we used to play together

2009-03-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

I quite like houseplants, though I doubt they like me (I never water).

2009-01-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

A new cd,

found frozen to my mailbox;

I have waited so long to hear this...

THE EMPYREAN by John Frusciante.

listen hear, read here, and a review read there.

2009-01-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

Each day
We go about our business
walking past each other
catching each other’s eyes,
or not,
about to speak or speaking.
All about us is noise,
thorn and din.
Each one of our ancestors on our tongues.

Someone is stitching up a hem,
darning a hole in an uniform,
patching a tire,
repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere,
with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum
with cello,
boombox,
harmonica,
voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus,
a farmer considers the changing sky
a teacher says, “take out your pencils, begin."

We encounter each other in words,
words spiny or smooth,
words whispered or declaimed,
words to consider,
reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways
that mark the will of someone
and then others that said,
“I need to see what’s on the other side.
I know there’s something better down the road.”
We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain:
That many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,
Who laid the train tracks,
raised the bridges,
picked the cotton and the lettuce
Built brick by brick
the glittering edifices
they would then keep clean
and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle
Praise song for the day
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
the figuring it out at kitchen tables

Some live by “love thy neighbor as thyself."
Others by, "first, do not harm,"
or "take no more than you need."

What if
the mightiest word is
Love.

Love beyond marital, filial, national
Love that casts a widening pool of light
Love with no need to preempt grievance

In today's sharp sparkle,
this winter air,
anything can be made
any sentence begun
On the brink...
On the brim...
On the cusp...

Praise song
for walking forward
in that light.

-Elizabeth Alexander, January 20, 2009.

read the The Venus Hottentot (1825) and more from Elizabeth Alexander here.

2008-12-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

DEPRESSINGLY AWESOME! Kiosk currently curated by The Reference Library.

2008-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

a new self-portrait finished on friday.

2008-11-24T23:29:00.000-08:00

here are a few (+ two) of my new favourite things

a song: unreachable

a book: bob dylan ain't got no home in this world anymore

a store: purchased here

a film: who is bozo texino?

OMG LOL

2008-10-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Not just nepotism: Pacific 2, 2006, oil on canvas; one of my favourite paintings from the incredibly talented artist/cousin, Meghan Irvine. More from Meghan here.

2008-09-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

This looks nice, No Strings Attached, on now at Gallery Atsui.

2008-09-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

Russell Gordon's WISHING HELL, 2008. He's a happy little camper. More here.

2008-09-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

A new town,
a new home.
Here are some things I

Missed
!!!
Swarm feat. Russell Gordon
Fleet Foxes

Miss
You

And will miss
VIFF

2008-06-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

RECENT PREOCCUPATIONS:
JOSEPH BEUYS
IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS
LOUISE BOURGEOIS
DESIGN E2
STRIPES
POTATO PRINTING
HEAD-DRESSES
EVEREST
RUNNY NOSE

2008-04-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

(ABOVE) ELIZABETH NEEL, THE LOSERS, 2007, OIL ON CANVAS.
When I was three years old, a fox raided the chicken coop on my parent’s farm. The site of the massacre was strewn with evidence of its swift violence. One particular bird had only been partially consumed – almost perfectly bisected in such a way that it’s entire reproductive system was revealed. I could see a series of stages beginning with a yolk and ending with a perfect, shelled egg within that body – fixed at the moment of death in pristine order. This visual experience represented a turning point in my relationship to the world. I now see it as my first clear instantiation that life, and nature underneath it, is a baroque, mysterious thing that hangs precariously on a framework of elegant reason.
-Elizabeth Neel

I HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR ABSTRACTION. SUBSTRACTION, FEATURING WORK BY ELZABTH NEEL AND OTHERS, ON NOW AT DEITCH PROJECTS.

2008-03-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

THIS IS NICE; SPOON STILL LIFE FROM MAXINE SUTTON. MORE HERE...

2008-03-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

NICE DECK, NICE CAUSE. IF ONLY I COULD SKATE...CHRIS JOHANSON & JO JACKSON. MORE OF CHRIS' WORK HERE...

2008-03-15T12:06:00.003-07:00

(Above) Isabella and Quilt, one of my favourites from the Fred Herzog exhibit on now at the Equinox Gallery. More HERE.

2008-03-15T12:06:00.002-07:00

From the exhibition Revelation! The Quilts of Marie "Big Mama" Roseman at the Intuit Gallery: (top) Untitled (Quilt: red with text and imagery), n.d., mixed media 93 x 53 in.; (bottom) Untitled (Quilt with multicoloured yarn), n.d., mixed media, 70 x 89 in. See more "OUTSIDER ART" (that term is soo problematic!) HERE.

2008-03-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

wish i didn't already have plans or had heard about this sooner: Outsider Art Symposium, TODAY! more info here.

2008-03-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

REALLY INTO TIE-DYE-ISH COLOUR GRADIENTS (STILL!) AS SEEN IN KAREN WALKER'S FALL COLLECTION PICTURED ABOVE...

2008-02-28T15:28:00.001-08:00

REMINDS ME OF FADED DENIM...LAURA PIASTA: UNTITLED DRAWING NO. 5, 2007. MORE FROM THE SERIES HERE.

2008-02-28T15:28:00.000-08:00

NEW AT NIEVES! MIKE MILLS' FIREWORKS. OOOH! AHHH!

2008-02-26T13:21:00.000-08:00

JUST ORDERED THE FIRST VOLUME OF LINES AND SHAPES, A BRAND NEW ART PUBLICATION (1/2 ZINE, 1/2 BOOK) CO-CURATED BY LENA CORWIN. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE MAIL TO COME!

2008-02-14T14:39:00.003-08:00

CUCKOO FOR COCONUTS!... NEW BAG (AND CD) FROM COCONUT RECORDS.

2008-02-14T14:39:00.002-08:00

Oooh oooh oooh. Dream Theory by Justin B. Williams (top) and Egyptian Gypsy Dog Dance by Michael Swaney (bottom) oooh!

see more from Justin B. Williams HERE and Michael Swaney HERE

2008-02-14T14:39:00.001-08:00

LOVE POEM

It's so nice

to wake up in the morning

all alone

and not have to tell somebody

you love them

when you don't love them

any more.

--Richard Brautigan

2008-02-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILROAD HAS FOUND A NEW WAY THROUGH THE SNOW, 2002 from the exhibition Nathan Carter: THE COVERT CAVIAR FREQUENCY DISRUPTOR. See more of Nathan Carter's work HERE. (his titles are fantastical!)

2008-02-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

SUPER VIDEO OF MARK GONZALES SET TO THE MUSIC OF JASON SCHWARTZMAN HERE.
LISTEN TO THE REST OF THE ALBUM HERE (I LOVE NIGHTTIMING!)
DID ANYONE CATCH "FRIENDLY BEAR" JULIAN SCHNABEL ON CHARLIE ROSE? WATCH EXCERPTS OF THE INTERVIEW HERE. HE, JULIAN SCHNABEL, REALLY KNOWS HOW TO WEAR A PAIR OF PYJAMAS.

2008-01-25T12:49:00.002-08:00

MEET MARCUS OAKLEY, HERE.
HEAR CARL WILSON SING LEAD, HERE.

2008-01-25T12:49:00.000-08:00

I wish i wish i could have THIS robot intarsia pullover from the KAREN WALKER spring/summer collection...
(reminds me of the post below)

2008-01-25T12:27:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth McIntosh is featured in Pyramid Power vol.1 issue 3.

see more of her wok here.

and subscribe to Pyramid Power here.

2008-01-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

AUREL SCHMIDT'S WORK IS SOO GOOD.

SEE MORE HERE.

2008-01-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

I HAVE BEEN REALLY INTO COLLAGE AND TRIANGLES AND EVERYTHING OLD--ESPECIALLY WHEN ALL ARE COMBINED INTO ONE NICE COZY PACKAGE AS IN THE QUILTS OF GEE'S BEND. I DROVE DOWN TO TACOMA (AROMA) A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO TO VIEW A SELECTION OF QUILTS ON DISPLAY AS PART OF THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE QUILT EXHIBIT AT THE TAM. AMAZING.To clarify, the quilts featured above are from a previous exhibit entitled THE QUILT'S OF GEE'S BEND. (top to bottom: MARY ELIZABETH KENNEDY c.1935; LINDA PETTWAY c.1975; SALLY BENNETT JONES c. 1966)

2008-01-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

A NEWER BOOK ON MY SHELF...THE NEVER MIND BY ROBIN CAMERON. YOU CAN GET IT HERE.

2008-01-18T12:51:00.000-08:00

I SPENT MOST OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON WATCHING FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS--SOOO I AM PLAYING CATCH-UP WITH MY POSTS...(and apparently BRE is MIA)

2008-01-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

Listening to///
PJ HARVEY//WHITE CHALK//
JENS LEKMAN//NIGHT FALLS OVER KORTEDALA
SHARON VAN ETTEN//SELF-TITLED//Handmade, in the mail, from Brooklyn

PANDA BEAR//PERSON PITCH//It is as if the songs are coming out of a backroom in some other dimension in which Brian Wilson didn't hate his father so much, but just enough

2008-01-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

1, 2, 3...favourites from THE SARTORIALIST (top two) and from FACE HUNTER (bottom). All aren't too try hard-ish and all seem to be weather appropriate (3 is located in Miami); though the middle guy could do with some mittens...

2007-12-17T12:57:00.001-08:00

More balloon anatomy--found at the REFERENCE LIBRARY

2007-11-29T21:23:00.000-08:00

Why I Think About Meditating a nice read currently on n+1.

2007-11-29T13:44:00.001-08:00

for carolyn

2007-11-24T16:33:00.000-08:00

I SAW JOSE GONZALEZ PLAY AT ZULU RECORDS THIS AFTERNOON; I WAS TOO SHY TO SAY HELLO.

(his songs sound best when it's dark and grey)

2007-11-23T19:17:00.000-08:00

SOMETIMES I LISTEN TO ONLY ONE SONG, ON REPEAT, FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF A DAY.

OVER AND OVER AND OVER THE OVER. LIKE THIS ONE BY SCOUT NIBLETT.

MAYBE TOMORROW IT WILL BE THIS.

2007-11-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

TWO MORE SLEEPS UNTIL

THIS & THIS

MORE HERE

(unfortunately i miss her by a day!!)

2007-11-16T01:02:00.000-08:00

MORE SUPER-FANTASTIC GRADIENT RAINBOWS FROM TWO OF THE BESTEST

TOP TO BOTTOM: BERNHARD WILLHELM (BJORK'S CO-CONSPIRATOR) & MATTHEW WILLIAMSON

2007-11-16T00:51:00.000-08:00

local and ethical fuzzie wuzzies by erin templeton and tannis hegan (pictured)

(via here)

addicted to joan

2007-11-12T21:59:00.000-08:00

for the last year i have been obsessed with joan didion. ever since picking up the wonderful 'year of magical thinking' i have searched out all her other work so that i can immerse myself in her fabulously poigniant bohemian life.

always a lovely read even when dealing with topics such as death, murder, and depression.

(she writes happy stuff too!)

2007-11-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

“It seems to me that we are now compelled to recognize that we have no place to go but where we’ve been. We’ve got to go look at what we’ve done, which is oftentimes pretty awful, and see if we can’t make of this place a civilized home. We’ve in a sense built a house, but we haven’t made it a home.”— Robert Adams

Beautiful photos from one of my favourite photographers, Robert Adams, who was recently featured on season four of art:21.

2007-11-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

OLD NEWS

2007-10-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

wish i had seen this

(FIGHTING at the OKOK gallery)

why is it so hard to leave this city?

let's all gather around...

2007-10-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

for the past few months i've been getting excited crowds. this is a new turn of events since i have been consumed for so long with images of mundane objects, a sun flare obscuring the entire shot but offering a beautiful palette of soft mauves, beiges and pure whites....

throwing caution to the wind i am embracing group love. here are some examples of photography and illustration. the drawing is from a local artist named keith jones http://www.nobodyland.com/ whose large scenes invoke a surreal 'where's waldo' sensibility. and the group shot of ridiculousness comes from the 2007 graduating class of central saint martins. the original picture was about twice as big but they've taken the site down and this thumbnail was all i could find...

call it an ode to globablization.
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/globalcities/default.shtm

happy garbage collection day!

2007-10-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

after 3 months of diligent striking - garbage collectors are back to work this week and vancouver loves the sound of clanging garbage trucks in the morning...

2007-10-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

i'm a little late on this but i would love to do a store window all in RAINBOW neon!

2007-10-14T22:46:00.000-07:00

i saw BAT FOR LASHES last night and it was lovely.

low-fi tinted glasses

2007-10-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

it's not so much that i have an obsession with the film annie hall or woody allen. it's actually a bit of the opposite - i've never really understood allen's work and found myself increasingly frustrated the longer annie hall played on my old vhs player - it's really more about wanted to exist permanently in an old 1970's movie (preferably one set in new york) with the amazing desaturation of colour, grainy film quality and overly verbose characters.

anything that is filmed i'm into right now...degraded and low-fi...and the higher the waist on the pants the better.

2007-09-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

"A mobile: a little local festival; an object which exists only in, and which is defined by its motion; a flower which dies as soon as motion stops; a spectacle of pure movement just as there are spectacles of pure light."-Jean-Paul Sartre

really into mobiles. (this one via apartment therapy)

where no man has gone before

2007-09-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

these days i'm consumed with all things sci-fi...specifically of the neverending story, 80's stargazing, ET kind of way. the winter 07 prada catalogue jumped on the galactic bandwagon and produced some beautful spreads that would have made captain kirk proud...

their downloadable campaign pdf is stunning...as usual: http://www.prada.com/

ferme la bouche!

2007-09-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

in an earlier post i talked about how much i love eyes these days - they were clearly my favourite facial feature to add to any composition...until i stumbled into the photographer corriette shoenaerts series focusing all the attention on the mouth.

check out her other beautiful work at http://corrietteschoenaerts.com/

love!

2007-09-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

i know nothing about this show but it was just too good a photo to not post...apparently it's a new kids program called 'yo gabba gabba' and this picture makes me wish i could live in their world all the time...

2007-09-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

If we all lived in tepees, the world would be a better place.

I had been thinking of building my own teepee for a while now and was quite excited upon finding

THE INDIAN TIPI: ITS HISTORY, CONSTRUCTION, AND USE in a second-hand bookstore a few weeks back.

The teepee (or tipi, or tepee) pictured above is available through the Free City Supershop in Malibu.

(they make customized ones too!)

Now that i am unemployed, a teepee seems more and more like a viable housing option.

2007-09-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

nice paper, nice layout, nice content; hobo magazine is based out of vancouver.

the latest edition mentioned (however brief) joseph campbell, carl jung, bob dylan, leonard cohen; and, my new favourite, emily jane white.

2007-09-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

i saw devendra banhart play the other night and i can't get this song out of my head.

(especially the 5:22 minute mark and beyond)

2007-09-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

i wish i had received one of these. xo chloe.

2007-08-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

recent favourites from the satorialist (above) and face hunter (below)

( this girl is a bag lady version of bre--check out those sandals!)

books! books! books!

2007-08-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

well i can't be that much of a bibliophile since i started writing this with the title 'pedophile's r us'....whoops!! this is not that kind of blog!!! this summer, instead of working on my criminal record, i have been doing some fun summer reading and a friend recommended this great little website - perfect for the bookworm in all of us.

librarything.com allows you to upload all of your most loved books and from your input the site catalogues what the common threads are between your top literary picts. it also recommends based on your book choices and cross references with other's profiles that have similar books in their profiles. your new best friend at the bookstore...

paint me up

2007-08-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

as we all know masks have been popping up all over the place - in photographs, at parties, boutique window displays...full face coverage is the accessory du jour.

which is why i think i have been so excited about the masks more junior cousin...face painting. for some reason i hugely resisted the face painting booths at fairs in my youth - something about a stranger touching my face and the paint itching - and i think i am now finally ready to make up for lost time...

i just wonder if i can pull it off at the office?

(photo by hannah waldron)

home sweet home

2007-08-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

after a long hard day it would be impossible to come home to this and not smile.

an artist named jamie brown is responsible...

hard earned modern art

2007-08-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

the newest book to rest on my shelf; by simon redekop and michael swaney of humanfive.

eye see you

2007-08-16T21:28:00.001-07:00

if it doesn't have google eyes i don't want anything to do with it.

francoise hardy

2007-08-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

i wish francoise hardy had googlie eyes.

i love colonization??

2007-08-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

for some reason - despite how incredibly politically incorrect this is - i have been loving the aesthetic of early 20th century colonization. there's something about the pompous british aristocrat taking on the dusty wilderness of africa that i am totally into...

i'm sure there's a special place in hell reserved for people that gain inspiration from political strife and human suffering :)

awooooga ooga booga

2007-08-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

a cute little store in downtown L.A.'s chinatown, ooga booga has been popping up in lots of blogs these days as a store to check out. filled with great art books and magazines, innovative clothing labels, customized mixed tapes and a resident cat it's always a good time.

if ngaire was a store she would be ooga booga and there's no better recommend than that :)

943 N. Broadway #203
Los Angeles, CA 90012

we could all use a little more USR...

2007-08-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

In 4th grade my teacher set up a period devoted solely to USR - Undisturbed Silent Reading. and much like P.E., Creative Writing and Home-Ec it's something i wish was mandatory at the office to break up the chaos the 'real world' seems to deliver on a daily basis.

Lately i've been finding myself more and more drawn to second hand bookstores to pick up my books and thought i was alone in my love for the old 60's and 70's paperback classics until a co-worker sent me a link to a flickr account devoted solely to capturing old paperback covers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joekral/sets/72157594264351021/

love!