Abstraction for An Amusement Park as a Birthday Cake (McArthur's Park)

Do I Love Learning How to Blog?

Will there or will there not be something extra, something time consuming, something that requires submitting my blogs to search engines? 

The answer to that remains to be seen but one thing is for certain, I will have more researching online and more reading to do over the weekend and in the coming weeks.  

I suppose not being able to afford to hire an assistant to handle blog construction and other such time consuming details will be up to me and, I'm no geek bur for example.  I have to embed some links but how? 

I'll just mention here that, I sent an article to  The New York Times recently and although they rejected it, they sent a nice reject email.  I have submitted before to the Times but never the nice reject email so maybe my writing has improved?  It won't be the last they hear from me, I'd love to publish with them.  Be that as it may, an independent's work never seems to get done including in cyberspace. 

If I Didn't Adore You Would I .... ?

I think it's time to share a story and I will ask myself and you the following, would I share this story with you I didn't love you? 

Years ago when I was a kid, a good friend of mine from Tai Chi class who happened to have a relatively high level job with the government gave me some museum passes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art because she couldn't attend.  She knew I was an artist and that I could and would use the tickets. 

What I didn't know was that the event would be so high profile.  I just wasn't thinking properly or maybe, I wasn't thinking at all?  Because when the day came to attend the night preview:  I was so rudely surprised to see a photographer snap into position to take my picture just as I walked in the entrance way.  And just at the entrance way, standing there at the door was none other than our Mayor at the time, Mayor Koch!  I loved Mayor Koch and voted for him too and all of this would have been thrilling in a nice way had I not been wearing sneakers! 

I was so embarrassed my face turned red as I shook hands with the Mayor and, as I shook hands with the Mayor - a quickly snapped photograph was taken by that photographer I noticed out of the corner of my eye!  My sneakers may or may not have been included in that photo, the photographer was somewhat at a distance but, that did not change the fact that I was wearing them!

I was so embarrassed the remainder of my time at the night preview (Pablo Picasso, or some such important exhibition that was being previewed), my face stayed red. 

I can see myself now, standing in front of one masterpiece or another with a red face glowing, glad to be out of the sight for the moment at least and apologizing to the person I had with me who happened to be a family member for not knowing or realizing that the event would be so high profile!  Had I know, sneakers would not have been in the picture.  :)

Yes, the rest of the night was a blur to me.  I suppose it goes without saying that although there were cocktails to be had at the reception, we were not having any and did not have any.  We left as quickly as possible.  

Now you know that I adore you if I'm willing to share that kind of story with you. 

Day of Tears & Laughter

Thankfully a friend on Twitter managed to pull me through the sadness and tears I cried today after I read that Elizabeth Taylor died.  I could not stop crying. 

Jahmorley, his commentary got to me though and, after I cried all morning. I laughed at his verbal antics in the afternoon. Thank you Jahmorely. 

You are a new friend but a very dear friend.

Good-Bye To You, Elizabeth Taylor & With Love Always

Yes, I love you.  I adore you and yes, I will miss you. 

Farewell, to the greatest actress of all time, Elizabeth Taylor.  I want to thank you, here in my humble blogspot, for all the wonderful films you gave us.  You are the finest, Dame Liz.   

No actress can compare with you, none of them, young, beautiful, starlet or seasoned old pro.  No actress can compare with you not now not ever.  You are the very best and, all of us, your fans and Liz Taylor lovers, we will all miss you greatly.  A sad day for us.  A happy day for the angels. 

One consolation, you will be with your friends on the other side including I'm sure, Michael Jackson.

Good bye and God bless you on your shining way, Elizabeth Taylor and accept now all the love the world sends to you, now that you are the greatest star in our sky. 

You will never be replaced and, we will miss you until we see you again.

I Adore You

"May this be love," comes to mind now, the Jimi Hendrix recording from I believe it was the, "Axis/Bold as Love" album.  I heard the ending of this great recording by chance on radio  yesterday.  There is something exceptionally wonderful that is revealed about Hendrix in this recording and, I will venture to say it is the extent of his capacity to love the somehow comes through very beautifully and very strongly.

How can the capacity of someone to love come through in a recording?  A fair enough question that may or may not come to mind, the answer of which I cannot be certain of except to say, when God and genius are involved all things are possible creatively. 

Hendrix lives, yes, he does. 

Please Visit My Newly Improved Saatchi Online Link (immediately below and to your right and below here)

http://www.saatchionline.com/profiles/index/id/17079

Happy St. Patty's everyone!  Another busy day drawing to a close.  I'm blogging now to let visitors know that I have updated my Saatchi Online Gallery portfolio and now with the option to purchase print enlargements there.  Please visit.  The link is to your right at each of the several blog spots I have here at Blogger.

I am waiting for my application to Amazon Kindle, the transfer of these blogs to Kindle to go through.  I submitted a few days ago but have not had the authorization go through yet. 

Sort a Kind a Like You

Bird lives!  And wasn't it great to hear Charlie Parker's music broadcast by the one and only, the greatest Jazz scholar of all time, Phil Schaap, tonight on the radio from Columbia University.  Sad to know that today is the day of Bird's death but the music, especially with Jay McShan, hearing it was a blast from the past.  A trip I so happily took.  Thank you, Phil!

The Manifesto Feminino

'There is a kind of time machine which is a direct product of the earliest turn of the 20^th century, a time in which the Italian Futurists dreamed a collective dream of energy and movement, virile masculinity and speed.'  Excerpt from the "Manifesto Feminino," visioned and written by Joyce Dade (c)

Maria Callas, I Adore You

As fate would have it, one of my Facebook friends submitted, La Divina, and after first thrilling to my friend's Keith Jarrett offering, I cried listening to, Maria Callas.  I decided to add, Maria Callas here on my Jadore blog because I love her so much.  If I want to hear her beautiful and heartbreaking voice I can quickly find it here and so can you dear visitor. 

The Art Fairs are Just a Blur to me Now

I have taken images from my visit to the three main art fairs this past weekend and applied the blur factor. With blur everything is blurry yes but to my way of thinking, everything is more beautiful.  I have other blur images at my other blogs, please visit.

Art Fairs in Review

It was a fun weekend at the Art Fairs, the Moving Image, PULSE Contemporary Art and the Armory Show which was my favorite venue of the three.  A lot of walking around and eyeballing beautiful works of art and people popping all around. 

My analysis of the events if you are interested will be published in the upcoming at this link, Visual Overture Magazine. 

For those who were unwilling or able to read my brief review in Visual Overture, I'm posting it here albeit after the fact. 

Be sure to click the Visual Overture link above and see some of the photos I took at the events.

Springtime in the air and art fair season in New York City rolled in and out and, there were many interesting revelations at three of the most popular art fairs in New York City, starting with sunshine and ending for this writer in the rain at the close of the weekend.  It was a coming back to the art fair world after a long, long hiatus.  When was the last time I attended such a venue?  Twenty years ago?  My last visit to a large art fair was at the Jacob Javitz Art Fair that takes place in November in New York City.  Remembering back to that art fair, it was a huge independent artists' venue that seemed endless. It was my first experience attending art fairs and I loved it.  I left the Javitz after swirling around in the crowds and promised myself to return the next day but as it turned out, I did not.

Fast forward now to this weekends' three fairs of interest:  PULSE Contemporary Art Fair, the Armory Art Fair and Moving Images, each with a day to themselves and each revealed some interesting trends.  I had no expectations per se about this weekend's events and found my first stopover at PULSE a sedate one.  The crowd was homogenous.  I prefer the mix you find in New York City, people from all ethnic groups.  I decided to attend mid afternoon and arrived around 4PM midway between open and close for the event.  It seemed to be sporadically filled with people at first, here and there in the well lit and articulated show spaces but the crowd thinned out after a while. 

Walking in I recognized one person I knew from a gala I attended several years ago, who was at that time an Associate Curator at the Brooklyn Museum.  I decided not to go over to him instead, I swirled into the cluster of people who were in the entryway area and started observing the paintings and photography.  Most of the artists were established and not from the so called "emerging" group, however there were several artists in the emerging category.  I found their work to be interesting and, they were sweet to chat and allow photos to be taken.

At PULSE it was staid, a little dry and empty in some sense of the word although, I did meet some very wonderful people there, I left unsatisfied.  Although I thought I had no expectations, I did expect more of something.  A more diversified crowd?  A something more that did not however materialize.  More beautiful art?  There was a certain daintiness I perceived in the work at PULSE, perhaps because of the smaller space; the work seemed smaller and fussy in a certain way in comparison to what I was about to see the following day at the Armory Art Fair.

Interesting to note, PULSE had several "emerging" artists.  Exhibiting with Jen Bekman Gallery and elsewhere, however at the Armory it was strictly blue chip guys.  Jen Bekman's emerging artist, Michelle Muldrow had exhibited elsewhere but it was her first time at PULSE.  The artist later explained that,”…as for the work at Jen Bekman's, I believe they sold 7 pieces. The funny thing about the fairs is that unlike a gallery show, the collectors can buy and take home the piece right then and there! So some pieces remain on the wall for pick up later and some leave right at the moment of the sale.

Michelle Muldrow went further to say, "I was very excited to see … (my) body of work was so well received.  I have been showing in California and have had several solo shows … and have had strong sales, but breaking into the New York market and with my new series, I am extremely happy.  I have a solo show with Jen Bekman Gallery in May, so this is definitely a good lead up for the show."

Jen Bekman, Director of Jen Bekman Gallery appears to be on the leading edge in terms of having the foresight to have her emerging artists in PULSE ahead of the pack.  Again, most artists exhibiting at PULSE are artists already established in their careers. 

Another delightful artist I spoke with, Lauren Fensterstock, with Sienna Gallery - SG Projects, told me that she was excited to be at PULSE and considered herself to be emerging although she had exhibited at other art fairs.  It was her first time at PULSE.

[Incidentally, I noticed and was surprised to see a young, female photographer that I admire with three of her prints prominently placed at PULSE.  Manjari Sharma, blogger and photographer's rise from blogger to the PULSE venue seems a rather swift one.  Her contribution came from a shower series she took of young people, no nudity in the three photos at PULSE however portrait views only. NOTE:  I did not meet or speak with this artist, Arlissa.]

The worst thing at PULSE?  A garbage bin bagged in black plastic, open and smack dab in the middle of two works of art on the wall in the center of the central walkway. 

The best thing at PULSE?  Excellent lighting for the most part, lovely art work and some very pleasant exhibitors.

My second stop on the following day, Saturday, was The Armory Art Show.   But if the PULSE event felt weak, the Armory Show was strong and wild in terms of the overriding quantity and beauty of the art and the multitude, thousands of event goers to swirl around with.

The Armory Show which did not highlight any emerging artists that I know of had contemporary art from around the world. Galleries from everywhere were represented.  I saw Gerhard Richter and Kehinde Wiley, Romare Bearden and many, many other big guns.  It was thrilling to see the expansively huge extent of this festival and, I highly recommend visitors to NYC to attend the Armory Art Fair if possible when it takes place next year.   People of every stripe, age, gender and ethnic background swirled around in a packed space expansive though it was, thousands of people were there and it was a love fest of beauty.  Intensity of artistic beauty in such a setting is intoxicating, one masterpiece after another in every medium and context, paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, mixed media and on and on.  It all seemed beautiful.  Yes, it was very intoxicating.  I only did not return on Sunday because of heavy, heavy rain.  A dream deferred until next year.  I photographed as much as I could of the event and wandered around in a kind of bliss seeing the density of art on the upper and lower levels that surely must have covered two city blocks. 

Thousands were there.  It was a feast of beauty and again, it had a certain intoxicating effect on me.  Photographing freely was a wonderful perk of being there.  In some venues, photography is strictly prohibited but not so at the Armory.  In contrast to a certain stiffness and even weariness that I sensed coming from the crowd at the PULSE event, I was right at home at the Armory Show and it seemed that everyone else was too.  It was wonderful and exhilarating without being stressful.  Women carried babies, kids ran around excited and everyone obviously enjoyed being a part of this event.

The worse thing at the Armory Show?  The long walk over to their location from the subway station but there was nothing bad at the venue.

The best thing about the Armory Show?  The ambiance, volume and diversity of magnificent art, sculpture and photography. 

On Sunday, the last event I attended, The Moving Image was for me a photo opportunity and, I approached it after fighting wind and rain with an open mind.  The venue was on its last day however although it was not crowded there were numerous people there involved in listening with headphones to various video projects that were installed at the dimly lit site. 

I photographed The Moving Image from one end to the other.  Attendees were kind and consented to my flashings and, I was honored to meet the Chief Executor and Director of the event, Edward Winkleman, just in time for several photographs of him to also be taken.  The Moving Image had a wonderful quiet, meditative ambiance that I liked and the people strolling, sitting and or otherwise involved and engaged in listening to audio and watching the various arts videos in this peaceful, dark and spacious environment left me with a relaxed feeling. 

Because the venue was dark yet with various lighted spots, I was happy with my photographic results.  It was a pleasure speaking with Edward Winkleman so, for this visitor, I enjoyed my swirl though at Moving Images albeit a brief one.

The worst part at Moving Image?  The long walk from the subway to their site near the waterfront.

The best thing part at Moving Image?  I liked the ambiance and darkened mood inside and lighting opportunities there, a nice photo opportunity capturing images of others watching video had a certain peaceful and tolerant echo that I enjoyed.

The Art Party is Over for Now

Yesterday was the wind up with the rain pouring down on me returning from the Moving Image Installation in Manhattan.  It was a dark, comfortable and quiet space with people listening to audio on headphones as they watched installed video monitors, each with individual artist statements or video projects of one kind or another.  I arrived twenty minutes before the close of the show and was able to image the scene.  People were very gracious and said nothing about the flash I was obliged to use in the dark setting.  I even had a moment to meet, Edward Winkleman, Director of the the Winkleman Gallery and chief executive of the Moving Image Project.  I left with a nice, meditative feeling which is what I got from the installation.

Armory Show

I had a wonderful time at the Armory.  It was exhilarating to see so much beautiful and exciting art in one huge location with so many New Yorkers of every stripe, age, race and nationality, people from all over the world speaking their different languages, mothers carrying babies, kids running around, old, new, everyone having the most wonderful time. The best art in the world.  A wonderful experience and although my legs were completely exhausted after two hours of circling around and around the fair, I want to return tomorrow refreshed for more photo taking and art.  It was wonderful.  I would suggest anyone reading this pop the 20 dollars and go, go fast it's closing soon.

I am as if a Throw Back to 100 Years Ago

Come to my blog ... come to my blogspot and I will share with you the secrets of the Universe!  Do not hesitate ... come today.  Blogspot is timely and very 2011 however, I am really a throw back.  A throw back to the last hundred years ago when the Italian Futurists and the French Cubists along with my guy, Pablo Picasso ... when they were alive and creating the works that were the flowers of the Cubist and Futurist Movements in Europe. I belong with them, not now with the others of our time but, here I am.  A throw back to a long ago time and space living in a future they could only partly dream of.  They had no blogspots.  :(