People always ask me how I can live with such uncertainty in my life, not knowing what’s going to happen next, where I’ll be or how I’ll manage. I believe in living life with your sails loose, letting the wind carry you to where you’re intended, which I don’t think is always up to us. You certainly need to steer yourself in the direction you want to go, but sometimes planning to much can nip you in the butt in the end. If you sail with your sails to tight, you ultimately go no where. So this time around the wind has pushed me ashore to the beautiful Frank Ghery designed Guggneheim Bilbao and I couldn’t be happier.
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to reach my direction.” Jimmy Dean, country singer.
Gilberto Gil is one of those people who live for music and with a career that has spanned over 45 years it’s evident enough. With over 50 albums and 20 awards including two Grammies, I was sure I didn’t want to miss his performance at the Palacio Euskalduna in Bilbao. What’s interesting about Gilberto Gil as an artist is his persistent efforts in political movements and issues. Through his music and ideals he brought Brazil, his native country, hope and inspiration. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, elected Gil to be the Minister of Culture, making him only the second black person in the country’s cabinet. As minister, Gil pushed for music and education grants for poor neighbourhoods and tried to strength communities through the common threads of culture. In 2008 Gilberto Gil resigned from his position as minister due to personal health reasons.
Gilberto Gil
His music has been inspired by the cultural roots of Brazil found in Africa and the political events that have corrupted and attempted to restore Brazil. At the core of every song is the soulful sound of a decent man who wants nothing more than to write words to music that move the people. Performing in Bilbao as part of the “Festival against Censorship”, Gil provided vocals and guitar along with his son Bem Gil, both accompanied by Jacques Morelenbaum on the cello for a “String Concert”, live music at its best. The music moved the audience, as at times they participated in Gil’s recognizable whistling or lyrics, while some moved to the aisles to dance along to the Afro beats. While the songs were performed in Portuguese, Spanish and English, you could still appreciate the musicality, if you didn’t know the lyrics.
See the video above for his performance of Alapala ( The myth of Shango). Click here to see more videos of the concert and others from Europe thus far. http://www.youtube.com/user/laconquistadora77
Alright kids today is Thanksgiving and Black Friday is tomorrow, which means holiday season will be in full swing soon. I received another Barneys Blabber email, always a complete tease since I can’t go to the stores being in Europe. However, this week’s subject line “Give Good Art” caught my attention. Every year Barneys and Simon Doonan work with local art programs for kids and have them create a piece of art that they’re proud of surrounding a theme, this year being “witty”. The works are then sent to your local Barneys store for you to buy, with all the proceeds going back to your neighborhood art programs.
So, what I am saying is get off your butt and go to Barneys, like you didn’t want to already and buy a piece of work to give as a present for Christmas or Hanukkah and make a kid happy. You never know he or she may become the next Jackson Pollock. In that case buy two works and keep one for yourself and start that art collection you have been secretly wanting.
If you’re shopping in NYC prices start at $250, Boston $100 and if you happen to be in Seattle or Las Vegas $50. Not sure what they’re getting at with the demographic price changes, but think how happy the tots will be.
For more information on “Give Good Art” check out the link below.
I never understood déjà vu, but all I know is that I get it. That moment where you feel like you’ve seen the scenes being played out in front of you before. When you know the details so well you know exactly what’s about to happen. It is a bit unsettling to not know how or why you get these feelings, but you get them with such certainty that these events have happened before.
Betty from Man Men, spicing things up.
I was lucky to have all the back issues of Interview magazine in my office and I began to read the August issue with January Jones on the cover. Jack Nicholson gave the interview and consequently the article was witty, unexpected and full of answers we really want to know. At one point Nicholson asked January about her fate and belief system.
She had this to say …
“Well, I feel déjà vu a lot. Someone said that means that you’re living your life the right way because maybe you have foresight, because then, when something actually happens, it feels like déjà vu. I like to think of it that way.”
For now her answer will bring some comfort. I wonder who that “someone” was. She goes on to say…
“there have been so many moments in my life where I have had three dollars to my name, and just before I call home and say “I need to come back”, something happens, something falls on my lap, something wonderful.”
I think the foresight she speaks of is the ability to continue doing things for yourself that make you happy, that make you selfish in a good way. I believe life will always lean in your favor, if you act it out in the right way, by living in the moment and trusting that good will come. Being optimistic, but also a realist in acting out those intuitions.
Believe me shit has happend to me before, my head’s not in the clouds. Getting jumped in Penn Station in NYC will just about make you shut down and stop believing in the things you loved, like NYC. When you can make it through events like those, you find you become rewarded in so many other ways, that those moments become so far in the distance, you don’t look back because the future looks so much brighter. That event was almost 8 months ago and what I have accomplished since than helps me understand you can get through anything if you never loose faith in yourself.
This gives me an idea to rent Deva Vu with Denzel Washington and catch up on my Mad Men.
Umberto Boccioni is probably one of my favorite artist. I instantly fell in love with him when I met his 1912 painting Materia. Entering the Masterpieces of Futurism exhibition, which has been showcased at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection since 1997, the artist’s subject in the painting, the woman sitting with her hands clasped tight, resting on her lap, immediately evokes emotion. The intensity from which the colours Boccioni presents and the use of cubism and futurist techniques like pointillist brush strokes and layered perception, make this painting a masterpiece with the intention to captivate you, whether up close or from far away.
Masterpieces of Futurism is twenty-five paintings dedicated to the work of the Italian Futurist artists and one of their collectors Gianni Mattiolo. The Futurist movement evolved around the ideas that spurred from the turn of the 20th century, such as the advancements man was making in the industrial and political world. While the war was stirring in Europe, so was the need for the help from industrial machines. Artist belonging to the Futurist group idolized these machines for their speed and movement. The way they moved and sounded is symbolized by their works with horses, cars and bicycles. They found beauty in the way machines synchronized like choreography. You have to imagine a time before cars were on the road. When you would previously hear the trotting of horse and carriage, you now heard the loud engines of cars that could go no faster than 30 miles per hour. All these new ideas and concepts excited the Futurist group and they dedicated themselves to these views by signing the Futurist manifesto professing to paint the movement and speed that was overtaking the early 1900’s. Click on the link to see the rest of the exhibtion.
To compliment this exhibition a wonderful book was written called The Mattioli Collection: Masterpieces of the Itlian Avant-garde, written by Flavio Fergonzi, which also voices a great essay written by Gianni Mattioli’s living daughter who has worked hand in hand with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection to allow the masses to see her father’s collection.
“Although Italian artists played a major role in the creation of Modernism, many of them are little known on the international scene. One of the main reasons for this is the isolation of Italy brought about by fascism. This is why my father was always keen to lend abroad — he sent his pictures all over Europe and to America and Japan — because he regarded it as his duty to improve the understanding of the distinctive Italian contribution to the development of Modern Art.” – Laura Mattioli Rossi
To accompany Latina Magazine’s “Drink of the Week” I have decided to post my very own drink. My own recipe for deliciousness, which I like to call the “Sexy, Classy, Cute”.
A 3 Part concoction of a sweetness delight, which has been proven to get me out of any bad mood, get me ready to party or simply reward my taste-buds.
1 Vodka- Sexy
1 Champagne- Classy
1 St. Germain- Cute
If you find it to strong, sweeten it up with white grape juice.
St. Germain is a French liqueur which comes from hand picked blossoms of Elderflowers found in the French Alps. While the drink may taste sweet, you should know that it actually has half the sugar content than most mixed drinks. So ladies keep them coming without feeling guilty. Because of the quality of flowers St. Germain is special and rare, so if you see their beautiful bottle posing at the bar, be sure to ask for it on the rocks or mixed like above. Having been in Italy and Spain for the past 6 months, I have looked into every bar and liquor store in hopes to find a bottle to savor, but there has been no luck. So, please if you are back in the states or in France, order a drink with St. Germain and think of me. I hope to find bottle in my Christmas stocking this year.
Latina Magazine just named “Conqusitadora” their cocktail of the week. I think they captured the essence of a true Conquistadora. Click on the link to get the recipe and get more cocktail recommendations.
“The Conquistadora is named after every independent woman who’s glowing with beauty from the inside out. Unlike the usual Cosmos, Daiquiris, and Piña Coladas, this cocktail is not for the tame. It’s powerful and is only meant for those who know what they want and are willing to go for it.”
It is as if they dedicated this drink especially for me. With the main ingredient being rum, I think they got it just right.
Bilbao is celebrating Jazz all year long. With their current cultural program “365 Jazz Bilbao”, they are striving to promote the present Jazz scene in the city. “Todo el Año, Todo el Jazz”, which translates to “All year-long, All Jazz” is what the musicians of this Basque city already with a thriving art and night scene are hoping to do. Events all year-long are open to the public most free, with some requiring a paid admission.
A fan of Jazz, thanks to the classics such as Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis to the young acts of today like Chris Botti, I knew I wouldn’t want to miss out.
So I take my seat in the lounge café of the Hotel Hesperia Bilbao located along the Nervion River. A trio who call themselves the Blues and Latin Collection performed a mix of romantic American melodies along with those with Latin beats. The lead singer studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, while the other two were from Argentina and Madrid.
They played a two-hour set, while wine and pinxos were passed around. The performance made for a lovely evening with a nice buzz and content stomach. I slept well that night.
Working at a museum has its benefits. The Guggenheim Bilbao, fortunately for me has a calendar full of events. One in particular was that of artists Eric and Mary Ross, a husband and wife team from New York. Before the performance there was an invitation to hear the two artists speak of the influences that served tonight’s performance.
I willingly went hoping to learn something new. The duo were an interesting couple, I immediately could tell they were from New York, which I confirmed in the Q&A after. Mary spoke first of her work as a video artist and her start in the 70’s when technology wasn’t what it is today. Demonstrating the length of computers back then with her hands stretched as far they could go to both of her sides.
Before digital cameras and Photoshop’s capabilities of today, Ross would have to take a photograph a television broadcasting, making an electronic image and use a video synthesiser to manipulate the image. It was trial and error for hours until she achieved what suited her. Computers at this time didn’t have a “Save As” option, so persistence and dedication was needed to get through one work.
I later asked Mary if today, she herself has evolved into the digital world. She said she has made the transition, but still likes the effect of Analog television and will use it from time to time.
Many of Mary’s video performances are accompanied by her husband Eric’s music. Eric is part of a small group of musicians who play the Theremin; an instrument invented in the 1920’s by Lev Theremin a Russian inventor who discovered radio waves. He later created a device that could imitate radio waves through sound.
This device would later become a musical instrument called the Theremin and would create the sound effects heard in countless scary movies without using strings or keys. The instrument is very rare and hard to come by as the wave of new 80’s music technology replaced the Theremin with audio synthesisers. Eric however, continued to play the Theremin in New York, creating an album which would be represented by a Jazz label, as its sound was so avant-garde.
During his performance for which he writes his own music, he is accompanied by a guitar, piano and his beloved Theremin. Below you will find a video clip of Eric and Mary Ross’s performance at the Guggenheim Bilbao.
This isn’t quiet what I would be playing on my Ipod or listening to at home. I can appreciate the fact however, that both Eric and Mary have stayed true to the art that they feel calls on them. There are many who abandon the old ways, for the newer and shinier things in life.
Overall, I think credit is due when artists think outside the box and can dedicate themselves to something that makes them happy.
If you are familiar with the Guggenheim in New York, than you may be familiar with Art After Dark. Every first Friday of the month, the rotunda of the Frank Lloyd Wright building becomes a social night scene, mixing music, drinks and abstract art. Guggenheim Bilbao has adopted the same program and you know I don’t miss a party.
Dj’s Mimoloco, Marc Antona and Accion Sanches provided music while people in their mid-twenties socialized and eventually danced when the booze kicked in. The galleries were open to young crowds enjoying the exhibitions of Frank Lloyd Wright and from Private to Public, an exhibition showcasing 7 main collections that have contributed to the Guggenheim Foundation. By the end of the night the event was a success, which wrapped up around 1am. If you are in New York and haven’t been to Art After Dark I suggest you go.
***Boys, museums are great place to pick up girls. We just love sensitive guys who like art. If you wear skinny jeans, you’ll get bonus points. Ok I am kidding, but really check it out.
Here is a video clip of DJ Acquaviva performing last year during the Cai Guo Qiang Exhibition. For some good old Euro dancing fast forward 2:20. Enjoy!
