dannon lids?: contemporary art for skeptics

so, have you ever been to a gallery or museum and thought, why is that/that object (maybe one or a display of a grouping of commercially "ready-made" objects) art? who said that's art and why are they saying that? or, you may have felt that what's being presented as "art" lacks any demonstrable technical virtuosity or talent. the "i could have done that" phenomena (i got that in a forest of two by fours at the whitney biennial a couple of years ago). for many folks outside the contemporary scene, myself included, our most common idea or experience of visual art is of objects that stand alone, standing in for, or and representing the artist. we may expect to have our experience, or may enjoy the sensation of being, in the presence of the object (i also like to touch and hug sculpture, but that's another personal issue). we may also want the object to be beautiful, understand it to reflect an ideal or standard of beauty, recognize it as a symbol, react emotionally or intellectually to it, or it may just match the couch (in a good way). to start to get my head around conceptual and contemporary art (of the it's the idea not the object sort), i've just read seven days in the art world by sarah thorton and art's prospect: a challenge of tradition in an age of celebrity by roger kimball. ms. thorton's book is a fun insiderish tour of the clannish contemporary art world from cradle (art school) to grave (auction house). i got the most insight from the chapter on a graduate school seminar at calarts which shows you how artists are being taught how to think and think about the use of technique and object-making. she a wonderful writer who makes you feel like you're right there at an auction, art school, art fairs, etc. roger kimball is a "conservative" academic and social critic; his book looks at contemporary art institutions and some of what passes for art these days (much of which, in his view, is too infatuated with theory (over intellectualized?) at the expense of aesthetic appreciation and a more traditional view of the ennobling power of art. i loved this book too; it's pretty intellectually rigorous (as is his writing in general).

if you're not up for a book, there are plenty of book reviews and articles that highlight the debate and discussion addressed in the books, including: agony and ecstasy: the art world explained by barry schwabsky and the end of art by roger kimball. here's my takeaway (and pet peeve), artists are not just makers of art objects. visual artists, at best, are philosophers, documentarians, or social commentators and critics who use visual media to express their views, ideas, experiences, and criticism of the world in all its aspects. these things may may be visually expressed/represented by an object or not. my pet peeve (and perhaps it's because i love objects, especially paintings by ingres, david and vermeer), if you're going into the idea business, i expect you to be able to articulate and defend your work (take a page from mr. kimball, please). i may not agree, but if there is a concept or idea worth getting on the table (or wall), let me hear it. if you have a different view, let me know too; i love a good debate.

in the phoenix area for the holidays and hungry for soul food? check out mrs white's golden rule cafe or lo-lo's chicken and waffles. ok, i haven't been in phoenix for years and am a total late adopter of any technology, but with the piles and piles of snow in nyc this weekend, i poked around on itunes and discovered free podcasts--from blogs and public radio, etc. i'm now obsessed with the splendid table (where these restaurants were mentioned) and i'm trying out 3 wine guys and there's plenty more on politics, health, art, and another favorite--football. now i can watch football (sound off) while listening to public radio while looking at magazines and searching the world wide web and drinking tea (just discovered the delicious organic, japanese green tea with matcha and roasted brown rice, genmaicha matcha-iri . it has a mellow, round (really!) flavour that's less astringent and tannic than plain green tea or matcha so it's great without food. green tea is great with food, but too much for me on it's own.)

do the grey days of winter make you long for a little color? check out the top name in the color business, pantone, with a standardized color matching system so different folks (and in ny this is the way artists and design folks talk about color) refer to the pantone system to make sure colors match without direct contact with one another. fun stuff they do are color forecasts: color of the year 2010, turquoise and fashion forecasts from nyc's fashion week, like the fashion color report for spring 2010. looking for a gift for someone in or aspiring to be in fashion, design or arts, look at the fun pantone-inspired accessories: a pantoneapp for iphones for color on the go, iphone/ipod covers, cool color block mugs and espresso cups , cufflinks, typhoon peppermills and a fun "colorstrology" (about me: september, generally: color: baja blue 18-3946; divine, discerning, artistic; for the 24th, cornflower blue 16-4031: "love is very important to you as is the need to connect with others. you are highly romantic and function best when you are in a healthy relationship. although you can be emotional, you have a keen mind and a sharp wit. harmony and a happy home and family hold great comfort for you. your personal color resonates with clarity.")

peace out, flatsie

dannon lids?: contemporary art for skeptics

always having paris

on arrival in paris at cdg as you wait for the official, if ceremonial, "what's the reason for your trip" (destination is response), the tension leaves your neck and i become my funnest, best self. my french self. here life is milling and sitting, buttered baguettes and enjoying quintessential frenchisms such as the insistence on precision in enunciation and specificity before answering any question. to wit, q: where to catch un café. a: "avant de vous dire, je dois savoir si vous voulez du bon cafe ou du cafe pour "anglo-saxons"? that is, i can't possibly provide the correct response before i know whether you'd like good, italian coffee or coffee the english find acceptable. :o)



this trip was one of firsts and classics. i've been dying to check out paris' vintage/thrift scene, especially after recent, amazing finds in london (there, target covent garden for unusual and inexpensive finds) and austin (see earlier post). top of the list: thrift stores in le marais and the fleamarket in porte de clignancourt. in le marais, don't rush, have lunch. maybe an eggy omlette with a leafy green salad in a creamy dressing, a salad provencal of lightly steamed shredded red cabbage and carrots, almost charred whole-wheat baguette croutons topped with hunks of goat cheese and broiled thyme-dusted tomato halves, or an open faced, or a croque-madame broiled sandwich (jambon, fromage with bechamel topped with and an orange-yolked, crisp-edged sunny-side up egg on bread from poilane, an amazing artisinal bakery).



the stock at vintage stores in le marais is mostly 1980's, us centric, which isn't my beauty style, but it's a fun scene and the people watching is top notch. There are other wonderful clothing, footware and accessory boutiques in the 3rd and 4th arrondisement that are well-priced and importantly, unique. try maison robert for coffee, tea and related accessories, prune for boots (and they will discount if you ask), and go to the grocery store to stock up on sea salt in picturesque, cork-topped boxes of (sel du camargue, here $2, $12 in nyc). pop in and out of shops, but don't forget to stop for coffee, a beer, to grab a chocolate broiche at pain de sucre (http://www.patisseriepaindesucre.com/), or a delectable, flower petal-scooped gelato (dark chocolate, cream and lampone/raspberry flavors all rock) from amorino (http://www.amorino.fr/).



for the flea/antique market at clingnancourt, take the metro. it's direct and don’t be disheartened by the outdoor "market" of horrible (and overpriced) things you can get at a cvs. forge ahead and slip through a gate off the rue de rosiers into a corridor leading to semi-private, narrow streets lined with stores and stalls. it's not really about the bargains, although there are some. it's more about it being a lovely, relaxing way to experience french culture. cool things: old keys, vintage promotional key rings, and a ready-made duchamp (pardon the pun)-- a metal bottle rack from a restaurant--sadly, too big for the plane. the vendors, by and large, are solicitous if not overly concerned about manning their stalls or selling. if you need a break, there's a lovely café with live music inside the walls or duck back out to 136, rue de rosiers, for delicious pizza at napoli (don’t be put off by the 60's kitschy décor, the food is fast, fresh and yummy).



tired of the overly-precious and commodified contemporary art-scene in nyc? refresh your belief in the power and value in letting artists do their thing at palais de tokyo and a phenomenal new venue in the 19th arrodisement, centquatre (104). you'll come away heartened by the diversity of the work. also striking is the diversity of the folks of all ages exploring, hanging out and enjoying. both venues have wonderful bookstores too and terrific areas for children. you can't but be inspired by the obvious glee of the kids digging into the area invitingly left open at centquatre. the space for kids is a bit more formal at palais de tokyo-- gazing into that cozy room will leave you longing for the carefree days of fun when artmaking and being creative was the to-do list. there's also a comparable, exhibition-related (now calder) space for children at the pompidou center.


head back to le marais after a day of contemporary art (and more sitting) at 104 or the palais de toyko for a comfort-food dinner of homemade-ish moroccan food at odeon. the service is very french (by day two you'll know what i mean), but the roasted chicken that comes with a platter of couscous and a large, steaming bowl of mildly spiced (use the side of hot pepper spice paste to turn up the volume) carrots, turnips in a tomato-y broth to ladel over the pasta.


new things i need to know: where are all the locks for the amazing antique keys at the flea markets? ok, this is not paris related, but why don't bananas have black specks or seeds in the them anymore? i miss them and if you recall, the curious george books make reference to such sticky seeds--cg liked to put them down the collar of the man in yellow hat.


paris makes me nostalgic. grab someone whose hand you can't imagine not holding and be french for a day. in paris or at home. sit a little more--makes you think, remember your blessings and feel the joy of a simple conversation or a moment of solace.


peace out, flatsie

always having paris