The clothing we wear is like a shell.
Here’s the trick to shells, because it’s not about how pretty or porcelain-like they appear: their most important feature is also their most overlooked. A shell is hollow. Its hollowness is what makes it a shell.
It only lives when it is filled.
Today is the opening of the ‘Chromantics’ art exhibit at the OVADA Gallery. As a tribute to that, and as a way to celebrate the opening in the only way I can from such a distance, here’s the poem on color I wrote and that Mr. Watkins was kind enough to select for display. If you’re lucky enough to be in Oxford right now, by all means check out this show. It’s open until April 28, so there’s still time.
From the very first time
He saw a box of crayons
Spilling their treasure across a tabletop
He knew they would hold his heart
And save his life.
Abundance of riches,
These limitless hues,
They gave happiness to all
Without explanation or reason
Inspiring wonder
With their primal evocation.
Give me your pigments,
Your shades
Your saturation.
Show me how you subtly shift
Between scarlet and cinnabar
The delicate gradations from sky to powder
Blue.
Ember rust
All your glorious gradations
Hombre undulations.
Pathway to expression
Relief and release
In every prismatic shard
This is light,
This is life
Swirled into water
Ground into dust
Imbued into oil
Elemental and fine.
Color bleeds our passions
When our voices and words
Are rendered silent,
When our sounds and songs
Become quiet
When our fingers and hands
Can no longer feel
Color allows the heart to speak
Allows the mind to reveal
Striking at the very heart of darkness
Obliterating the indistinct
Telling our story when the world
Seems hellbent on stopping us.
Color finds the way.
When you’re slaving over the paper towel dispenser in the office restroom, really pumping and pumping the handle because you feel it’s making traction, and nothing is happening… then all of a sudden it lets loose with an exploding accordion of fresh paper towels: that’s glorious.
“The more so, I say, because truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable any more.
For this reason a sleeping apartment should never be furnished with a fire, which is one of the luxurious discomforts of the rich. For the height of this sort of deliciousness is to have nothing but the blanket between you and your snugness and the cold of the outer air. Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal.” ~ Herman Melville, ‘Moby Dick’
It’s best to sleep in a cool room. There’s an old adage that claims benefits and health to the practice of sleeping in cooler temperatures, and I’m all about it. As Melville so perfectly renders it, the contrast between a cozy bed and a chilly interior is what enables us to enjoy the comfort of the thing. It also makes getting up on a winter morning the stuff of trolls and devils. Some of us weren’t made for such hardships.
Personally, I’ve always preferred being on the cool side. It is much easier to warm up than to cool down. A sweater, a blanket, a cape, a turban – the options for gathering heat are many, and fabulous. When you’re trying to cool down, there is just so much nakedness you can achieve before the public calls the police. (I won’t even mention the difficulty of stripping down in an office setting, well, beyond this anyway.) The point is, it’s easier to add than take away. Think of it like using spices, and turn down your thermostat at night. Saves energy too.
To be considered good, a melon must not only be sweet, but also smooth. I do not look for crunchiness in a cantaloupe or honeydew. Crunchy is for granola.
The return of the Jonas Brothers continues with their latest single ‘Cool’ dropping any minute now. I enjoyed the video and song for their recent ‘Sucker’ but beyond these parts I’m not sure how much of an impact it had. They’ve definitely upped their imagery of late, even if their shirtless exploits will always be preferable to just about anything else. (Except maybe full-frontal male nudity…) Anyway, check out ‘Cool’ when it becomes available – I will too.
Bulge note: much ado is being made over the crotch area of the Nick Jonas photo seen below. Everybody wants to see VPL, especially on Nick Jonas apparently. It’s here for purely academic purposes.
Madonna posted a cryptic triple-triptych on her Instagram account, with nine images working together to one big red ‘X’ which we are all assuming is some message about her upcoming album (praise be). In the same vein of those who re-created her wire-bound face from the ‘Rebel Heart’ album, I made my own tribute because I like red and I like the letter ‘A.’
As for what this means in Madonna’s world, your guess is as good as mine, and I don’t even have one. Life is a mystery, and I’m not trying to figure it out anymore. Just give us some music, put your ‘Vogue’ costume on, and that’s your outfit for the night.
The 150th entry in the Madonna Timeline is due to be posted this weekend, so keep your eyes open for that. Until then, here’s a selective group of timelines that you may have missed or intentionally skipped. Best to come up to speed before we go much further. A quick recap of some notable timelines:
#133 – Easy Ride
#134 – Inside Out
#139 – American Pie
#140 – Express Yourself
#141 – Body Shop
#142 – Vogue
#144 – Mer Girl
#147 – Secret Garden
#148 – American Life
This is supposedly the famous Zac Efron Freedom Speedo, as put on the head of Rob Gronkowski.
I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions.
{See more of the Gronk here, and more of the Efron here.}
Sometimes you happen to be in the right place at the right time to see something whimsical, adorable, and perfect for spring. That place happened to be Saratoga as two ducks made their way along a crosswalk and the traffic waited for them to pass. I don’t usually bother to whip my phone camera out to capture such sights, but I did this time, just as they made their way safely across the street. It was a happy ending, as we later passed them again dawdling near a building.
Who knew that Saratoga was so ducky? I thought horses were their thing…
I find it hard to believe that people are still falling for the full frontal jokes of this day, but silliness can be contagious, and I’ve been afflicted. On with the recap of the last week, in which Mercury finally slid out of retrograde and hopefully restored some order into life.
It began with a blue spruce in a blue sky.
These threads are not golden, but still worth a look.
Spring + Ice = Sprice.
The Beekman Boys introduced me to HSN.
The Madonna/Warren Beatty duet from ‘I’m Breathless’ and the summer of ‘Dick Tracy’.
This bird was the word.
Chris Evans: shirtless American superhero.
I need it, I want it, if you get it I will flaunt it.
Hunks of the Day included Peter Hermann, Mike Trout, Evan Antin, Jonathan Knight, Michael Berresse, and Ben Hunte.
Cristiano Ronaldo fans are in for a treat today, as the title of this post not-so-secretly reveals. Footballer extraordinaire, Mr. Ronaldo knows his way around a ball scene, and as purveyor of his own underwear line, knows a thing or two about boxer-briefs too. Keep scrolling to see the goods, but stop along the way for some gratuitous links.
See this post about his skivvies.
Or this one crowning him as Hunk of the Day.
His latest underwear design certainly shows off the piping.
And speaking of pipes… that full-frontal glimpse is just beyond the scroll-down…
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Happy April Fools Day! Sorry, it’s what we do here, and always have done. Here’s a bulge-tastic post of Cristiano for those who don’t want to leave mad.
{See Zac Efron’s full-frontal shot here.}
{See a full-frontal David Beckham shot here.}
{See Tom Daley’s full-frontal shot here.}
{See the Ben Cohen full-frontal shot here.}
A new art show curated by Albany sensation Tommy Watkins opens across the pond next week. ‘Chromantics’ is a show celebrating the use of color, something that appeals to all of us who love a little pigment, especially yours truly. Mr. Watkins also opened up the show for a few written pieces on the subject of color, so I sent one in and was lucky enough to be featured. While I sadly can’t make it all the way to the opening, if you’re in the area give it a look.
Watkins was an Albany institution whose work touched many and reached far beyond the typical insular circles of an art scene. He also supported and encouraged fellow artists with their creative endeavors, and I’d see him out and about on 1stFridays when he wasn’t busy putting on a show himself. The best artists are those who get out and spread their inspiration and enthusiasm, sharing their love for creative expression and genuinely thriving off such interactions. Check out the write up with all the requisite info below:
This April the Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot will be splashing its walls with a bright and colourful array of art works as it hosts the Chromantics exhibition. A selection of artworks from OVADA’s Associate artists pair together for a dramatic collection of colour and creativity.
This playful arrangement of striking work, including paintings and sculpture, set out to challenge the audience on what contemporary art can be. Curator and artist, Tommy Watkins, invites you to explore this unique exhibition and meet the people who are shaping Oxfordshire’s art scene.The title of the show comes from a fusing of the words ‘Chroma’ and ‘Romantic’ as a poetic way to say ‘To be romanced by colour’. This show hopes to highlight the special chemistry found when pairing different styles of art into a cohesive body of work. These artworks revel with the brilliance of summer and extol the crispness of a spring day, but most impressive, is that this show has brought together over fifty artists, demonstrating the strength of the creative community in Oxfordshire. With inclusion being the guiding principle for selecting artworks, Watkins was resolute when saying;
“My goal with this show was to bring many different creators together and let us admire the unique and special traits we all have as artists and even more so as people. I see a chance here for us to appreciate and celebrate what makes us all individuals and at the same time emphasise how we are so much stronger when we come together as one.â€
To add even more emphasis on unification Watkins has opened up the exhibition to include three poems from international poets and included artworks from a group of young artists through ‘The National House Project’, a charity that provides support to young people, enabling them to develop their own local housing.
As the first off-site exhibition for OVADA Associates, Chromantics demonstrates the organisation’s artist-led ethos. This event is the first formal collaboration between Cornerstone and OVADA and we can expect to see great things ahead with these two innovative organisations in collaboration. Cornerstone Arts Project Manager, Jessie Coller expressed her excitement by saying, “Cornerstone are delighted to be welcoming OVADA artists to our gallery with their stunning work. As a thriving arts centre, we are committed to supporting local artists and building relationships in the Oxfordshire area and we are thrilled that our conversations with OVADA have culminated with this fantastic exhibition.â€
To discover more vibrant events, programming and art opportunities please visit: www.ovada.org.uk and www.cornerstone-arts.org
We also encourage you to explore the great work taking place over at www.thehouseproject.org
Launch event: 6th April 2019, 5-8pm
Exhibition runs: 3rd – 28th April – 28th 2019 (see Cornerstone website for times)
Venue: Cornerstone Arts Centre, 25 Station Road, Didcot, OX11 8RJ, UK.Poets: Alan Ilagan, R.M. Engelhardt, Jasen Ward
Exhibiting OVADA Artists: Wendy Aldiss – Kate Aries – Didi Baldwin – Juliet Bankes – Lisa Bates – Betsy Bell – Sarah Birch – John Blythe – Luis Rafael Borja – Joshua Browitt – Sue Chamberlin – Aileen Creegan – Clare Crombie – Jan Crombie – Robin Danely – Phil Dobson – Elizabeth Gascoigne – Emily Gong – Julie Gooddy – Ellen Hausner – Mary Haynes – John Hazell – Katie Hellon – Deborah Hudson – Ala Jazayeri – Elaine Kazimierczuk – Gabriele Kern – Monica Lewis – Rebecca Lyne – Andrew Manson – Adriana May – Jacqueline McLaurin – Kieran McLean – Miranda Millward – William Milne – Jeremy Morgan – Naomi Morris – Christopher Neal – Sue Perstitious – Lucy Phillips – Jezella Pigott – Deborah Pill – Marina Price – Roger Pugh – Catalina Renjifo – Melissa Rodd – Marigold Short – Alex Singleton – Matt Smart – Brigitte Stepputtis – Katie Taylor – Gill White – Sarah Wills-Brown
Please note that works in this exhibition are family friendly.
There’s this robe…
So many stories in my life have begun with those three words, and thus far all have ended happily. I’m crossing my fingers that the same sort of magic will manifest itself for this post. This is the Bergman Robe. Produced by Mr. Turk, who never met a color combination or dramatic design he didn’t like, it takes the classic chevron stripes and puts them onto a gorgeous frame of clothing that drapes ever-so-exquisitely over the body. (Yes, I realize the body is what’s being sold here, but who am I not to buy? I mean try?) Even with that, my focus and gaze is on the robe. It’s the eternally elusive trick: it’s not an object you’re purchasing, it’s an attitude, an atmosphere, an air. If one buys into it, and I always do, it’s worth the $298 price tag. Yes, it’s exorbitant. Yes, it’s ridiculous. And yes, it will make me happy – because fashion is more than a means to an end – it’s an event, a memory, a moment in time captured forever. I’ve been reading that instead of expensive jewelry and other material possessions, we should be investing in travel and experiences. For me, this robe is an experience. It will lend itself to be worn on special occasions – and I will remember those occasions as much for the robe as for whatever cologne and whatever guests and loved ones are around me at the time. It may even be the experience itself. I still remember the evening I wore this velvet and ostrich feather extravaganza, alone in the Boston condo in the middle of winter, fantasizing about the future and the past, and somehow making a memory that has lasted to this day. The robe made that experience happen.
As for the Bergman robe (which you can purchase here if you are so inclined), I’ve had my eye on it for a while, and I have a few ideas on when I’d like to wear it – a fancy brunch, a summer show, a flower party, a visit to the Saratoga Auto Museum to complement the Chevron design… so it will not go to waste. I’ll even pose for a few pictures in it. If you’re going to twist my arm…
After years of confusion, anger, and disappointment, I’ve finally come to the realization that I’m one of those unfortunate people with whom the universe just wants to fuck. Four out of five times that I go to Starbucks, the half-and-half container is empty when I get to it.
