went to the opening of the EFA's show "Post Memory: Makeshift Memorials in Contemporary Art," which I thought was a wonderful, cohesive and well-executed show on just what the title suggests--makeshift memorials. There were memorials for persons ranging from the Native Americans to American soldiers in Iraq to insane asylum patients to Civil Rights movement leaders/activists etc. I want to do a whole post on this show so get ready for more on this.

Postcard Image, retrieved from EFA Website

7. Just this past Thursday, Miles, K-Rae and I had high hopes of seeing the Shepard Fairey Lecture on Art and the Economy at the New York Public Library, but I guess once you make a campaign poster famous tickets to your lectures are bound to sell out. And that they did. So, instead, us 3 ladies decided to have a cultural experience at a wonderful establishment called 1-2-3 Burgers-Shot-Beer and yes, it is as wonderful as it sounds. If you're ever in NY on a budget, I highly recommend it. Next cheap-eats stop is Rudy's, where they have $7 pitchers and FREE hot dogs.

8. So after our fantastic time at 1-2-3, we decided to go to the Modern for one drink. It is super swanky and way too rich for our tastes but K-Rae's boyfriend works there so we thought we'd (meaning Miles and I) would at least check it out once. For those of you unfamiliar with the Modern, it is the restaurant directly next to the MoMA with the fun yarn/neon art piece in the window. Well, one drink (which for me was a Crabapple martini--so delicious) turned into 2 drinks and 3 desserts (courtesy of Justin, K-Rae's boyfriend). I was able to snap a photo with my phone, so the quality isn't great, but each dessert was to die for. Sour apple and basil sorbet with fresh blueberries and raspberries, beignets (I have linked this to the dictionary.com because I had no idea what they were until Thursday--such a sophisticted pallete) with 3 dipping options: lemon curd, maple ice cream, and/or warm caramel, AND pistachio ice gream over chocolate graham cracker covered in melted dark chocolate with dark chocoalte flakes. Yes, I died and went to heaven. And when I returned to Earth, K-Rae, Justin and I went back to drinking cheap beer and playing Rock Band.


9. Yesterday, Saturday, I thought I was going to lounge around the house all day until Facebook-stalking paid off. Miles was off to see 2 movies and I wanted in! It just so happened that she was seeing 2 movies I've been dying to see: Milk and The Reader.

From Here

From Here

We went to a little theater in Port Jefferson and made a day of it. From 12:55pm to 6pm, we were captives of cinema (and only for $5! Yes, some sneaky Double Feature action did take place). Both of these movies were phenomenal and both Kate Winslet and Sean Penn deserved their Oscar wins. I didn't anticipate a common theme between these films--with one being about an illiterate female Nazi that has an affair with a 15-year-old boy and the other being about a 40-something-year-old gay man trying to make a difference in the Gay Rights movement of the 1970s in San Fran--but there was. In both films, the audience was made to feel compassion--for the persecuted and the persecutor. Compassion is a very difficult trait to come by, which is perhaps why it is such a valued characteristic, but I believe to practice compassion is to be that much closer to love and respect--and what can be wrong about a lil love and respect. [Steps off soap box]


So, as you can see, I have been busy. Busy with nothing but fun activities with some truly awesome people. Hopefully now it is clear just how much I am avoiding school and all work associated with it.

To conclude my longest, most personal entry to date, I shall announce that in under a week I will get to see Mark (my fiance, for those of you just joining us)! And in that time I plan to write a review/summary of the EFA's Post Memory show, do another AYSK and perhaps one more post if I am so moved. 2-3 posts in a week shouldn't be that hard, but knowing me, we'll just have to wait and see!

Pip pip cheerio!

WOW

Seriously...WOW.

Watch this. Unbelievable. This is my minor post for this evening. Tomorrow, expect a longer, more verbal post on my part. I will be highlighting a particular gallery that houses a few artists I particularly love.



Richard Wilson's Rotating Wall (2007), described as:

“The most daring piece of public art ever commissioned in the UK, Turning the Place Over is artist Richard Wilson’s most radical intervention into architecture to date, turning a building in Liverpool’s city centre literally inside out. One of Wilson’s very rare temporary works, Turning the Place Over colonises Cross Keys House, Moorfields. It is on a light sensor and will run during daylight hours.

Co-commissioned by the Liverpool Culture Company and Liverpool Biennial, co-funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency and The Northern Way, and facilitated by Liverpool Vision, the project is a stunning trailblazer for Liverpool’s Year as European Capital of Culture 2008, and the jewel in the crown of the Culture Company’s public art programme.”

I found this gem of an art piece at my new favorite website, The Wooster Collective. Check it out if you get the chance.

Again. Wow. This is brilliant.

Promise

I haven't updated in a while...as usual. But, I promise to update tomorrow! Yay for President's Day and my 3-day weekend!

See you soon!

AYSK Numero Cinco

So I'm finally getting around to this...

Lots has been happening lately--for example:

1. I started my internship at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts! It's great! I could not have asked for a better experience thus far. This past week, most of my time was spent on the materials for membership to the studio program. Explaining how the studio program works would take an entire post, and despite the clerical aspects of the project, it was really great to work on something that I care about.

2. Classes started. Not too enthusiastic about any of my classes yet, but fingers crossed that they get better.

3. Fun bonding with my fellow classmates. Kelly Rae's sort-of-birthday party was last night and it was a doozy. This morning was also quite comical (for reasons I will spare sharing). Today, Professor Rubin also had us over for brunch, which was also a good time. Not a very relaxing or restful weekend but who needs those! (Oh right, the girl with the insane schedule this semester.)


So now that I have caught you all up on why I'm blog-slacking, here is the next installment of the "Artists You Should Know" series. Without further ado...

AYSK #5:

ALYSON SHOTZ

Mini-Bio: BFA at good ole RISD. MFA at University of Washington-Seattle. She doesn't have a handy Wikipedia page providing me with access to the essential tidbits of her life, so here is a nice cutesy summary of her artistic choices:

A veteran of the New York art world, Alyson Shotz is known internationally for works of art that address space, light, and perception. Her interest in environmental issues and topology—a branch of mathematics concerned with the properties of geometric forms that remain constant despite transformation—is also evident in her artworks.

What kind of art? Sculpture bordering on industrial or architectural design.

Examples of work:

The Shape of Things, 2004 (image from 2007 Guggenheim show)
In case you're curious, this is made of cut plastic Fresnel lens sheets and staples. See Close up...

(View of original installation for The Shape of Things)

The Close up.

Mirror Fence, 2003
Made of acrylic, wood, aluminum, hardware.

Folding Space, 2004
Made of cut plastic, staples.

Allusion of Gravity, 2005
Made of clear glass beads and steel wire.

What I like most about Shotz's work is that she uses pretty standard materials and manages to create pieces that are both beautiful and reflective. It is unique and simple while also being very complex and though-provoking. I hope you feel the same about her work or that you at least are a little more enlightened as far as contemporary sculpture is concerned.

For more images and information on Alyson Shotz, visit her page with the Derek Eller Gallery.

Well I'm off to bed--early start tomorrow--yay for the commuting to the city! Goodnight!

Dance, and Life, as Art

Found this on Perez Hilton (which I am sad to admit I read), but it is worthwhile for the occasional good piece of information, like the following...





I wish more things like this happened in my life, or life in general. This is the art I care about. Art that makes people feel good...Art that is simple...Art that is just done for the fun of it. (And yes, I am completely disregarding that it is a T-Mobile commercial.)

Enjoy!

NYSK: Women

It's been far too long since I updated. The holidays getcha every time! Oh, and my pesky 19th century art paper! But, now all those things are done and I am free to blog and do other things that usually escape my attention when there is holiday food to be eaten and obnoxious papers to finish.

So, as promised, here is my list of females that I personally know and like (both personality-wise and artistically) who you should know. And the Nobodies (again, I use this term strictly as a joke and contrast to the AYSK series--they are all Somebodies) are...

1. Kristina Sherk. I had the pleasure of attending Elon University with Kristi. We first met while working on a project called Periclean Scholars, so her artistic talents were unbeknownst to me for quite a while. BUT, after seeing her work, I can say she's got the goods. She has been out of college less than 2 years and has already taken the professional photography world by storm! Based in DC, Kristi makes a living taking headshots and shooting weddings and corporate events, but it is her editorial/artistic work that I find particularly stunning. Her website is filled with wonderful images, and I recommend checking all of it out--especially the travel photograph section! Oh, and don't forget to check out her amazing retouching skills here.

2. Meredith Robinson. Now, I don't know Meredith very well. I actually knew her work before I knew her. A number of times she has had her work displayed in the Elon Art Building and, being very fond of my Alma Mater (the art building in particular), I had perused her work while wandering the halls. After meeting her twice now--both times with varying levels of intoxication--I can say she is not only a talented artist but a pretty cool chick as well. My personal favorite is the painting entitled "Ophelia."

3. Casey Catelli. Another Elon student that I met far too late in the game. I had actually heard the name Casey Catelli through Mark, but never had the privilege of putting a face to that name until recently. I loved her work when I saw it displayed in the Elon gallery, but I did not know the amount of work she had until looking at her website and blog. Her photographs are brilliant and simple and if you sort her photos by "Most Favorites" you will see some truly tremendous images.

4. Amanda Jensen. Mixing it up a little...gotta give love to someone making something other than what those pesky intellectuals would call "Fine Art." I met Amanda at good ole Appel Farm (where there are many, many other talented artists) where she was the head of Technical Theater. Little did I know, that in her spare time she makes really great, crafty items. Scarves, reusable hot-drink-sleeves, hats, and my personal favorite--cowls, are all available for your viewing pleasure and purchase at her Etsy shop, which is easily accessible from her blog. Who said great art cannot be functional?


I have so many taleneted friends that I have to give shout-outs to Maria Mattson (painter/drawer), Antea Roberts (sculptor/ceramicist), Miranda Pare (bad-ass installation artist among other things I'm sure), Bogna Kowalska (unbelievable video artist and graphic designer), Molly Lare (too many artistic talents to name), Joanna Patterson (artist a la carte, as well) and all my other female artist friends, whose artworks are not as easily linkable. (Websites and blogs people, not Facebook albums and MySpace pages!)


And just to add something for your immediate viewing pleasure... "The Beckoning of Lovely" is an amazing video that my friend Rachel introduced our Methodologies class too during her presenation on viral/video/internet art. Please watch. It will make your day a million times better.





Well, that is all for now. Time for a grilled cheese and tomato soup to make this blustery cold day less blustery and less cold. Now is the part where I promise to post more often...