a visual collective outlet of inspiration
a quick day trip to cold spring, ny. complete with a nice 4 hour hike, lunch along the trail, a priceless burger at whistling willie’s, and a photo journey. perfect fall day getaway. by nwa
ny places
david hockney: woldgate woods 9 camera video
this is how the cameras were mounted and operated by hockney himself
thank you chris obrien for the video
love this video series by david hockney of woldgate woods, england where he lived. there were the four seasons captured on video through this 9 panel installation mirroring his polaroids and photographs he’s so well known for. the winter sequence shot on november 26th (2010) is currently at pace gallery new york and seeing it was so beautiful, it made me want to move out of the city for the first time. worth a visit if you can skip a few shows. by uh
morbid anatomy
the morbid anatomy museum is finally complete, happily residing in their new headquarters in gowanus, brooklyn. i have attended two lectures there so far, both by the knowledgeable and charming dr. john troyer of the university of bath. the first lecture focused on the environmental issue of corpses; basically if their organic biomass is hazardous or helpful. the second dealt with the necrophilia laws in the united states, a case in wisconsin in particular, and other death-related errs in our country’s jurisprudence. nearly every night there is a fascinating lecture in the museum’s basement, and of course, the museum is open during the day as well to satisfy your skeletal cravings. the above photo is called homo ex humo (man from the dust) and can be found on the museum’s website. by sv
bloody, bloody jeff koons
these days when gallivanting in new york city, the presence of jeff koons is preeminent. his retrospective at the whitney museum is the first for both the artist and the museum; his work fills the entirety of the marcel breuer building. hated and loved by critics alike, one in particular took it upon himself to enter the retrospective yesterday, splatter red paint (in all its fallen angel glory) all over the wall and scribble a somewhat unidentifiable signature below. it is rumored to be monty cantsin (alias of istvan candor, a neoist), or possibly johnny rotten’s evil twin? either way, if you don’t agree with the politicking behind jeff koons, is this the best way to display that? [image and information courtesy of hyperallergic] by sv
hudson valley goodness
sometime between now and mid autumn, make your way out of the city and spend sometime with nature. get some fresh air and a good natural workout.
head up from grand central on the metro-north to the cold spring stop in the hudson valley and hike breakneck trail. it is both rewarding with it’s views and it’s challenges. the ‘trail’ is not for the weary. not for those who are scared of heights, not for those who are not limber, not for those who will wimp out. this one is serious but fun.
bring plenty of water, a camera or at least your phone, some protein and fruits to snack on (plenty of places to do a beautiful picnic even.) wear good sneakers with traction or hiking footwear with good thick socks. wear sunscreen and bug repellent. sunglasses optional but on a sunny day a good, secure pair will prevent a nice eyeball sunburn ( thats a real thing.) bring a small first aid kit in-case of any scrapes from the rock faces you’re about to beast. bring someone who is going to love it as much as you.
some stats:
the scenery- unreal and picturesque on a clear day
difficulty- 10 out of 10
highlights- insane views, incredibly steep trail, rock scrambling
distance- 3.7 – 4.0 mile loop
approximate roundtrip time- 4 hours
total ascent- 1,442 feet
my personal experience: i came off that trail feeling entirely accomplished, healthy, and clear minded. then i had a beer to reward myself for kicking my ass that hard on a sunday.
good luck and if you get around to discovering this hike, please share your experience in our comments section of this post!
sources ( and thank you to ) hike the hudson valley, new york state parks by pl
take a ride on the wild side
lou reed was a man of oh-so-many talents. including, as we see here, a good pitch. this is the 1985 ad for honda scooters, where lou urges you not to settle for walking, but wherever you travel–make sure it’s somewhere wild. you can see the world trade center in the background of the ad, and the sordid world of manhattan’s lower east side in the commercial. my my, how things change–but lou’s undeniable cool will reign forever! by sv
the old woman
this past sunday i sat anxiously with my fellow new yorkers (including steve buscemi) in the howard gilman opera house at BAM. we were anticipating the old woman, a beckettian and at times vaudevillian play starring the hysterically strange duo, willem dafoe and mikhail baryshnikov. i say hysterically in the comical sense, their almost slapstick outbursts and alternating shrieks are toxically delightful. the duo could be brothers, with our without the deranged kabuki makeup–and as the show demonstrated, their synchronicity is magnificent. there is an old woman’s corpse, is it in the trapezoidal bed? have several other old women fallen out of the window? are our protagonists, A and B merely halves of the same convoluted mind? perhaps all of these things. the play is based on the novella by daniil kharms, an absurdist soviet poet and writer, and certainly shines with glimpses of mayakovsky and other members of the futurist movement. even days later, i am still captivated by the folkloric animals and the suspenseful, oftentimes menacing lighting by aj weissband. the play runs through the end of the week, if you get a chance to be mesmerized by this angular and engaging pantomime circus. by sv
nude york: nude yoga craze
the nudist camp idea worked in principle, but never in practice. we wonder how that will net-out with the nude yoga craze that’s sweeping new york? if you ask us we could think of a few little glitches that may come at the seams.
there is bold & naked, and then there’s nude york yoga amongst many others. there are also one on one classes that may seem less problematic. in a q&a session, the issue of erections was passed around… “it rarely happens, but when it does it’s okay and nothing to be embarrassed about. it will pass quickly. erections happen for a lot of reasons and are not limited to sexual attraction. yoga moves a lot of energy throughout the body and sometimes erections happen. but once we start moving, there is no way an erection could be sustained, because of the physical nature of vinyasa yoga.” be sure to take that specific class. by nk
hotel americano
with a stunning design by renowned mexican architect enrique norten, the hotel americano stands majestically in the heart of west chelsea. boasting a gorgeous interior design by mch-arnaud montigny, visitors can enjoy their wood-enclosed beds, or dine and swim at the rooftop restaurant and luxurious pool (which changes temperature, depending on the season). by xy
disintegrator
brooklyn artist john avelluto experiments with easily comprehensible forms, but are they? what appears to be a sheet of graph paper is not; the forced perspective encourages the onlooker to make what they can out of this brilliant commentary on materialization. the exhibit opens tonight at the studio 10 gallery, a must-see if you are in the neighborhood (you could even stop by before you go and see this.) by sv
this weekend in williamsburg
if you happen to be meandering around brooklyn this upcoming spring-filled weekend, be sure to stop by the domino sugar factory for kara walker’s new installation. it reminds me of this scene from the neverending story, which is reason enough to check it out. by lil
the little foxes
ah, ruth elizabeth (bette) davis as the terrifyingly succinct regina in william wyler’s the little foxes is playing at BAM this weekend. no better place for a retrospective, no better time than a sunny new york weekend. read more about the film here. by sv
