Great New Books

Psychedelic Exhibition that traveled around. I feel like I saw it at the Whitney in New York, and also at Musée d'Orsay in Paris. It wasn't the same exhibit, but within two years, it was cool to see it all come out at these amazing museums. I have started collecting books on post-psychedelic era exhibits because I like the perspective of retrospect. In this particular book, while the images are amazing, and the text is, too. Written by people who have were there. Who experienced it. Published in 2005 by the Tate, Liverpool.




Great New Books

The Cactus and Succulents that I have been looking at for months are something that my mom knew more about that I thought. When we went to Powell's in Portland, OR I decided to look around at the horticulture books. I have been looking for the right book for a long time, and the images are always very plant-seed-bag-esque. Nothing beautiful or creative about it. Nothing inspiring. Finally, in a totally different section, I found this book randomly hiding among the others on outdoor and indoor garden design, and Zen and Japanese gardens. It is used, It was published in 1977, it cost $7.95. And my flip test was proven effective when I fell in love with the images in this book. They get better each time I go through. So I wanted to share a bit...





succulent (ˈsʌkjʊlənt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]

adj
1. abundant in juices; juicy
2. (of plants) having thick fleshy leaves or stems
3. informal stimulating interest, desire, etc

n
4. a plant that is able to exist in arid or salty conditions by using water stored in its fleshy tissues

cac·tus

[kak-tuhs]
–noun, plural -ti [-tahy] Show IPA, -tus·es, -tus.
any of numerous succulent plants of the family Cactaceae, of warm, arid regions of the New world, having fleshy, leafless, usually spiny stems, and typically having solitary, showy flowers.

Crazy Horse

Robson and I walked in just in time to join the couple sitting in the back corner of the auditorium for the screening of Crazy Horse Memorial's history. It was mostly about Korczak Ziolkowski, the sculptor commissioned by chief Standing Bear to carve a memorial to the Sioux in their sacred Black Hills. The video was pretty cool, and even cooler that my 20 year old brother was into it. And also into exploring the museum afterwords. With low battery I had to be selfish with the pictures I took, so got none of the amazing weapons the Indian's used- I took mostly garments and settings...



and took a note to look up Woody Crumbo, whose prints covered an entire wall facing the huge windows that looked up to the monument. A little background on the Pottawatomie artist, 1912-1989.

rotting onions

rotting onions in my bag...

it seems like a weird prank, but no it was actually me who left a half used onion in my own bag to come home after a three week tour of the States and see it rotting (and thankfully, oddly beautiful) in the side pocket of my weekend bag. The casualty of a dinner party I had, thinking I'd use the rest of this onion...apparently my waste not attitude was overcome and pushed aside by the flurry of fresh new whole vegetables that I brought back from the market...Rue Faubourg Saint Denis... love

amazing new book





It is really inspiring, after looking at tons of graphic design books, to come back to something that felt so much more intimate. I love a good digital composition, and will always love them- but when it comes to actually applying the aesthetic to my own needs, this method is much more natural to me. And so I love this book, and as soon as I picked it up I knew I had to take it home. It is all about the images, which makes it beautiful to look at- there are a couple that are blown up too large, and so the image quality is not so great- but you still get a sense of the colors and compositions of the original piece. I want to get started on my own!
And it also made me curious about the publisher (Gestalten). At Artazart, my go-to bookstore by the Canal Saint-Martin, had a couple of them on display together and they all seemed very different and creative and cool. So I will keep them in mind. You should check them out, too.

An Apology for Idlers

"While others are filling their memory with a lumber of words, one-half of which they will forget before the week be out, your truant may learn some really useful art: to play the fiddle, to know a good cigar, or to speak with ease and opportunity to all varieties of men."

"Perpetual devotion to what man calls his business, is only to be sustained by perpetual neglect of many other things."

"There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy."

Robert Louis Stevenson
First published in the Cornhill Magazine, July 1877. Included in Virginibus Puerisque, 1881.

little trips

I am planning my summer weekend trips,
Luxembourg, Antwerp, Prato, and the west of France to two little knitwear factories. And maybe Switzerland (Zurich? Lausanne?).

So I have been looking at train tickets, and also at itineraries.
In Luxembourg I know I want to see the MUDAM (modern art museum) for the John Stezaker and Mac Adams Exhibits. And then see a couple of shops, I hope. But basically discover this amazing little place.
Here is a one day NYTimes itinerary
So I basically want to make sure that I make the most of it. You know?

But train tickets also gave me the idea that I could rent a car and do Antwerp, Luxembourg, and Metz (to see the new Centre Pompidou branch) all in one efficient go. And see the country side.

I need to buy a video camera. And an SLR.
Oh man.

Crazy Horse

This memorial was started in 1948. today in 2011 we see the beautiful completed face of the Lakota chief, completed in 1998, and the beginning of the arm and horses' head (sketched in white on the mountain). My brother and I are hoping to be able to go back in our lifetime to see it completed.
To imagine the scale: The tunnel under the arm on the mountain can fit a ten story building. The horses' ear will measure over 40 feet. Crazy Horse's Head is 87 1/2 feet tall.
The Black Hills of South Dakota are sacred to the Lakota people. This memorial is really magical, and the museum tells their story through their art, their chiefs, and their artifacts and tools.
The site is 20 miles from Mount Rushmore, right near the town of Custer (Amazing), and about 30 miles from Rapid City. Photo via OSU
More soon with the pictures I took...

western...thoughts on a day

Today I drove to Aspen with my mom from her house in the valley near the divide... doesn't that just sound like somewhere you want to go?
We had views of Snowmass ski mountain, and then Buttermilk as we approached the town. And the weather changed constantly during the 20 minute drive. It had been so since the morning, or even yesterday evening.
This morning it was snowing when I woke up, the ground and sky where white. Half an hour later the snow had turned to rain and in a matter of half a minute the green grass was all around again- no snow to be seen except on the mountains surrounding the valley, barely visible through the misty clouds.
By the time I had tried to go for a run with daisy, our amazing black lab, and been turned around by the freezing rain that was starting to fall again right where the road goes from paved to dirt, I had conceded to the fact that we were having a volatile weather day. And decided just to go with it.
Leaving Aspen, we walked back to the car five minutes away under balls of hail that decorated my hair and scarf like giant seed-beads embroidered all over me. It was amazing, I love the snow and it felt so perfect on this day for whatever reason. I got behind the wheel on our way to the monastery to pick up some of the monk's beautiful handmade cards for my grandmother. The pressed flower cards were to be purchased with the ten dollars my mom found in her pocket during the hail storm. The light was coming down behind the rain clouds above us and shone down on the mountains about three miles away. Like a stairway to heaven.
Back home my mom took out the loaf of lemon poppy seed bread (for me) and but in a loaf of banana bread (for my brother) while he and I decided to re-route our drive back to Chicago to pass by Mount Rushmore. We will add about six hours to our trip, but broaden our horizons and share a really great adventure.
And then make it back to Chicago to meet up with my dad and sister to see game three of the Eastern Conference finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat. This is now life with my family. I am a lucky girl. And I can't wait to watch the game which totally inspires me...These men who can make such amazing moments happen out of nothing but a ball a net and some air.

western..some new images to come

style dot com story here

and more images in the way from Pendleton mills based in Portland, OR

cool new art discoveries

beth hoeckel

http://acidolatte.blogspot.com/2009/06/valerie-hegarty.html

early fashion shows

http://www.life.com/gallery/32602/fashion-runways-the-early-days#index/0

and stars in the great outdoors
http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/a-look-back-at-3-under-appreciated-style-icons-for-details-magazine/

An Almost Goodbye

Ikram's 873 N Rush street store has already started to be called the 'old' location.



So nostalgic, I walk by these doors where I learned all about passion and quality and service and packaging and how all of those things manifest themselves in things tangible and intangible.

view from 32000 Feet






Newfoundland and Labrador coming west from over the Labrador Sea
Somewhere near Torngat Mountains National Park