WeirdCurves
2.21.2004
Art this week
Two upcoming events probe beneath the surface of what we see when we look at art. "Dutch Light" examines how light and the human manipulation of land and sea participated in the creation of some of the best-known Dutch paintings. "24 Hour Psycho" stretches a familiar film over the course of a day in order to allow viewers to investigate their perception of this Hitchcock classic.
In a special pre-festival event, the National Geographic Society will host the U.S. premiere of "Dutch Light" on Wednesday, February 25 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $15. From the DC Environmental Film Festival site:
"There's an ancient myth that the light in Holland is unique. The special quality of Dutch light was discovered and celebrated in the work of artists like Vermeer and van Goyen, Mondrian and the Hague School or even painters working today. But the German artist Joseph Beuys suggested that Dutch light lost its extraordinary radiance after the reclamation of large parts of the lJsselmeer, an inland sea, in the 1950s. This glittering "eye of Holland" profusely reflected light and painters captured it in an unparalleled way. Dutch Light centers largely on Beuys' hypothesis. Is his theory valid? Does the phenomenon of Dutch light still exist?"
View of Delft, Johannes Vermeer
Check out De Kroon, Wissenraet & Associes to learn more about the team behind the film. This site provides a brief description--with some satellite photos--of the IJsselmeer reclamation project.
The Hirshhorn will exhibit Douglas Gordon's "24 Hour Psycho" (1993) video installation from Saturday, February 28 at 5:30 p.m. through Sunday, February 29 at 5:30 p.m. The event will include music, gallery discussions, bagpipers, breakfast, and an interview with Gordon. Signal 66 will present live bands and DJs in the basement of the Hirshhorn from 5:30 p.m. through 3:30 a.m. More details about the happening are found here.
In a special pre-festival event, the National Geographic Society will host the U.S. premiere of "Dutch Light" on Wednesday, February 25 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $15. From the DC Environmental Film Festival site:
"There's an ancient myth that the light in Holland is unique. The special quality of Dutch light was discovered and celebrated in the work of artists like Vermeer and van Goyen, Mondrian and the Hague School or even painters working today. But the German artist Joseph Beuys suggested that Dutch light lost its extraordinary radiance after the reclamation of large parts of the lJsselmeer, an inland sea, in the 1950s. This glittering "eye of Holland" profusely reflected light and painters captured it in an unparalleled way. Dutch Light centers largely on Beuys' hypothesis. Is his theory valid? Does the phenomenon of Dutch light still exist?"
View of Delft, Johannes Vermeer
Check out De Kroon, Wissenraet & Associes to learn more about the team behind the film. This site provides a brief description--with some satellite photos--of the IJsselmeer reclamation project.
The Hirshhorn will exhibit Douglas Gordon's "24 Hour Psycho" (1993) video installation from Saturday, February 28 at 5:30 p.m. through Sunday, February 29 at 5:30 p.m. The event will include music, gallery discussions, bagpipers, breakfast, and an interview with Gordon. Signal 66 will present live bands and DJs in the basement of the Hirshhorn from 5:30 p.m. through 3:30 a.m. More details about the happening are found here.
2.17.2004
She has a job.
She knows ennui. I think most of us can relate. Check her out. Read her funny stories.
I once found the perfect clipart to represent ennui. It was a bug, trapped under a drinking glass, with her little fists pressed on the wall. Her expression said it all. I wish I could find that image again.
I once found the perfect clipart to represent ennui. It was a bug, trapped under a drinking glass, with her little fists pressed on the wall. Her expression said it all. I wish I could find that image again.
Making Art in the City
“D.C.” and “grassroots arts organizations”? Not two terms usually read in the same sentence. While the energy of the District’s population of overachievers is normally funneled into political activity, there are a decent number of Washingtonians focusing their talents on the arts. Two places worth checking out for an example of this are the DC Arts Center and Flash Point. DCAC has held onto a fair number of supporters for quite a while now. They don’t do a great job of updating their Web site, but do a Google search on them and you’ll learn what’s going on there.
Flash Point is new, but it looks like they have their act together as far as organizing and recruiting interested parties. A friend and I are heading there tonight to check out the DC Film Salon. I nurtured my interest in independent filmmaking a couple of years ago, but have neglected for some time now. Hopefully the salon will inspire me to get back into that scene.
Flash Point is new, but it looks like they have their act together as far as organizing and recruiting interested parties. A friend and I are heading there tonight to check out the DC Film Salon. I nurtured my interest in independent filmmaking a couple of years ago, but have neglected for some time now. Hopefully the salon will inspire me to get back into that scene.
2.13.2004
P&P Knitting Circle
This invitation was included in my weekly Politics & Prose update.
Come knit with us! A new group is forming at P&P on Wednesday, March 10, from
7 to 9 p.m., designed for multitasking Washingtonians who read and also knit or
crochet. Explore the joy of an old-fashioned knitting circle while checking out
the "new look" in beginner and advanced needlecraft books. The group will
be led by Beverly Jackson, who's been crocheting and knitting since childhood and
has exhibited work at the Smithsonian, among other places. All ages invited-crocheters,
too-and men!
I think it's a sign. First I see a knitting circle, then I write about knitting circles, and now I get this. I'm intrigued by what the "new look" might be.
Come knit with us! A new group is forming at P&P on Wednesday, March 10, from
7 to 9 p.m., designed for multitasking Washingtonians who read and also knit or
crochet. Explore the joy of an old-fashioned knitting circle while checking out
the "new look" in beginner and advanced needlecraft books. The group will
be led by Beverly Jackson, who's been crocheting and knitting since childhood and
has exhibited work at the Smithsonian, among other places. All ages invited-crocheters,
too-and men!
I think it's a sign. First I see a knitting circle, then I write about knitting circles, and now I get this. I'm intrigued by what the "new look" might be.
2.11.2004
Explosion on the 11th Floor
The day started as any other day for me. I hit the snooze button six times, didn't have time to read the paper, took a shower, got a call from my neighbor/colleague/buddy asking for a ride to work, and drove to the office. Upon entering the building we soon learned that the power was out in our office and people were going home. We went to the 10th floor to investigate. Sure enough, there had been some sort of explosion on the 11th floor causing a massive power and phone outage. The power would not be back on for the rest of the day! Free day! A gift from the Almighty! I gathered with my partners in crime to decide how we would spend this day.
This sort of event shouldn't be wasted on laundry, grocery shopping, or any other errands one can do on any other day. This was an opportunity to see how the weekday people live (you know, those people who go out into the world on weekdays and live life instead of sitting in stuffy little offices all day). Some of us wanted to start drinking at 9:30 in the morning. We decided that might be a waste of our gift. The group finally decided to head for the Museum of Natural History where we could look at mammals and the Hope Diamond. After learning how much blood vampire bats need to consume each day (about two tablespoons), what a newborn kangaroo looks like, and how geodes come to be we grabbed some lunch and beer. We made fun of the school kids who ate around us and then headed to the Imax theater to watch Bugs! in 3D. We walked next door to check out the Beatles photography exhibit at the Museum of American History and then went home.
The day was perfect. It was another reminder that you never know what will happen when you wake up in the morning. Sometimes bad stuff happens, but then sometimes great stuff happens. No sense in worrying about what your day will bring. Just wake up and find out what unfolds.
This sort of event shouldn't be wasted on laundry, grocery shopping, or any other errands one can do on any other day. This was an opportunity to see how the weekday people live (you know, those people who go out into the world on weekdays and live life instead of sitting in stuffy little offices all day). Some of us wanted to start drinking at 9:30 in the morning. We decided that might be a waste of our gift. The group finally decided to head for the Museum of Natural History where we could look at mammals and the Hope Diamond. After learning how much blood vampire bats need to consume each day (about two tablespoons), what a newborn kangaroo looks like, and how geodes come to be we grabbed some lunch and beer. We made fun of the school kids who ate around us and then headed to the Imax theater to watch Bugs! in 3D. We walked next door to check out the Beatles photography exhibit at the Museum of American History and then went home.
The day was perfect. It was another reminder that you never know what will happen when you wake up in the morning. Sometimes bad stuff happens, but then sometimes great stuff happens. No sense in worrying about what your day will bring. Just wake up and find out what unfolds.
2.05.2004
Knitting Circles
While I know that knitting circles became hip a few years ago, I never encountered one until Tuesday night when I was browsing the travel books at the Tallahassee Borders. A group of about 15 women ranging in age from early 20s to late 40s sat in a circle blocking the mathematics books. I eavesdropped on their stories for a few minutes and admired them for taking the time to develop their relationships with other women through this activity. By the number of registered groups on Meetup it appears that knitting circles are still popular. If I were to check out a knitting circle I think that I would go to Stitch 'n' Bitch as a resource for finding a cool group.
2.03.2004
Check Out Seeking Irony
Shout out to nm for her excellent coverage of "the terms reporters use to describe the object on Janet Jackson's nipple". Keep up the good work!
2.02.2004
Mannequin Comedy
The Japanese have the best ideas.
From Wired:
The late-night show Oh! Mikey (www.fuccon.com) follows the misadventures of the Fuccons, a stereotypical American family living in Tokyo. The stars of this sitcom are entirely plastic - as in meticulously posed, injection-molded models.
From Wired:
The late-night show Oh! Mikey (www.fuccon.com) follows the misadventures of the Fuccons, a stereotypical American family living in Tokyo. The stars of this sitcom are entirely plastic - as in meticulously posed, injection-molded models.
