Epic blogging: Hartford Art; Gabi; Kingdom; Rizzla; Nichole Pride; the Main Drag; etc.

The last few days were just a whirl of activity. Wednesday, it occured to me that I had to get to my framer ASAP, and I didn't have time to think or research who might be good in Boston, so since I had some time, I drove down to Hartford and paid Shortell a visit. Shortell always takes care of my framing. He's fabulously wierd but quite a charmer for sure.

Anyway, that drive coincided with the studio tours going on at Billings Forge-- Janice La Motta's new project under the auspices of Luis Cotto's big art and culture community center in Frog's Hollow. Its really really nice. It made me pine for affordable (free) studio spaces in a city where barely anybody is looking at what you're doing. Beautiful. Some good work. Saw a lot of dear friends.

Later, I slept over at Ross, Kevjn, Skylar, and J's new place in W Hartford. It is beautiful. It rivals Oxford Street Manse for its handsome stature and impressive square footage. Leave it to them to carry on from one beautiful piece of property to another. Nice to see they are still living comfortably. Real estate geniuses.

Next day I wisked Gabi up off her feet and carried her over state lines to Massachusetts. Beautiful. We hung out all night and partied at boyfriend's party with D'Hana, Nichole Pride and Kingdom, in town from New York. Really fun. Everyone in the club was definitely cute. After the party we went to Ellen's Cambridge roof and chilled hard until early waking hours.

Yesterday, Matt Bach's band, the Main Drag played at TT the Bear's, so Brian, Kingdom and I went over to watch. Beautiful. Power-pop-synth-drag. Stay thin, I think is there message.

Later we found a Sonic the Hedgehog costume and stuff happened.

Matt Morello in Hartford

Morello

Janice La Motta in front of several of Matt Morello's paintings

Alyssa Drake

Oooooooooooooh the incomparable Jeff Cowie

THE NEXT DAY:

KK

reunion

rainbow break

THE NEXT DAY: GABI DOES BOSTON

Nichole Pride

with Adrian

Rizzla

Ellen's jumpsuit

happy birthday Rebeccah

Rizzla & Kingdom

new art acquired: Jeff Cowie's "Mike Tyson"

THE NEXT DAY: THE MAIN DRAG @ TT the BEARS

the Main Drag

Ezra

Rebeccah

PSYCH.

NO NO NO

Last night was themed "African Safari." Brian F, Jamie, Anna, Ellen, her neighbor Brad and I grilled on the porch and then walked over to E Room for beerz. Someone notable was DJing but I don't know who it was... everything at E Room always sounds bassy and exactly the same as always.

While all of that was happening, I was getting texts from Maura, urging me to watch David Letterman interview Anna Wintour as a guest on his show, I suppose in support of the new documentary following her working life at Vogue and behind-the-scenes looks at editing the mammoth Septempber issue.

I youtubed the interview this morning. Ms. Wintour is not spectacularly witty, warm or endearing and is certainly scripted and rehearsed. But who cares, she's a successful, famous business woman-- she is not an entertainer. I don't like that people expect her to have hidden soft spots, warmth or demure modesty. That confusing Morley Safer 60 Minutes interview was shockingly misogynist, casually interogating her on being a "bitch," "ice queen" and a professional. Its difficult to imagine ol' Morley confronting powerful male editors or CEOs with that level of incredulity and disrespect.

I like her because she is here to run shit, make power grabs, expand aesthetic empires, legitimize and ruin creative careers at whim, encourage exquisite taste, possess every social grace and party out of necessity to show face. I respond to romance power... the complete aestheticizing of capitalism.

That is all just to say, I can't wait to see the film.

ART UPDATE

Hey y'all. I just updated my portfolio website, at long last. I have been painting in my kitchen all summer in Boston. Check it!

Also, I am included in a group show opening in a few weeks at Boston University, Sherman Gallery. The show is called 'Casual Males'

Its a show about guys hanging out doing guy stuff. I'm showing the painting pictured above, as well as one other.

Loves it.

leather mack

LIFE IN MONO

Not like you need me to point out the obvious but summer is almost over and we barely even ever had it. Its a mystery. Don't you think that once in the next two or three weeks, we can stir up the essentials? Combine nudity or near-nudity, a clean or nearly clean body of water, carefree attitudes toward sexuality, youth, elation, dusk, flagrant irresponsibility, etc. What I've always wanted was to start a lifestyle brand to support the sale of something or nothing, whatever, which is one explanation for why I continue to paint. Its the reason I think Ralph Lauren (b. Ralph Lifshitz) and Andy Warhol (b. Andrew Warhola) possess minted American genius of similar import.

Anyway, even if this never coordinates and materializes, I will still remember the event of kind I just described because thats how summer exists in my fantasy memory. It is like an Abercrombie and Fitch Quarterly (which climaxed in popularity and scandal during my most critical years as a teenager, thus, forever flavoring my idea of fun, for better or for worse) tempered with something less muscular and heteronormative. Like I also want to mix in J. M. Barrie, Thomas Eakins, Mona Kuhn, Bill Henson, Brandon Herman or Ryan McGinley.

At any rate and at long last. I'm feeling wordy. This is the song I recommend for your transition from summer to autumn wardrobe:

one with nature and at peace with the internet