SEX (now that I've got your attention)

At the risk of my blog beginning to resemble the NY Times Obituary column, I feel compelled to pay tribute to David Rakoff and Helen Gurley Brown, both of whom shined a spotlights on Sex - Sex and the Single Girl and Sex and the Single Gay Guy.

I will truly miss hearing David's very droll voice on Saturday mornings on This American Life.  His observations and word-smithing were unparalleled and never failed to make me LOL.  His recently aired story that combined the dilemma of Kafka's Gregor Samsa changing into a cock roach in the Metamophosis with medical advise from Dr. Seuss was nothing short of brilliant.



You can listen to him here:  http://www.thisamericanlife.org/blog/2012/08/our-friend-david-rakoff

And where would we single girls be without Helen Gurley Brown?  Cosmo taught me everything!  When she died she was 90 and still working - and workin' "it."  She will always be an inspiration!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/business/media/helen-gurley-brown-who-gave-cosmopolitan-its-purr-is-dead-at-90.html?ref=obituaries

Ai WeiWei: Never Sorry

One voice against a nation. What would you do for your generation, for your country, for humanity,
for art?  Don't miss this documentary about an amazing and inspirational man.

Learn more about him and the movie here:
http://aiweiweineversorry.com/index.html

Seeing "Red"

After several years, Jonathan Logan's "Red" has finally made it's way to Los Angeles and we are lucky enough to have Alfred Molina and Jonathan Groff in their original roles as Mark Rothko and his estute, studio assistant, Ken. This Cranky Gallery Girl can't rave enough about this fantastic production. The writing, acting and staging are all stellar, well worthy of all the accolades and awards it has received in London and on Broadway.

Set in Rothko's studio, the play sets out to raise questions about art history, the art market, collectors and most importantly what we expect from a painting, and what is the role of the viewer? With what has been going on in Los Angeles in recent times, these questions are as relevant today as when Rothko was wrestling with them in the mid 1950s.  The dialogue between these two characters lingered with me like,well... a beautiful (did I just use that word) Rothko painting.

You can read the LA Times rave here: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-0814-red-review-20120814,0,2581031.story

One Shocking Sensation

I woke up this morning to the news that both  Marvin Hamlish and Robert Hughes had died.  The loss of these two men, who contributed so much to culture and art are gone and it was quite a blow...especially with "art of the disco" curated by James Franco looming on the horizon.

"A Chorus Line" opened on Broadway in 1975 and I took my first trip to New York in 1976.  I had been pre-destined to a life of dance since I was 4 but seeing "A Chorus Line" made me realize that a career of real life dancing wasn't going to be Mrs. Pettit's dance class for girls.  Still I loved it, I LOVED IT!!! I loved the Bob Fosse choreography and I LOVED that music, Marvin Hamlish's music.  I wore out the record - twice!  And when we all switched to CDs, I bought that music for a third time. Still to this day I can't forget, won't regret what I did for LOVE...go ahead..put it on full blast in your car and SING and tip your top hat to Marvin Hamlish!

By 1980 when "The Shock of the New" aired on PBS, I had re-directed my sights to art.  Art encompassed not just beautiful objects but history, politics, religion and the world.  I fell for Robert Hughes hook, line and sinker.  The way he expressed himself, taking no prisoners, not apologizing for his often controversial opinions and being just a little bit rough around the edges with his Aussie accent made him my Hemingway. He will always be the greatest art critic to me.

If you are are curious to read more about Robert Hughes click here: 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/aug/07/robert-hughes-greatest-art-critic?intcmp=239

Or watch clips of Hughes take on the Meaning of Art, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and the art market in general, click here:

http://galleristny.com/2012/08/robert-hughes-visits-alberto-mugrabi-and-other-adventures-in-art-criticism/