Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning includes washing the front windows, weeding and replanting the back garden, weeding and replanting certain areas of my social life, and downloading the pictures on my phone camera.  

Thus, I present these images for your viewing pleasure....

Phoenix by Xu Bing at St. John the Divine

Met up with Patti and her daughter on their whirlwind tour of universities of the Northeast on the Upper West Side one lovely evening recently.  We took in this incredible installation at St. John the Divine - titled Phoenix by Xu Bing.  If you find yourself in the general area, I highly recommend wandering in and having a look.  Quite a story surrounding the work and the installation itself is spectacular.

The view from here...

Getting back in the studio after all my projects has been a challenge.  Enlivened as I was by the experience of presenting both those bodies of work, it is hard to settle into a clear direction for the next step.  At the same time, I appreciate how it is exactly this kind of moment where good opportunities exist.  One idea that keeps coming up is about how it is impossible to actually repeat anything.  As someone who makes things (sometimes) that, in theory, are completely reproducible by anyone with basic crochet or knitting skills, I should be able to repeat my projects if I want.  In theory, I could even make editions of my work.  But every time I have been asked to do that or desired to do that, I have never, ever been able to actually do it.  Is it because the exact conditions that allowed for the original creation have passed and the new set of conditions are simply different?  I don't know but I have some ideas of how to possibly play with this notion...stay tuned.

Men taking up too much space on the train.

One of my new favourite blogs is called "Men taking up too much space on the train".  It is a collection of photographs submitted by train riders who have noticed, well, men taking up too much space on the train.  It is a simple, visual exploration of how men unconsciously display their privilege in this world of ours.  In my experience, you don't have to look too hard to find it, especially on the train.  Here is a recent picture I took on the 7 train one evening.  He is taking up three - count 'em 3! - seats at evening rush hour.  Also highly recommend this short piece on McSweeney's, An Open Letter to Men on the Subway Specifically During Morning Rush Hour on the A Train Between Jay Street and Canal.  You know who you are...

To end on a more upbeat note - some beautiful tulips celebrating not just spring but Lucy's theatre debut as Sam the Janitor in the world premiere production of Expresso, written and directed by Leo Lion, who is a 14 year old homeschooler.  Don't let that fool you - every bit of it was amazing.  Congratulations Leo, Lucy et al.  Bravo!