Artist Karen Rempel at Shadow Play exhibit opening reception at Revelation Gallery. Photo by Dusty Berke.
What is the difference between the substance and its shape? Is it an absence of light, a reflection of light? The shadow seems to reveal new potentials for the object. New possibilities, alternate realities. A hint of magic, hidden within the ordinary.
The Heart Sutra in Buddhism includes the statement “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.” A shadow is empty, yet it has form. Perhaps a single shadow or pixel is a doorway into experiencing deep universal truths. What happens when you blow up a pixel? What is inside it?
The tiny images invite the viewer to step close and immerse in the feeling-world of the different possible manifestations of the form.
The creation of this series was a playful act, form arising spontaneously from emptiness, yet never really existing. The shifting colour tones and emphases on different elements of the image evoke different moods, from somber to playful to compelling. From light and shadow waves to eye, electrons, neural circuits, to pixels and bytes to dots of ink on paper, the final result is a tiny form, reflecting the inconsequential temporariness and changing insubstantiality of a shadow on a living-room wall.
about the artwork
Shadow Play is a series of 14 miniatures exploring the connections between shadow, familiar forms, color, and emotion. The series was first exhibited at the Havana Art Gallery in Vancouver, BC. The second phase of the art project took stillness into motion, adding a multiplicity of personal responses to the art, and resulted in a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xC4AK5GMYw). The third phase of the project brings synesthesia to the experience, adding taste pairings and the music dimension of original compositions in response to the art. The fourth phase of the project is you!
Alexandra Kargin, George Sanders, Karen Rempel, Shawn Curran, Jeffrey Reid, and Tinka Harvard at the opening reception of Shadow Play at Revelation Gallery. Photo by Dusty Berke.
synesthesia
Synesthesia is an interplay of the five senses. Music can evoke color, or a color might conjure flavor. Some synesthetes experience an intermingling of the five senses with letters of the alphabet, numbers, words, days of the week, and time itself. In this exhibit, the chosen flavors are mostly sweet, evoking the love essence in the heart center.
sally’s whipped cream
Whipped cream was popular in the 16th century in England and Europe, and was first prepared by whipping cream with willow or rush branches. It is often sweetened with sugar. Whipped cream (crème fouettée) was first mentioned in the 1820 edition of Viard’s Cuisinier Impérial. Sally’s whipped cream is a secret recipe developed in the mid-1900’s and invokes the flavor of New York cheesecake.
about the artist
Karen Rempel began taking pictures in her teens and first published her photography in 2000. When she sees the magic, weirdness, and beauty in simple moments, she is inspired to share the wonder with others. She captures images and expresses her vision through digital photography and art, video blogs, and photojournalism. She is also an award-winning writer, and has written and published in many genres. She has a monthly column, “Karen’s Quirky Style,” in WestView News, the Voice of the West Village. View her work here and watch her “Another New York Love Affair – Audio Meditations” art project on YouTube.
review
Canine Cali reviewed the exhibit for WestView News. She gave the show 3 very enthusiastic puppy paws. Woof!
see the art, hear the music
Visit the exhibit at Revelation Gallery until March 28. Gallery hours: Mon-Wed, 10 AM-3 PM, Thursdays 1 PM-3 PM. 224 Waverly Place (at 7th Avenue and West 11th Street).
Hear the AEON Ensemble perform at the gallery on Thursday, March 12, 7 PM. The AEON Ensemble commences its monthly synesthetic concert series with works by Hildegard von Bingen, Meredith Monk, David Lang, and music inspired by the Shadow Play artwork. The artist Karen Rempel will be reading a poem about Shadow Play during the performance. Get tickets.
get social
Please share your photos on Instagram:
@stjvny
@karensquirkystyle
#revelationgallery
@hannahreimannmusic
@aeonensemble
When you visit, the artist would love to meet you there and get a photo of you with your favorite piece. Text Karen at 347-362-5677.
As I mentioned in my January post, my art exhibit is opening at the Revelation Gallery, at St. John’s in the Village, on March 3. Fr. Graeme Napier had the brilliant idea of bringing a synesthesia component to the opening reception by inviting musicians to perform 1-minute compositions for each of the 14 works of art. I love this idea! I often see color when I listen to jazz music, and I think it will be wonderful to enhance the experience of the artwork by adding the element of music.
Magical Musicians
Quite magically, musicians appeared and volunteered to perform for free, anchored by my dear friend and beautiful singer-pianist-composer, Hannah Reimann. What had seemed like an unimaginable leap into a new realm of artistic expression happened almost effortlessly, thanks to Hannah’s generous offering of her time and connections. I lined up musicians for each piece, and then made arrangements to rent a projector so I could display a large form of the miniature artwork on the wall behind the piano for people to see while the musicians played.
How Does It Taste?
This got me thinking about the other senses—taste, smell, and touch. I wasn’t sure I’d have enough time to make arrangements for everything by March 3, but it seemed like everything was coming together beautifully, including printing a new piece to include in the exhibit, “Bruce’s Handbag”! (See the January post.)
So I looked at the list of artwork I had prepared for the musicians, and began sensing into the flavors of each piece. I came up with some ideas of what the images evoked, and then began phoning around the neighborhood to source the food and drink. Of course I had to cover the basics as well—wine and cheese, water! After assigning those to the appropriate pieces, there was room to really play. This is the result:
longing
Hannah piano
Banana pudding
night
Steve piano
Licorice allsorts
paris
Steve
Cheese!
mindfuck
Aeon harp & percussion
Red wine
psyche
Aeon 3 voices
Electric Kool-Aid
1820
Hannah
Whipped cream
moonscape
Hannah
Silver star candies
clarity
Steve
Water
rain
Steve
Rootbeer
bliss
Aeon 3 voices + strings
Jelly bellies
nostalgia
Hannah & Steve duet
Blueberry port
oddity
Steve
Colored marshmallows
fade
Hannah
White wine
l’ouevre
Hannah
Crème brûlée mini cupcakes
I hope you’ll be able to make it to the opening to hear, taste, and see for yourself.
P.S. There will be surprising opportunities for the senses of touch and smell, as well!
The music consists of 14 one-minute original compositions inspired by the Shadow Play artwork series. The music performance will begin at 8 PM.
About the Artwork
Shadow Play is a series of 14 miniatures exploring the connections between shadow, familiar forms, color, and emotion. The series was first exhibited at the Havana Art Gallery in Vancouver, BC. The second phase of the art project took stillness into motion, adding a multiplicity of personal responses to the art, and resulted in this video. The third phase of the project brings the music dimension of 14 original compositions in response to the art. The fourth phase of the project is you!
Consent to Be Photographed
The event will be photographed and filmed. By attending you grant permission for your photograph to be used in the fourth iteration of the art project.
Further Contemplation
What is the difference between substance and its shape? Is it an absence of light, a reflection of light? The shadow seems to reveal new potentials for the object. New possibilities, alternate realities. A hint of magic, hidden within the ordinary.
The Heart Sutra in Buddhism includes the statement “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.” A shadow is empty, yet it has form. Perhaps a single shadow is a doorway into understanding deep universal truths.
Yet the creation of this series was a playful act, form arising spontaneously from emptiness, yet never really existing. From light and shadow waves to eye, electrons, neural circuits, to pixels and bytes to dots of ink on paper, the final result is a tiny form, reflecting the inconsequential temporariness and changing insubstantiality of a shadow on a living-room wall.
Exhibition Dates
The artwork will be on display in the Revelation Gallery from March 3 to 28. Gallery hours are:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 10 AM to 3 PM
About the Performers
An exciting lineup of talented musicians will be performing original compositions and improvisations in response to each piece of art. Each performance will be one minute long.
Three time Emmy-nominated Steve Sandberg, piano virtuoso and composer
The electrifying Aeon Ensemble, an NYC-based collective specializing in contemporary concert music; the Aeon Ensemble will also be performing a synaesthetic concert in response to the artwork on March 12 at 7 PM
2019 Goal List and my modelling comp card. Dusty Berke took the two photos on the right—my two absolute favorites of the year. Red pants photo by Morgen Purcell. Leopard photo by Zoë Pappis Schultz.
I just read an interesting article about creative geniuses. The key to great ideas like Edison’s light bulb, sublime music like Beethoven’s “odd-numbered” symphonies, and influential plays like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is to be continuously working and creating. Not all ideas are good ideas, and not all works will bear fruit. But the people who have reached the pinnacle of success have been driven to create (in enormous quantity), for better or worse, and haven’t been afraid to fail.
As I look over the past year and my successes and failures, I am cheered by this perspective.
I worked at my “day job,” technical writing, for the first quarter of 2019, and then was lucky enough to spend the remainder of the year pursuing various interests and creative projects. I tried a lot of new things, and was generally happy with the results. Even when I may have failed (to live up to my idea of what I should achieve), I am still glad I gave it a try.
At the beginning of the year, I wrote down my goals for 2019 on a small piece of notepaper that I kept by my computer all year long. Every now and then I whited out some bits and added new items or details. I also took great joy in noting my progress on the goals and putting a checkmark beside the ones I accomplished.
Modeling
Modeling was the first item on my list. Although I didn’t have an agent, I had quite a successful first year as a model:
A monthly style column, Karen’s Quirky Style, in West Village’s beloved WestView News, with my picture appearing every month
A print ad for a local healthy juice restaurant, Juice & Joy
Related video and sandwich board ads
2 photo shoots for glossy fashion magazines: The Face and Vogue — both amazing experiences!
2 photo shoots for clothing designers, for use on social media: New York’s Engineered by Andrea T, and London’s sustainable swimwear designer Elliss Clothing (photographed by the fantastic Rosie Marks)
1 runway gig at the United Nations
3 photos of me were on exhibit in an art show at the prestigious Salmagundi Club, and one of them won an award
My friend Dusty Berke from WestView took this great photo, which won an award at the Salmagundi Art Club. Definitely one of my fave moments of the year, doing this shoot with Dusty.
I didn’t earn a wack of dough, but most of these gigs paid a bit, so I was actually paid for working as a model.
National Arts Club Membership
I fell in love with the National Arts Club (NAC) last year, when we had our graduation dinner there for the United Nations Association New York’s (UNA-NY) Worldview Institute leadership training program. I started attending their FashionSpeak Friday events, and set a goal of becoming a member. I put quite a bit of attention into creating a resume and application worthy of this institution, and with the help of two wonderful sponsors, Francis Dubois and Phillip Edward Spradley, I became a member on May 28, 2019!
Linda Zagaria, president of the National Arts Club. I wrote a story about Linda for WestView and Karen’s Quirky Style.
What a thrill. I attended a gala there honoring the best-selling and much beloved author John Irving. (I also attended a UNA-NY gala honoring those who have worked to end human trafficking. I was blown away by the enormity of this problem when I researched this subject for a story for WestView News.)
Ann Nicol, Executive Director of UNA-NY, and me, at the gala at Essex House on Central Park South. Gorgeous designer dress loaned by my friend Andrea, owner, designer, and creator of Engineered by Andrea T!
Photojournalist for WestView News
My byline is on the cover of WestView News!
This was not on my to-do list at the beginning of 2019, but WestView News became an enormous part of my life this past year. I researched and wrote more than 40 stories for them (which would make the State of California deem me an employee—one of the 2019 larger news stories that made all freelance journalists shiver). One of my stories was even a cover story! Thank you, George, publisher and dear friend. It was fascinating to interview people and write about them, and made me feel a happy part of the West Village community.
But more than that, I became friends with many people at the paper and feel like I’ve found another family here in New York. This has been a tremendous blessing in my life. I feel so lucky to contribute to one of the last remaining local Village papers in New York. (You may recall that the Village Voice closed in August 2018. Lincoln Anderson was fired from the Villager in October 2019, heralding a new era of schlock.)
Photography Course & Video Series
As I mentioned previously in a story about taking my friend’s portrait, I started an online Master Class with wizard Annie Leibovitz in the fall of 2018, and it was on my to-do list to finish the course in 2019. Aargh! Failure! I still have about 7 lessons left to do, and my membership expired.
Summer Piano in Washington Square Park was on exhibit at the Salmagundi Club!
But on the plus side, the course has been a huge inspiration, and I have had a few great impacts from the course:
My work was exhibited at the Salmagundi Club. (Picture shown above.) I learned about professional photo retouchers, printing, mounting, and framing. I was very happy with the result hanging on the wall.
I accompanied almost every published article for WestView with my own photos.
I did another class through the site, taught by Anna Wintour, and it was very inspiring. Main takeaway—be inspired by life around you. Hello, New York!
I also took a workshop on video storytelling through the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.
And Wow! I did 13 videos for YouTube in 2019. My goal was to do one a month to add to my New York Love Affair video art project, but I always feel like I’m neglecting my pet project. I guess I didn’t do too badly.
This was a very fruitful, creative part of my life and yet I feel like it is a demon, always chasing me to do more! I went through about 10,000 photos (from New York only) to find appropriate images to enter in the Greenwich Village exhibit at the Salmagundi Club. Of those, I entered six, and one was chosen. And didn’t sell. So I feel this tremendous urge to produce, but I don’t feel that I have succeeded fully. Partially, yes. It was a great honor to have my work accepted in the exhibit. (It was an item I added to the list partway through the year, when I received an email about it from Village Preservation.)
However, in March I have a solo exhibit for Shadow Play, phase four. We’ll see what happens there! (More details on that later.)
Shoebook.me
Failure! Or I’m not sure what to call it. This was a genius idea I had for social networking for shoes, Christmas Day, a week before I moved to New York. People like the idea, and I’ve got the domain name, built the site once and took it down, started again, and then abandoned it. I guess I am pulled in other directions. Perhaps I’ve lost my enthusiasm for shoes? [Moment to ponder additions to my shoe collection this year. Hmmm.]
My 75% successful shoe acquisitions in 2019
Honestly, I needed all of these shoes. Well, most of them…
Rubber boots to wear when I clean the shower with CLR
Two cool pairs of sneaks to wear while travelling in Scotland, London, and Paris
Wingtip brogues were actually a re-do; I stripped and painted these 70s-style platform boots for my David Bowie tribute performance at the NAC
Black flip-flops replaced an old pair, and I wear them all the time for doing errands around my building
Rainbow flipflops – cute mistake
Silver Margaux flats – just a mistake; I thought I could eventually like them, but it never happened. And I didn’t get any ad revenue from them, either! Moral of this story: never buy ugly shoes, even if you think they will be comfortable.
But I guess I have been following too many alluring tracks this past year to sit down and focus on shoebook.me. Maybe in 2020! I’m not putting it on the list, so don’t hold your breath.
Dance Parade
Yup! This was a lot of fun. I set the goal of participating, and couldn’t find anyone to go with me, so I joined another group and had an amazing time.
My butterfly costume for the Dance Parade. I danced with the exuberant, colorful, kinky House of Yes, a “performance fuelled” dance club in Brooklyn.
In addition, I’ve continued to study ballet at the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet School, and I took a couple of classes at Lincoln Center, taught by dancers from the New York City Ballet. What an amazing opportunity. Plus, of course, classes at Barre3 five times a week. When I had to stop running in 2018, I was worried about losing my figure, and also my sanity. I’ve managed to retain the former through Barre3, and found another family there as well. As for the latter, it might be highly over-rated!
New York Love Affair Website
This is another partial success. I had the domain name loveaffair.nyc for quite some time. When I first created the 20-minute video of excerpts from my New York Love Affair series for the Vancouver International Film Festival, I created the site to support the video series. But I never kept it up, so this year I folded it into this very website that you are looking at now.
My wild New York view from my favorite reading chair. Ah, autumn in New York!
I rebranded this site Wild Visions: Love Affair NYC. I didn’t want to lose the tremendous SEO I’ve achieved with the bcwildernessvisions URL, so I’ve kept it, and I point loveaffair.nyc to this site. I also revamped the graphic design a bit, and added an email sign-up option. Go ahead, sign up!
You won’t be inundated, as this is simply a monthly blog. If you want to dip into my New York doings from time to time, this is the place.
Total Blog Entries in 2019
I mentioned above that I wrote over 40 stories for WestView News in 2019. I also wrote lots of blog entries:
I would have to count this as a rousing success! Almost 50 blog entries. This is probably what gives me the most satisfaction of everything I do. But wait… Every time I sing I feel a mix of euphoria and angst (wishing I was better). And there’s nothing like the feeling of dancing freely to music that moves me…
This year I’ve continually asked myself the question what am I meant to do? What is calling my heart?
I’ve sung, danced, modeled, written, photographed, created videos, and in general explored my artistic passions to the fullest of my capacity within a given year. I love all of these activities. I guess there is no single answer to what satisfies the heart. Except, perhaps, a singular mystical answer about abiding in the mystery. So they say!
Friends and Family
Friends in wigs on Christmas Eve: me, Shawn, George, Dorothy, and Dorothy’s neighbor
The recap of the year wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the amazing richness I have in my life, of friendships and wonderful times with my family. My cousins Irma and Julie and Stephan visited New York and we saw many amazing special corners of New York. My Mom and I went to Arizona with my dear friends Sally and Bill, and I also went on trips with Deborah (Scotland) and Rosanna (Switzerland), plus dipped into London, Manchester, Paris, and Big Sur. Wow. Some friendships may have ended last year, but many wonderful new friendships have begun, and I am very grateful for the ongoing friendships with people in BC, New York, and around the world. Thanks especially to all the friends who came to hear my Bowie performance. That meant so much to me.
The focus of this entry was on creative flow, so I didn’t touch on everything I did this year, but of course there were also many fantastic cultural events and lots of fun time with friends. All of this gladdens my heart and brings more inspiration in a reinforcing cycle of creativity.
Where’s the Money?
You might have noticed that in the upper left corner of my notepaper list for 2019, I had written a high number. I didn’t earn anywhere close to that. Not even a quarter of it! True, I only worked at my day job for one quarter of the year. I had hoped that some of these various endeavors might have led to a new income stream. Not yet!
But I have always looked to my technical writing career to pay the bills. I didn’t want to put any strain on the creative stream to have to be successful. That way the creative expression can be pure joy and love. My art doesn’t have to suit other people. I don’t have to convince anyone of its merit. It’s 90% creative flow for its own sake, as an unstoppable source emerging from my being. But there’s still that 10% that hopes someone will like it!
I guess in that sense, it has been a successful year. I hope yours was too. Thanks for reading. And all the best to you in 2020. There is much possibility for hope and positive change in the new decade.
When I sold my 160-acre ranch in British Columbia, I thought I would never see Starshine Valley again. But my new friends (new at the time—now they are old friends!), Gary and Val, invited me to house-sit for them while they went on a long trip to Scotland. My art project Warhol in the Forest was born as a fun surprise for their return.
I subsequently wrote about my love of the Campbell’s Soup can, and keep coming back to this theme. The idea of bringing the Warhol project to New York’s Central Park has been simmering in the pot of my brain for a few years now.
Finally, this past Sunday, it was time. It turned out to be a special day, as you will see. Here is the result, my newest art project, “Warhol in the Park.” The original project entailed 28 images—the number of cans of Campbell’s Soup in Val and Garry’s cupboard. This time I’ve upped it to a nice round 30.
Our heroine humbly begins her journey here, on the shelf at CVS. The price in Vancouver in 1999 was $1.19 to $1.69.
Oh boy, the park! First a bite to eat. I was sitting on that shelf a long time.
Now a drink of water.
Aw, such cute friends. They gave me a good sniff, and now they’re ignoring me.
Good view from up here.
Transported to Paris.
I wonder if the park will ever have the budget for repainting.
WWI Mayor Mitchel, this is a beautiful, if unexpected, memorial.
Jigsaw puzzle perfect.
Ah, resting in a gnarly bole.
Hey, looking good! Well thank you, Mayor of Central Park.
What’s going on over there?
It’s the New York Marathon!
Protectors of the realm.
While the cat’s away…
No wait, there’s someone in there. Oops.
On the grid.
This is just so unexpected. An ancient urn with a bull in the forest.
A spaceship? No, it’s the Guggenheim.
Sun is setting in the park.
To the rescue.
I feel like I’ve been running forever. But it’s only 1.5 miles. Or is that 3.08? What the heck does this mean?
Ghostly night runners probably know what it means.
Art inside and out. The Seated II, bronze statue by Kenyan artist Wangechi Mutu.
Where did everybody go?
Warhol Splash
Time for a splash. OK, I’m done. Taxi!
Home James, on the M2 down Fifth Avenue.
Thank you for joining us on our day in the park. This 121-year-old can is good until July 18, 2021. She’s going to have some more adventures before the casserole.
I was honored to be granted membership to the National Arts Club in May, and this has opened up many new opportunities for friendship and creativity. One surprising outcome was the subject of this blog entry. I was chatting with another member in May, and we happened to talk about how we both like dressing as David Bowie occasionally. As you may recall, I have been at a few stellar events dressed as Bowie! The Orpheum Theater and the New York Marathon, as well as the Halloween Parade and the Pride Parade.
NYC Pride Parade 2019. Ziggy with the NYPD.
How it all began
My fellow NAC member, the painter David Krueger, mentioned that there would be a talent show for new members, and we decided to do a Bowie duet at the show. I started taking singing lessons, picking up on the singing dream I’d long held dear but abandoned in my twenties, when it was clear I was a better writer than a singer. Nonetheless, it felt great to be singing again, and I found a fantastically skilled, supportive teacher in Hannah Reimann, close by in the West Village.
I began to learn a few Bowie songs, and wanted to sing Life on Mars for the performance since I already had the blue suit. David liked the song too, but decided not to join me onstage after all. So I proceeded on my own. But this never would have happened without him, and for that I am eternally grateful!
Life on Mars
Little did I know that Life on Mars is a very challenging song for someone like me (an untrained newbie) to sing, partly because of the chord changes, and partly because of the speed of the lines in the chorus. There is very little chance to pause and reshape my mouth and throat for the high notes. It takes muscle memory and skill to make quick transitions, which I haven’t developed yet. I honestly had no idea that it would be so challenging to learn to sing just one song. I thought 4 months would be plenty of time. Easy peasy! haha
It also takes a long time to learn to consistently control the voice. Though I could get the notes just right in rehearsal, this doesn’t translate into glorious singing under the pressure of a live performance! Another aspect that was hard for me to learn was to really project my voice out to the audience. Like most people, I normally sing alone at home (or in the car), and what I am listening to is the sound of my voice inside my head. Where it really sounds great—powerful, tuneful, resonant! Hannah kept instructing me to imagine the sound reaching an audience in the distance, but when I sang louder it didn’t sound right inside my head.
The day of the show
On the day of the performance, I over-rehearsed in the morning. A rookie mistake! Hannah had very generously agreed to be my pianist for the performance, and even found a Mick Ronson-like glam outfit to wear. She and I had a short warm-up and rehearsal at the Club right before I went on. I realized to my dismay that my vocal chords were strained and sounded weak. Achhh. (German sound of disapproval and disgust.) As Hannah and I walked through the hallways and galleries and up the stairs to the main parlor, I was literally shaking. Total fight-or-flight response mode! Not a good thing for the vocal chords, as I am sure they were as tense as piano wire.
Taking the stage (the carpet, really)
Luckily, a number of dear friends were in the audience to support my debut, and their smiling faces helped me find the courage to sing the first notes. I had planned some simple choreography as well, and my costume was the Nazz. So I just jumped in and did it, and made it through to the end.
I felt a weird combination of conflicting feelings and sensations all happening at once. I felt afraid. I was exhilarated. I could feel the nerves thrumming along the skin of my arms, and I was remembering when to switch the mic from one hand to the other. I was recalling Hannah’s instructions on lifting the soft palate in preparation for “Mars.” I felt humiliated when some of the notes were wrong. I was looking at the audience (some of the time) to see how they were responding, and seeing a mixture of enjoyment and boredom. And I loved being there and performing. LOVED IT!!
This subset of the audience is Fellini-esque…
What I learned
It was a great learning to watch and listen to the recording of the performance (see below). I realized what Hannah had been telling me all along. I need to reach out and connect with the audience, overcoming my shyness about singing. This is something I’ve read that Bowie also had to do, early in his career. He wanted to write songs and create music, not go on stage, but he ended up singing in front of an audience (and becoming a legendary performer) because other people weren’t playing his music.
And of course I also learned that it will take many years of perseverance to learn to sing well. Who knows if I will ever make it in this lifetime!
But I continue to be inspired by David Bowie—the most lovable, creative genius earthling—and will keep learning and hopefully improving as time goes on. I am working on letting more of a powerful sound come forth. Stay tuned for my next performance!
For your viewing pleasure
I created three versions of the video of my singing debut, for audiences on different platforms and with different levels of interest in watching me sing. Really, one minute is all I feel I can ask of anyone who is not a member of my family!
Video footage recorded by Andrea Thurlow and Dusty Berke.
Square for Instagram
This one is under 1 minute (timed for an Instagram feed), and square to display well in Instagram.
Short YouTube Version Captures Highlights
This is the length for my Another New York Love Affair art project, where each video is usually under two minutes. It captures the feel of the event, with behind-the-scenes warm-up and a flash on the audience at the beginning.
Full Length
This is the full length of the song. It’s my singing debut, and my Mom might want to see the whole thing!
The Met has an exhibit called Camp: Notes on Fashion. This year’s Met Gala celebrated the exhibit, which is part of The Costume Institute at the Met. The exhibit examines how the elements of irony, humor, parody, pastiche, artifice, theatricality, and exaggeration are expressed in fashion. Not to mention food!
Here are some of my favorite pieces from the exhibit.
I would love to wear one of these gorgeous gowns to the next gala at the National Arts Club! An inspired pairing…
Spanish designer Cristoba Balenciaga evening dress (1951), black silk velvet and pink silk taffeta. French designer Thierry Mugler “Venus” ensemble (1995-96 haute couture), bodysuit of beige synthetic powernet embroidered with clear paillettes and pearl beads; dress of black silk velvet and pink silk satin with pink and blue silk satin roses.
Here’s a variation on wearing the lampshade on your head. There’s so much going on here, the mind boggles. David Hockney swimming pool, suit of armor, art deco shapes, wetsuit zipper. And so cute!
British designer Mary Kathantzou ensemble, 2011. Top of polychrome printed cotton-synthetic crepe; skirt of polychrome printed synthetic satin and white synthetic velvet trimmed with clear crystals.When you think Bob Mackie, you must think Cher! This 2008 dress is nude synthetic tulle embroidered with iridescent crystals, clear seed beads, and clear paillettes; headpiece of white silk organza and white felt embroidered with polychrome crystals and iridescent paillettes.Wild and Lethal Trash ensemble (1996); jacket of yellow PVC, bodysuit of purple synthetic spandex knot. French designer Jean Paul Gaultier dress (1995-6) of synthetic plain weave.This is making me hungry. According to Andrew Rose, camp is the “inherent funniness of leftovers.” The Italian design House of Moschino (Jeremy Scott) “TV Dinner” ensemble (2019-20). Cape of jute plain weave, polychrome foam, and silver spandex knit; romper of green synthetic plain weave embroidered with green paillettes.“The Souper” dress, à la Andy Warhol, 1966-67. You know how much I love the Campbell’s Soup theme!
A triptych of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, 1914-1926. Altogether he painted about 250 pictures of water lilies in the series.
MOMA is closed for four months for a major $450 million renovation. The reno will add 40,000 square feet and improve traffic flow. The good news is the museum will be able to display more pieces from its permanent collection.
The museum will reopen on October 21.
I went on the last day before the closure, June 16, in a pre-emptive move against MOMA withdrawal. Here are some favorite works of art from the permanent collection for you to enjoy if you are missing our beloved museum.
MOMA One
It almost seems a crime to present these inexpertly photographed works of art, especially as better versions are already available online in abundance. So I hope you will take this in the spirit intended—to share my love and appreciation of these works with my friends and family.
MOMA Two
Did you notice any suprising new artists or works of art in the above slideshow? 😉
I went to Paris for the first time in early June, and was very interested to observe the style on the street, Parisian fashion. Of course the area around the Louvre was swarming with tourists (days after the strike by museum workers concerned about severe overcrowding), but I hoped that by staking out a corner on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, I would be able to see what actual Parisians were wearing as they shopped on le weekend.
Crowds at Le Tuileries
The style themes I noticed are:
Parisian women almost always accessorize with a scarf
Fancy sneakers are popular all over the world, including Paris
Cross-body bags are a practical favorite
Leather jackets remain cool as ever
I snapped some Parisian pairs, which are featured in my July “Style on the Street” column in the WestView News. Here are some additional shots of stylish Parisians:
Paris Fashion
So exciting to see the Chanel shop in Paris, but this look says Chanel is past it. That white dress under the classic Chanel suit is ugly, I’m sorry!
Stunning dress at Balmain on Rue Saint-Honoré. The pleats and folds in this ivory satin asymmetrical number are exquisite. That’s me in the mirror in a magenta raincoat and fantastic pink satin sneakers by Diana Broussard. (A French designer in New York.)
And of course I had to take some pictures of the sights as well.
The fantastic Hôtel Les Rives de Notre-Dame (with the red flower boxes in the windows). I was in a room facing the river.
My room was a glorious orange, just like my first New York apartment. I loved it so much!
I was staying on the Left Bank in the Latin Quarter, very near Notre-Dame Cathedral. It was so sad to see this glorious old dame scaffolded and barricaded.
I was stricken by a majestic statue guarding the travelers who cross this bridge across the Seine. To me, she looks regal, yet humble and severe—a protective presence.
Protecting travelers who cross the bridge
Saint Geneviève statue at the Pont de la Tournelle. I later found out Saint Geneviève actually did protect Paris from Atilla the Hun! She is the patron saint of Paris.
I went to a couple of late-night jazz clubs in underground caverns: Le Caveau de la Huchette (built in the 1500s; Count Basie and Art Blakey played here in a later century), and Le Caveau Des Oubliettes. So cool!
Le Caveau Des Oubliettes late-night jazz session—in the dungeon carved out of the stone, where prisoners were left and forgotten
And afterwards, people get crepes at an all-night stand on Rue de la Huchette. It was raining a bit, and at 2 AM there was a crowd of 10 people ahead of me waiting at the window for their crêpes. The cook makes them on a flat round griddle just inside the window, so it is performance art as well. And then the delicious reward—in my case, a cone of crêpe enclosing mushroom, tomato, and cheese. So French, so delightful!
Waiting for crêpes in Rue de la Huchette. There were many all-night cafés and restaurants in the neighborhood. New York, take note!
I spent the final morning of my whirlwind visit (two nights, one day, one morning) going to as many pastry shops as I could find and reveling in French delicacies with espresso. I managed to go to four during my quest for an open post office. First off, I had two choux—cream-filled little round pastries—in la Maison Odette, a charming, narrow 4-story pastry shop and café with curving black staircases, near my hotel. Then a pain au chocolate at a sidewalk café near the Sorbonne.
I was surprised how modern and severe the Sorbonne looked (this is the Campus Pierre et Marie Curie, for the faculties of science and engineering). Closed for the summer, it seemed desolate and forbidding.
Next, I had a clod-foot cherry clafoutis on Île Saint-Louis, sitting on a stone bench on the north side, away from the hordes, watching boats go by on the Seine. And yes, reading Vogue! The final treat was to sit at this charming café, Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole, on Île de la Cité, the oldest, original part of Paris.
Blissful moment drinking espresso at Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole, on Île de la Cité—wearing my New York black now, and feeling more like myself!
I hadn’t realized that Paris began on Île de la Cité, possibly dating back to pre-Roman times (52 BCE), when it may have been a fortified crossing point held by the Parisii, a small Gallic tribe. By 300 CE, it was a walled city with wooden bridges on either side.
Curving street on Île de la Cité
But a few more modern sights were evident as well:
Abandoned scooters littering the sidewalk in a fashionable residential neighborhood
Political posters, probably from 2017. The first I had heard of Frexit!
The ubiquitous phone ad defacing beautiful architecture. I saw a similarly hideous iPhone 10 ad when I was in Barcelona.
The Great Canadian Pub, eh?
I would be remiss if I didn’t include a few classic Parisian landmarks that everyone loves.
Arc de quoi?
That famous French tower and a golden-domed mosque gleaming in the rays of the setting sun
Me in pink and the tower in grey. So romantic!
Sun graffiti near Notre-Dame
Hôtel Plaza Athénée on Rue Montaigne
Thanks for joining me on my little Parisian jaunt. Remember, we’ll always have Paris!
I revere Anna Wintour and Vogue magazine. ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ is my favorite vacay movie. But just to cut through the idealization, this time I’m going to take the piss and show how style translates from haute couture to proletariat.
Highlighter hues as seen on the celebs in Vogue.
I ripped this page out of May Vogue for inspiration, when I was in Paris checking out the style in the Fashion Capital.
When I got back to New York, I spotted these highlighter hues everywhere! Taking it to the street…
Delivering laundry & multitasking on the phone.
Strolling on the street with a soda. Girl in foreground is in highlighter pink.
Waiting for the subway at Penn Station, phone in hand. Woman on the bench is in highlighter yellow too.
Unloading a truck on Sixth Avenue.
So you see, you don’t have to be rich and famous to dress like the stars. Just color-match and you’re there!
