5-2-08

I'll have photos posted after Saturday, but the music is what you would really miss out on...

Patricia Highsmith

A friend of mine recently told me that her novels were responsible for a few of the more unique (and unsettling) crime films like The Talented Mr. Ripley, and include one of the most influential situations of the 20the century: the criss-cross murder plot, in Strangers on a Train. I have always been interested in the subject of murder in general, but mid-century murders are always my favorites. In my opinion she is a first rate psychological writer who describes her hero's or heroine's thoughts in colorful ways. Several of her plots also have to do with travel, making them perfect for summer holidays, actual or imagined.

The Jazz Score

The MoMa is showcasing films spanning from the 50's to present day, from the U.S. to Japan, with originally composed jazz scores. Aside from the great soundtracks of these films, many of these films belong on anyones Top 100 List. This is a very comprehensive collection consisting of better known titles like Otto Preminger's The Man With the Golden Arm, where Frank Sinatra plays a drummer on heroin, and Antonioni's Blow Up (1966) with a score by Herbie Hancock. But the lesser known titles such as Shirley Clarke's The Cool World (1964), shot on location in Harlem with a score performed by Dizzy Gillespie, may steal the show. So many great ones I can't name them all; get yourself a membership and see them all on the house. http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/exhibitions.php?id=8162

Downtown 81

Downtown 81 (extrait)
Uploaded by CPSH

The James White and the Blacks performance is classic.

A Thing of Beauty

Spring is officially here I already began visiting my favorite green areas in and around the city. Laying out in a garden on a weekend recently I found out what a positive effect it can have on the nerves. I contributed much of this to the flowers, and decided to bring some home to recreate that effect. Well it worked, but the key is to arrange them yourself. I challenge any non-believers to take a Claritin if you have to, and pick up a pruning knife.

Footnote: The photos in this post are by Nobuyoshi Araki, whose is very passionate about flowers... along with hookers and rope bondage. His tome titled 'Araki', all about flowers, is published by Taschen and worth taking a look at ($3500 a pop) whether or not his other passions are quite your speed.

Rolleiflex Dual Lens Cameras

German brand Rolleiflex, a major contentder in the high-end camera class up until the 1950's, is one of the firms responsible for the prestige behind German equipment. Equiped with either top quality Zeiss or Schneider lenses, these cameras were, and still are capable of taking the most beautiful and chromatically true photographs. They also look amazing. The 2.8f as shown above was the most popular of these dual lensed medium format models. By no means a point and shoot, but like everything else in life, nothing good comes easy.

Yinka Shonibare, MBE

For those growing a little weary of the recent ubiquity of Manga-inspired art then Yinka Shonibare might be worth checking out. Shonibare's three-part installation of sculpture and photography revisits the collision between irrational mysticism and logical reason that occurred during the eighteenth-century's Enlightenment period. There is a reception for his most recent showing at the James Cohan Gallery in Chelsea this Thursday, April 17, from 6-8pm. 533 West 26th Street, 212-714-9500 April 17 - May 17, 2008.

Sebastien Tellier

SEBASTIEN TELLIER SEXUAL SPORTSWEAR
by LuckyNumber

I have to send special thanks to Alex Barnes, a longtime friend, for bringing this new video to my attention. Sebastien Tellier has been one of my favorite contemporary artists for some time now, even if only for a handful of his songs. But those songs sound like perfection to me (La Ritournelle!). I'm a little lukewarm on his last album Sexuality, but the cover art is fresh.

Tretorn Acne Nylites

I really like the streamlined shape of these shoes. Something about it is reminiscent of the 'teardrop' shaped roadsters of the 1930's. Its minimalism gives it a look that's both retro and futuristic i.e. timeless. A great collaboration between Tretorn and Acne; they also come in Forest Green and Black.

C L A U D E G R A N T

Who Is MGMT?

MGMT (pronounced Managemnt) is a Brooklyn based psychadelic pop duo consisting of Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. If you have not become familiar with their sound as yet, it's recommended that you do so now. For the first half of 2008, MGMT is touring with Yeasayer throughout the United States and Europe. Their LP Oracular Spectacular is on Sony Records. http://www.whoismgmt.com/

Olafur Eliasson at the MOMA and P.S. 1

Opening 4/20 is the Take Your Time: Olafur Eliasson exhibit being held jointly at the MOMA and P.S. 1. Eliasson is known for his "immersive environments" and photographs inspired by the landscapes of his native Scandinavia. Duration: 4/20/08 - 6/20/08. www.olafureliasson.net, www.moma.org, www.ps1.org.