03 February 2013
02 February 2013
Hearing God in a Purple Tunic (Vieux Farka Toure at Royce Hall)
I heard god last night and he was black, bald and wearing a purple tunic.
Considering the situation in Mali at the moment, I should probably leave god out of it but there is no other way to express the transcendence of the music I heard last night. They don't call Vieux Farka Toure "the Hendrix of the Sahara" for nothing. While he doesn't exactly sound like Hendrix, his mastery of the guitar certainly would rival Jimi. Hearing Vieux for the first time last night at Royce Hall was an experience I will remember forever, probably the same way people felt about seeing Hendrix in Monterey. All I can really say is that his playing defies description and was a magical experience. Of an equal surprise was the percussion of Tim Keiper. Seeing this red-headed boy play the calabash as he did and later a more traditional drum kit was mesmerizing. I can't recall ever being so entranced with a drummer. You could see the communication between him and Vieux and the audience was helpless but to hang on for the ride. It was an incredible evening. And a powerful reminder of the rich and beautiful gifts that come from Mali. They need our help and support as much as we need them. Viva Mali! Viva Vieux!
And for a bonus treat, check out the United Voices for Mali:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-54hp2ytmI
Considering the situation in Mali at the moment, I should probably leave god out of it but there is no other way to express the transcendence of the music I heard last night. They don't call Vieux Farka Toure "the Hendrix of the Sahara" for nothing. While he doesn't exactly sound like Hendrix, his mastery of the guitar certainly would rival Jimi. Hearing Vieux for the first time last night at Royce Hall was an experience I will remember forever, probably the same way people felt about seeing Hendrix in Monterey. All I can really say is that his playing defies description and was a magical experience. Of an equal surprise was the percussion of Tim Keiper. Seeing this red-headed boy play the calabash as he did and later a more traditional drum kit was mesmerizing. I can't recall ever being so entranced with a drummer. You could see the communication between him and Vieux and the audience was helpless but to hang on for the ride. It was an incredible evening. And a powerful reminder of the rich and beautiful gifts that come from Mali. They need our help and support as much as we need them. Viva Mali! Viva Vieux!
And for a bonus treat, check out the United Voices for Mali:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-54hp2ytmI
25 January 2013
Jack Pierson at Regen Projects
I finally got around to seeing the new gallery space of Regen Projects. Jack Pierson's latest installation was a dramatic, haunting and a brilliant use of the space. And then there was "Motherfucker." Got to love it! Bravo all around!
18 January 2013
Walter de Maria, The 2000 Sculpture at LACMA
Visited this monumental work by Walter de Maria at LACMA and it did not disappoint!
A pioneering figure in the development of minimal, conceptual, land art, and installation art, Walter De Maria has made minimalist horizontal sculptures that occupy entire rooms since 1969. Measuring 10 x 50 meters (approximately 33 x 164 feet), The 2000 Sculpture was first exhibited at the Kunsthaus Zurich in 1992. It is one of a series of works by De Maria featuring groupings of ordered elements using precise measurements, among them: The Lightning Field (1977), The Broken Kilometer (1979), and 360° I Ching (1981). In 2010, LACMA installed the sculpture in the Resnick Pavilion, prior to the building's official opening, in order to take advantage of the play of light and vast open space of Renzo Piano's gallery building before the interior walls were installed. The initial installation of The 2000 Sculpture in the Resnick Pavilion represented an ideal relationship between sculpture and architecture. The current presentation is the first official public exhibition of The 2000 Sculpture at LACMA, and only the second solo museum exhibition of De Maria's work in the United States.
A pioneering figure in the development of minimal, conceptual, land art, and installation art, Walter De Maria has made minimalist horizontal sculptures that occupy entire rooms since 1969. Measuring 10 x 50 meters (approximately 33 x 164 feet), The 2000 Sculpture was first exhibited at the Kunsthaus Zurich in 1992. It is one of a series of works by De Maria featuring groupings of ordered elements using precise measurements, among them: The Lightning Field (1977), The Broken Kilometer (1979), and 360° I Ching (1981). In 2010, LACMA installed the sculpture in the Resnick Pavilion, prior to the building's official opening, in order to take advantage of the play of light and vast open space of Renzo Piano's gallery building before the interior walls were installed. The initial installation of The 2000 Sculpture in the Resnick Pavilion represented an ideal relationship between sculpture and architecture. The current presentation is the first official public exhibition of The 2000 Sculpture at LACMA, and only the second solo museum exhibition of De Maria's work in the United States.
15 December 2012
Holiday Wishes
May You Experience All the Joys of the Season.
(photo by Kelly Nicolaisen "Snow Angel")
14 August 2012
SEX (now that I've got your attention)
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
12 August 2012
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
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