R.I.P. St. Vincent's

St. Vincent's Hospital is to close after 160 years. Certainly a great loss for the community. Many of my friends were born or had their babies at St. Vincent's. Of course it was also the emergency facility closest for those in the Village.

Marina, Erykah and Genesis

Marina Abramović has said that the highest from of art is music, second in line is performance art and all the other art forms rank lower. I am comfortable in the trenches of visual art and particularly with its ugly step child Photography.
My first conscious encounter with performance art, Marina Abromavić's medium, was during my first year of grad school. Someone tenured at my university invited the new students to their performance and attendance was strongly suggested.
Art much like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and let's just say that that performance further drove me into the trenches of visual art.
However I try to have an open mind. I am intrigued by performance artists such as Genesis P-Orridge and Marina Abramović -- often more so by them than their work -- but to separate one from the other is probably besides the point.
No matter how you relate to performance art or what you think of it, undeniably the medium is having a moment.
Marina Abramović is currently at the MOMA, Genesis P-Orridge is receiving major accolades & recognition and Erykah Badu was recently charged with disorderly conduct in Dallas, TX after the filming of her latest video/performance art piece.
I guess critics would call Erykah Badu's video and perhaps even Marina Abramović's current work at the MOMA performance light. It certainly is accessible, but I think that is a good thing.

You can currently see Erykah Badu's video Window Seat at www.erykahbadu.com and of course you can find it on www.youtube.com aswell.
If you cannot make it to the MOMA you can bear virtual witness to Marina Abromović's The Artist is Present, by visiting: www.moma.org. And I would recommend reading Edward Winkelman's post about an evening with Genesis P-Orridge titled Extreme Living, which you can find at: www.edwardwinkleman.blogspot.com (such a good blog!)

Earl ( & Lady ) Grey

Recently an old friend said to my husband that perhaps he should think of coloring his hair. I am sure this friend meant well, but it's an absurd suggestion because my husband is a) not a vain man and b) is very fond of all things low maintenance.
But more than that, I love his greys.!
Just as I ♥ George Clooney's salt & pepper hair.
Well turns out my taste is indeed impeccable and absolutely au courant.
Read more about the trend of grey hair in Ruth La Ferla's Young Trendsetters Streak Their Hair With Gray published April1, 2010 (no, this wasn't an April Fools Day Joke). Find the article by clicking here.

Paper & Cashmere

Bit of Radio Silence, because I was knee deep in paperwork and some house renovations. I finished my taxes which was a lot of sorting and paper work, and I am also reorganizing my whole business. I should have taken greater advantage while in college and taken business classes (as my dad suggested). But I didn't. I learned some good practices from people I worked for and I recently did a lot of reading. I also engaged a little outside help. And I am re-organising my whole business. It's exciting and I think will help me to also be creatively more productive. (and keep me from following the path of a certain Annie L.!).
A fun project I am doing for relaxation on the side is trying my hand at recycling cashmere sweaters into a blanket. I was inspired by Sun Moon Lake, I doubt my blanket will look as awesome, but I'll try my best. And if you have some old cashmere sweaters you want to give away, let me know.