Photo diary: my week in arts and leisure

January 27, 2013
I watched the DVD of Pedro Almodovar last film THE SKIN I LIVE IN -- wow, creepy!

I watched the DVD of Pedro Almodovar last film THE SKIN I LIVE IN — wow, creepy!

Friday afternoon in the snow, Andy and I made a long-anticipated pilgrimage to Spa Castle -- we didn't follow these hardy souls into the outdoor pools, though

Friday afternoon in the snow, Andy and I made a long-anticipated pilgrimage to Spa Castle — we didn’t follow these hardy souls into the outdoor pools, though

Then Saturday night we did some gallery-hopping, beginning at Coates Wyllie on W. 29th Street, where the group show CHARACTER SATURATION included Rupert Nesbitt's "Elusive Fox"

Then Saturday night we did some gallery-hopping, beginning at Coates Wyllie on W. 29th Street, where the group show CHARACTER SATURATION included Rupert Nesbitt’s “Elusive Fox”

Then we taxied across town to Alexander and Bonin for Matthew Benedict's show "Americana," which included this beautiful collage construction titled "Silent"

Then we taxied across town to Alexander and Bonin for Matthew Benedict’s show “Americana,” which included this beautiful collage construction titled “Silent”

Ben and Matt are old friends from school (Art Institute of Chicago)

Ben and Matt are old friends from school (Art Institute of Chicago)

I had never seen Matt's work before -- it's often witty...

I had never seen Matt’s work before — it’s often witty…

...and often macabre.

…and often macabre.

Andy's favorite piece was the painting "Six of Spades"

Andy’s favorite piece was the painting “Six of Spades”

Afterwards we had dinner at Trestle on Tenth with Jim Corbin, who stopped at Equinox to tweak the nipple of the Equinox spokesmodel

Afterwards we had dinner at Trestle on Tenth with Jim Corbin, who stopped at Equinox to tweak the nipple of the Equinox spokesmodel

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Playlist: iPod shuffle, 1/27/13

January 27, 2013

“Runnin’ Back for More,” Gabrielle Stravelli
“Oh Phoney,” Morrissey
“Chuch,” Shabazz Palaces
“Forget About it,” Lissy Trullie
“Half Life,” Imogen Heap
“Better Version of Me,” Fiona Apple
“Hung Up,” Madonna
“Fluorescent Half Dome,” Dirty Projectors
“Baghdad Café: Calling You,” Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
“Answers Come in Dreams,” Hercules & Love Affair
“Undamned,” Over the Rhine (featuring Lucinda Williams)
“Why Can’t I Grow a Beard?” the Gay Blades
“World War 24,” Ryan Adams
“If You Knew,” Jeff Buckley
“For the Roses,” Cassandra Wilson
“The First Preaching Match: Is It Like This For Her Here Always?” A Minister’s Wife OCR
“St. Exquisite’s Confessions,” Of Montreal
“Lilac Wine,” Anastasia Barzee
“Flagstaff,” Atlas Sound
“Step by Step,” Jesse Winchester
“Lay Myself Down,” Mazzy Star

mazz star

 

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In this week’s New Yorker

January 26, 2013

jan 21 cover
Not a lot excited me, aside from Hilton Als’ scathing review of the new revival on Broadway of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. But last week’s issue (cover date January 21) had three strong features:

* David Remnick’s disheartening “Letter from Jerusalem,” about the rise of Israel’s new frightening radical right movement;

* David Owen’s very entertaining story, “The Psychology of Space,” about the Norwegian design firm (Snøhetta, creators of the Oslo Opera House, below) that has been hired to transform Times Square “to reconfigure the space in such a way that city residents will stop walking blocks out of their way to avoid it”;
oslo opera houseand

* “Tasmanian Devil,” Richard Flanagan’s profile of David Walsh, a nutty high-stakes gambler who has sunk a fortune into creating The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) dedicated to artistic representations of sex and death.

I didn’t read James Wood’s review of pseudonymous Italian author Elena Ferrante’s novels but the New Yorker Out Loud podcast made Ferrante sound intriguingly intense — all three of the people talking about her work said there were times when they had to put the books down because they described things that were unbearable to contemplate.

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Quote of the day: MACHIAVELLI

January 26, 2013

MACHIAVELLI

If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

 It would be Niccolò Machiavelli, “The Prince.” Machiavelli is frequently dismissed today as an amoral cynic who supposedly considered the end to justify the means. In fact, Machiavelli is a crystal-clear realist who understands the limits and uses of power. Fundamental to his thinking is the distinction he draws between the concepts expressed in Italian as virtù and fortuna. These don’t mean “virtue” and “fortune.” Instead, virtù refers to the sphere in which a statesman can influence his world by his own actions, contrasted with fortuna, meaning the role of chance beyond a statesman’s control. But Machiavelli makes clear, in a wonderful metaphor contrasting an uncontrollable flood with protective measures that can be taken in anticipation of a flood, that we are not helpless at the hands of bad luck. Among a statesman’s tasks is to anticipate what might go wrong, and to plan for it. Every president (and all of us nonpoliticians as well) should read Machiavelli and incorporate his thinking.

— Jared Diamond

jared diamond illo

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Photo diary: objets de janvier

January 26, 2013
One of my pet peeves these days is people in restaurants photographing every dish that comes to the table. And here I am snapping a shot of my fish tacos at Rosa Mexicano. It's official: I annoy myself.

One of my pet peeves these days is people in restaurants photographing every dish that comes to the table. And here I am snapping a shot of my fish tacos at Rosa Mexicano. It’s official: I annoy myself.

IKEA art

IKEA art

Brooklyn trio: Dave, David, and Andy

Brooklyn trio: Dave, David, and Andy

West Coast duo: Keith and Adam

West Coast duo: Keith and Adam

my newly painted hallway is Newburgh Green

my newly painted hallway is Newburgh Green

still life with tamarind pulp

still life with tamarind pulp

 

 

 

 

 

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