POTHOLES

Parisian potholes by artist Juliana Santacruz Herrera

MOVIE

Bill Cunningham New York. If you haven't seen in, see it.

A lovely documentary chronicling the 80+ year old New Yorker's obsessive interest in fashion trends and high society charity soirees for the NYTimes Style section in his columns On the Street and Evening Hours. Documenting Uptown fixtures, downtown eccentrics and everyone in between, Cunningham's overflowing collection of photos is such an accurate documentation of fashion trends through the years- more reliable than any glossy magazine or catwalk could hope to be.

THE SHOW

After the Armory Show earlier this month, the one artist I can't seem to get my mind off of is Brion Nuda Rosch. Quietly hanging on DCKT Contemporary's patch of white wall, Brion's collages stood out in all of the gimmicky conceptual pieces, recklessly bold video loops, extra large canvases, and neon phrases.

His colors are wonderful.

TUNE IN

Wednesday nights at the Jalopy Theatre, Feral Foster hosts and headlines a night of folk music called 'Roots n Ruckus'.

We love it.

PLACES VII

It's hard to go wrong with simple materials and simple lines.

The concrete, two gabled houses connected by a closed central courtyard was designed by Kazunori Fujimoto Architects as a weekend getaway in the Tochigi Prefecture of Japan.

THE TAKE OVER

Will the Mulleavy sisters be the next designers for fashion house giant, Dior?

....that's what we hear!

Hope Kate and Laura are ready for Paris

THE KEDS

Grandma Gatewood (1888 - 1973) was the first woman to hike the 2,168 mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.  She did it at the age of 67 in 1955 wearing Keds sneakers and carrying only an army blanket, raincoat, and one change of clothes--all in a handmade over-the-shoulder sack.  A model for packing light.   She decided to hike the trail after reading an article in National Geographic, thinking "it would be a nice lark." 

What a sport.  Also, quite a testament to the comfort and durability of Keds.   My pair of red Keds are going on their sixth summer of hot asphalt, creek algae, saltwater and sand.  An upstanding sneaker, really.

THE BOOK

Reading Just Kids, Patti Smith's recount of her life with Robert Mapplethorpe. Smith tells it like it was- brutally honest in the good times and the bad. We both highly recommend this one!

THE PENCIL STORY

John Baldessari, The Pencil Story (1972-73)

Was having nightmares of blunt knives and sinewy leather.

So I sharpened my knives yesterday at a shop in Chelsea, under the instruction of a little lady in purple elastic-waistband-pants. 

Feels good.

 

THE GRADIENT

THE RUNNING

Fred says "run as erect as possible" (1974, The Zen of Running)

via Gravel & Gold

THE COMPOSITION

Leslie Hewitt's photographs.

PLACES VI

Re-purposing old spaces can be a touchy issue in the architecture world. Do you preserve and replicate the original? Do you cover up the out-of-date with appropriate modern details? There are, undoubtedly, founded arguments for both sides. But why can't we have both? Here are two examples of what I think is the "right" solution. You get the sleek modern lines without masking any of the amazingly crafted and detailed historic design. And the contrast/struggle between the new and old is beautiful. voila!

A walk-in bookcase designed by Rintala Eggertsson Architects at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London as part of the current '1:1 - Architects Build Small Spaces' exhibition.

The Garden Museum in London retrofitted by Dow Jones Architects.

THE EATING

Some of my photos of good eats and great displays at the markets in Budapest.

While their meaty paprika dishes are definitely boast-worthy, Hungarians take most pride in their pastries. The Pogácsa (a savory little cheese scone with crunchy bits of fried duck fat) was my pastry of choice.
No vegans here.