Person Review

2011-12-16T17:30:00.001-08:00

2011-12-02T23:37:00.000-08:00

Corona

Autumn eats its leaf out of my hand: we are friends.
From the nuts we shell time and we teach it to walk:
then time returns to the shell.

In the mirror it's Sunday,
in dream there is room for sleeping,
our mouths speak the truth.

My eye moves down to the sex of my loved one:
we look at each other,
we exchange dark words,
we love each other like poppy and recollection,
we sleep like wine in the conches,
like the sea in the moon's blood ray.

We stand by the window embracing, and people
look up from the street:
it is time they knew!
It is time the stone made an effort to flower,
time unrest had a beating heart.
It is time it were time.

It is time.

Paul Celan poem from artofeurope.com

Young Anna

2011-11-12T12:01:00.001-08:00

2011-11-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

2011-08-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

Vigils

2011-08-09T20:28:00.000-07:00

I

It is repose in the light, neither fever nor languor,
on a bed or in a meadow.

It is the friend neither violent nor weak. The friend.

It is the beloved neither tormented nor tormenting. The beloved.

Air and the world not sought. Life.

-Was it really this?

-And the dream grew cold.

-Arthur Rimbaud

2011-08-01T10:33:00.001-07:00

2011-07-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

2011-06-20T20:43:00.001-07:00

via jennys

2011-06-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

River Phoenix

2011-06-06T09:53:00.001-07:00

Kinski

2011-05-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

'Much of the mythology surrounding Herzog's early work is entwined with that surrounding the lead actor in five of Herzog's best films, Klaus Kinski. It's hard to think of two other regular collaborators who insulted each other so much in their public writings and statements. Here is how Kinski first describes Herzog in his autobiography: "His speech is clumsy, with a toad-like indolence, long winded, pedantic, choppy.... It takes forever and a day for him to push out a clump of hardened brain snot. Even if his vocal cords were sliced through, he'd keep talking like a ventriloquist. Even if his throat were cut and his head were chopped off, speech balloons would still dangle from his mouth like gases emitted by internal decay." It goes on like this for pages and pages, for years and years: "I've never in my life met anybody so dull, humourless, uptight, inhibited, mindless, depressing, boring and swaggering...the spawn of his megalomania, which he mistakes for genius. Herzog is a miserable, hateful, malevolent, avaricious, money-hungry, nasty, sadistic, treacherous, cowardly creep.... He's the same decaying garbage heap that he was ten years ago—only more moronic, more mindless, more murderous." And so on.'

excerpt from GQ article.

Why don't I ever hear about those mountains?

2011-05-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

2011-05-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

via l'ombrello

2011-05-03T09:44:00.001-07:00

2011-05-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

2011-04-25T19:27:00.001-07:00

2011-04-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

THOMAS JEFFERSON

april 13, 1743 - july 4, 1826

Third President of the U.S. (1801-1809)

He was not a perfect man. He could not always live up to his perfect words. Yet, nonetheless, he penned the elegant foundation of our organic law—The Declaration of Independence. Inspired by the likes of Thomas Paine and recruited by the needs of the Revolution, he wrote an indictment against King George that should be contemplated when considering the misdeeds of our own George. The words below, written by Jefferson, may seem revolutionary. That's because they are, they belong to us. And we may make use of them again, if our cause is just.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

via Patti Smith

2011-03-28T12:27:00.001-07:00

Mariel Hemingway in the film 'Personal Best'

2011-02-27T16:22:00.000-08:00

dear friend Rick Gersbach just gifted us this beautiful book of photographs by judy linn. the first photo was taken by robert mapplethorpe.

Scottie Wilson

2011-02-08T07:21:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite outsider artists.

2011-01-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

2011-01-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

From the Archives of American Art miscellaneous photograph collection.

2011-01-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

Gustave Courbet (1819-1877)

2010-12-24T10:07:00.001-08:00

“I am fifty years old and I have always lived in freedom; let me end my life free; when I am dead let this be said of me: 'He belonged to no school, to no church, to no institution, to no academy, least of all to any régime except the régime of liberty.'"

2010-12-10T17:46:00.000-08:00

via Reference Library

2010-12-04T12:52:00.001-08:00

2010-11-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

Guy Bourdin inspired by dark victory.

2010-10-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
--W.B. Yeats

2010-09-20T21:24:00.001-07:00

2010-09-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

Just watched a documentary on painter Alice Neel (available to watch instantly on netflix). She was one of the greats. You can look at an archive of her work at www.aliceneel.com and find out more about the film at www.aliceneelfilm.com

2010-08-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

"My interest is energy - transference of energy."

2010-08-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

MY NEW GEORGIA BOOTS FEEL REAL NICE!

Springtime Getaway (2010)

2010-07-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

2010-07-11T14:48:00.001-07:00

Fern's birthday party.

2010-03-25T19:51:00.001-07:00

Vivienne Westwood Pirate Boots. Sadly, not modeled by me.

link to cigarette scene

2010-01-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

2009-12-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

fantasy gift for self: rachel comey 'swap' clogs. $350 at mohawk general store.

Garbo

2009-10-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

Marveled by Cecil Beaton's portrait of the grand dame.

2009-08-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

Meryl Streep as ex-wife Jill in Woody Allen's Manhattan.

2009-08-08T19:41:00.001-07:00

I took the title picture last summer during Fern's birthday celebration. The two of us rode bicycles to the lake where we drank bubbly wine and ate muffuletta sandwiches on a patch of sand overlooking Navy Pier. Perhaps it was our shared sense of accomplishment for making it past the masses on our ride to the lake, or the booze, but probably a combination of the two which left us feeling quite proud to inhabit Chicago. We talked about visiting the Pier to take a ride on the ferris wheel. The family who barbecued next to us (pictured) apparently decided at a certain point that we needed to help them consume left-over barbecued meat and so walked it over to us, their hands covered in sauce.

2009-08-03T11:06:00.001-07:00

. . . and we certainly did--do. We wanted to go to the John Day Fossil Beds but it's been so hot that we decided to head up to the Olympic National Forest instead. Finding only glorified trailer park campsites (KOA-style), we were almost to Canada when we began to realize the beauty of Oregon's coast. Turned back and found a camp four hours later just north of Long Beach, WA. Car camping is really quite unpleasant, we now know. Next trip will take place in a cabin (such as this) or in the deep woods.

G-Star.

2009-07-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

Souvenance for Sontag

2009-07-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, while my Mom was visiting for my birthday, we stopped into Powell's to look for an appropriate gift. I chose Reborn: Journals and Notebooks 1947-1963 because I was intrigued by it's use of journal excerpts as biography. Fascinating for me is Sontag's "to do" list of authors, her daily writing and reading regimen, etc. (The image is from a New York review of the book. Look into it!)

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-06-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Great Expectations

2009-05-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

Unemployment has actually been OK aside from the lack of funds for recreation and pressure to look for new work. One strange and not particularly pleasant thing, however, is how frenetically I seem to jump from one prospect to the next. Yesterday, after turning down a caregiving job for a woman who sounded much like Miss Havisham (recall the creepy, sad old woman in Great Expectations), Fern and I decided to go through with our plan to peddle friendship bracelets about the streets of Portland. Before going to Fabric Depot for supplies, I decided to respond to a landscape maintenance position I found on craigslist, despite having no formal landscaping experience . . . and they emailed back for me to come in for an interview?! By evening I found myself sitting on a pristinely manicured lawn (getting bitten by ants), drawing in lawnmower tracks on a diagram to illustrate the most efficient way to mow a lawn as part of the official application process. What'll I be up to next?

Candy Darling

2009-05-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

Oh, Candy Darling. I've been listening to a lot of Lou Reed's Transformer lately. I especially like the ever-popular "Walk on the Wildside" track tributing Warhol's queens. I fantasize myself a queen sometimes.

2009-02-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

The idea of an article designed to fit one body absolutely thrills me. It's not often in our age that something functional is approached with such care and singularity as this. Most of the inspiration for my pencil and ink drawings comes from fashion photography--images that I find in W magazine or from European fashion magazines online. The photographers that I love, love fashion too. Nan Goldin is the only name that comes to mind for me right now, but there are others. The image above is one that Georges Damdier took in 1955.

2009-01-19T18:54:00.000-08:00

2009-01-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

It feels more like Chicago outside than it does Portland: oppressive and unsettled. I'd like to go out for some exercise but cringe at the idea of exposing myself to the unpleasant atmosphere. I make up my mind to stay in, comfortable at my spot next to the portable heater when my Dad calls, booming to me over the phone that he "just finished a killer cross-country ski run!" "I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow!" he excitedly shouts over the phone. He called only to give me this news. We hang up, and I smile to myself. How does he muster this kind of enthusiasm? And on his own no less? I suppose some exercise would do me some good. I'll go out.

2008-08-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

I've decided to permanently adorn myself with a dedication to my friends before leaving the city. It's strange. For some reason I just can't seem to leave Chicago without getting another tattoo. It just seems like the appropriate memento. I'm having some doubts-mostly because there is so much else happening right now and I wonder if I really have a clear head about the whole thing, but, I trust my instincts. I think it'll look pretty.

Transamerica movie

2008-07-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

The film Transamerica impressed me so much that I had to watch it a second time, mostly because I was so impressed with Felicity Huffman's performance as a transexual woman, but also because the film as a whole was solid--classic western plot, heartfelt character development, nothing hasty...I reccomend this one highly.

Swimwear

2008-06-15T13:43:00.001-07:00

After discussing early 20th Century swimwear design with friends who share my aesthetic values, I've decided that putting together a bathing suit does not have to be painful, as in years past. This year I'm going for something that leaves more parts undiscovered.

Happy Summer.

2008-06-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

2008-03-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I don't have time enough to update you all on the exciting, glamorous life and times of teddy jean, but will say that things are looking up--post-wise. It's been a long, hard, oppressive winter and I haven't much felt like making the journey to an internet source. Today is nice. It's reminding me of home--misty and above freezing. More to come...

2007-11-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

Character Jude/Judy (Cate Blanchett) in Todd Haynes new film I'm Not There most closely resembles Dylan of all the characters cast to represent the many mythological faces of this musical icon. Interestingly, Blanchett transforms into character not simply because she's in Dylan drag. She brilliantly embodies Dylan's physical style. It's almost as if she's possessed. I think I'm going to have to see the film a few more times to understand what Haynes is trying to say.

burrrrr

2007-11-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's November already. Fern and I are sitting at Atomix right now. She's working on some leg-warmers while I take advantage of the wi-fi. It's been hard for me to keep up on this here blog in our new apartment. It didn't come equipped with a cheap wireless internet connection or a sweet computer tech man to set one up for us. Probably for the best. Shoot. There's not much time left on my card. More later...

Nan Goldin

2007-10-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

I was flipping through images on my digital camera recently and found some that I really like but feel might be too intimate to publish. They have a quality similar to that of Nan Goldin's work--snapshots exposed with available, natural light. Genuinely candid scenes. Maybe I'll work up the courage to publish my own work soon. Goldin's will have to stand in place for now.

Halloween Project

2007-09-18T13:37:00.001-07:00

Would you like to contribute to my leather bound flatbed scanner fund?

2007-09-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

Two weeks from next Tuesday Fern and I will be moving into a loftier, brighter apartment up north. Our apartment is absolutely suffocating us, so we've decided to seek refuge elsewhere. The commute will be longer by about 4 miles which is good for staying in shape but possibly more problematic during the coming winter months. Lately, I've felt so lazy about taking pictures that if I happen upon an image for this entry, it'll have to be from someone elses archive. My next big purchase must be a flatbed scanner. For, then I'll be able to scan found bits illustrative of the environments I speak of. Oh shit! I just found one that's leather bound manufactured by a certain Datamancer? Wonder how much that is...

Feininger

2007-09-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

Life photographer Andreas Feininger--recognized mostly for his architectural photography--also represented the figure. As you might notice, the kind of exposure characteristic of architectural photography--the harshness, the bright light--is uniquely present in this image. Supposedly, there's a show of his work in New York right now. This image I pulled from a website which briliiantly catalogues fashion, art, design (bicyles), and music--mostly from Scandinavia. It's called lifeiscarbon

Change of Season

2007-09-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

Fern and I both had the day off. We slept in 'till late morning and then shuffled over to Stop Look for a coat rack. Unfortunately, we didn't find anything in the rack or hook dept. but, fortunately, we did find some very glamourous threads--Fern, a young Eduardian robe (very sexy), and I a gold silk shirt that looks to be circa 1920something (also very sexy). I think I'll wear my new blouse this evening while we drink wine and lounge about. It's getting progressively chillier outside which means we'll probably be doing more of this kind of activity.

2007-09-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Charleston Chew (detail)

Dark Habits

2007-08-26T14:30:00.001-07:00

A still from one of Almodovar's early films, Dark Habits. Cristina Sánchez Pascual plays Yolanda, the ex-girlfriend of a heroin junkie who has just overdosed. Fearing that the police might suspect her as a murderess, she seeks refuge in a nearby convent where, strangely, the inhabitants seek to perpetuate Yolanda's 'unhealthy' addictions, feeding her drugs, pornography, and sexual favors (if she wishes). Hilarious! Almodovar in unrefined youth. I think this might be my new favorite movie.

2007-08-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

2007-08-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

What a luxury it is to have cushions! Yesterday we had delivered from Brown Elephant a couch that far excedes its $60 appraisal! It appears to be covered in a roughly processed silk. The color is pale yellow. There is a tag at its base that reads "Tomlinson Furniture, Tailor Made for Mr. & Mrs. Seymour Dulin." The detailing is pretty incredible. Buttons tacked into the dust ruffle, reinforcement stitching on the arms. Maybe I'll post more pictures...

Puffed Sleeves

2007-08-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

2007-08-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

2007-08-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

Today was sticky. I was parking my bicycle in front of work at 7:20something am when I read 80 degrees on the corner bank's electronic board! It's comfortable weather if you enjoy sprawling out naked on the floor with a cold beer close at hand. Fern hates it. She prefers cold weather to hot. Then she can bundle up in her woolies and eat fattening pastries. I think I prefer being naked on the floor with a cold beer.

2007-07-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

1950s UK "Teddy Girls"

2007-07-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

If you're the person that took this picture, great shot! Fern and I work in this neighborhood. It's known in these parts as "the crotch," which I don't think only refers to the shape of the intersecting avenues. It's home to greasy art kids and New Victorians (the greasy art kids serve coffee and cocktails to the bourgeois New Vics). The greasers seem pretty slutty and the New Vics are pushing baby strollers, so I guess there's a lot of crotch action in these parts? Hard to say...

2007-07-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago my family and I left our peaceful, agrarian community in Oregon to fulfill a vision of life amidst the grit and glam of a major city. Chicago sounded like a pretty liveable place in terms of cost and general attitude, so we decided, mostly because we knew more about it than LA or NYC, to move here. Before setting out, I had romantic visions of living in a third story lofted apartment complete with a fire escape and unfinished, caramel colored wood flooring. I imagined a fairly simple transition, wherein my partner and I would find full time work straight away, and would somehow immediately start producing some of the best art either of us had ever come up with. Instead, we're scraping by the way most people do when they move to a new place unemployed and homeless. Things will settle in time, but for now, don't be surprised if my entries come to you with a hint of homesickness. I come from a very unique place where odd is normal and even celebrated; a small city surrounded by lush forests and fields of organically growing goodness; a place where adults are allowed to be kids and kids are respected as adults; a place that I might just have to return to.