lower east side americana- evolution now jewelry- november 20th necklace

got an amazing collection of turn of the century victorian medals at the flea market this weekend!
among them were four of these enameled nickel plated copper shields. a search of the stamp on them revealed the man they were made for- joseph kraus, 134 clinton st. ny.  he was a member of the "hebrew orphan asylum of the city of new york" in 1912.

necklaces available at evolutionnow.etsy.com

paul richard kiss and tell

a cartoon our friend norm forwarded.

reminded me of this (not my video)

i knew paul briefly in the late 80s. he wasn't an artist then, i think he'd just graduated with a sociology degree from harvard. we went out on a couple of dates. for the second date he told me he was going to come over and make me a fettuccine alfredo dinner. it sounded elaborate and impressive! he sounded like a very confident cook!

he arrived and walked around my little apartment off newbury street. i was selling paintings back then after graduating cum laude from mica. i had a really large canvas on the wall, a picture of two figures in a room. paul looked at it.

"did you paint that?" he said, sort of dead pan... "i'm interested in that..."

he liked my painting!

"...i'm kind of interested in doing something like that myself."

hummmmmmm. twinge of resentment. "i don't know much about art but there can't be much to it" he seemed to be saying. "sure," i said, "you should definitely try it out!"

i was interested in the fettuccine dinner! paul filled a half gallon sauce pan with water put it on the stove and lit the burner. when it boiled he dumped in a whole box of prince fettuccine and stirred it a couple of times. eventually he seemed to consider it done and he took a box or can of sauce mix, added cream and poured it on. he seemed pretty satisfied with himself. he just seemed to have an inflated idea of his abilities all round.

romance didn't blossom.

BUT ...the joke was on me- he's now one of america's great street artists! his "i take myself so seriously" never break character persona is reminiscent of, but long predates, stephen colbert (the name is pronounced ree-shard, but i think it genuinely is french.) he's got his own multi-hybrid oeuvre: performance/classicist/conceptual/street... a good old fashioned draftsman, whose spare palette canvases, in old master tradition, have a painterly romantic quality.  other things he does are highly conceptual, highly humorous and highly mischievous. a gadfly, closer in spirit to early audacious bankys than any other street artist i'm aware of- and some of his hijinks even push the envelope on banksy. not a crusading  social critic like banksy, he's more of an art word provocateur.   with reverence for, and homage to other artists, but caustic contempt of art marketing. maybe because he provokes the establishment- museums, galleries, financiers, paul is apparently (i read on line) derided by some as a self promoter, which he is, (his initials are p r!) but that seems to be the whole comic/serious point, and it's a really a hoot, seeing an artist make such (art) loving fun of the art world and himself.

link: paul richard

anyway, as can be seen below, paul continued to pursue culinary perfection as well- and he now has a more appreciative dining companion!

guerrilla garden

before (april)

after! (august)

a few flowers grew in our harlem guerrilla "garden"!

re. the president's tax proposal. "millionaire's tax" misnomer

it's NOT a "millionaire's tax".

it's a million-A-YEAR-onaire's tax.

if you have a million in money or assets it doesn't apply to you.

if you earn a million A YEAR it does.

i'm afraid it won't go over, or will cost the president politically, if older people on fixed incomes who have homes and savings think they're going to get a tax increase.  i fear this is the kind of misinformation we can expect from those who oppose tax equality.
surely someone on mitch mcconnell's staff coined  this phrase, hoping to frighten the elderly?

boston

 i made old cubans for the violet isle book signing.  an old cuban is pretty much a mojito topped off with champagne instead of seltzer.

brunch  at the waterfront marriot.

 

collective memory in bryant park.

bryant park 9/11/2011.  an interactive project by sheryl oring

a friend, john, was a member of a typing pool present in bryant park to hear and record opinions and observations of the public on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attack.  many people participated and seemed to find it satisfying and therapeutic.  emotion was shown.  those who stopped to talk included a half naked woman in a bow tie and painted on mustache, and actress mary steenburgen.  also, more than a few who had lost people in the twin towers.  my own observation was not very eloquent (though heartfelt!) nor, as one can see, was the typist very highly skilled(!) -(just teasing, typist)- but that's all part of the art, i was told.  i thought it was great!

new yorker coverage here. 

violet isle. alex webb and rebecca norris webb book signing at nomad this friday!

violet isle is a compelling and beautiful collection of photographs taken over years in cuba by rebecca norris webb and alex webb.  the pictures are currently on display at the museum of fine arts boston.  the photographers will be at nomad this friday evening to hang out and sign copies over snacks and drinks!
i'm expecting a fun party and it's open to the public.  see you there?

nomad  book signing here
1741 massachusetts avenue
cambridge, massachusetts 

reception 5pm to 7pm friday september 16th

rebecca and alex's cuba photographs are being exhibited at the museum of fine arts boston through mid january.
link here

a slide show of some of the photographs from the book can be seen at magnum photos:
link here

9/11- previous years- ground zero and flight 93

many of those who came to protest the proposed mosque last year were wearing american flag attire.  this man had the flag and the declaration of independence on his shirt.

he couldn't have worn a shirt with the u s constitution on it though, because the first amendment guarantees freedom of worship!