Author: approximately

Anyway, my roommate and I have the funniest relationship. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve never had a fight or disagreement of any sort. I don’t know how else to describe it but a “symphony of circumvention.” For example, we’ve both been home for the past two days, but we’ve never actually seen one another. I might be in my room and she’ll be in the bathroom, then I’ll move out to the kitchen and she’ll be in her room, then I’ll be in the bathroom and she’ll be in the kitchen. It’s the strangest, most perfect harmony. Then I’ll try to catch her, and come out of my room and she’ll just be sneaking out the door…like hide-and-seek, but…a symphony of circumvention!

B. I’ve posted photos in the past of a few of the things I’ve created over the past year or so. What you might notice about many of these projects — namely the sculptural ones — is that they tend to be larger in scale.

The other day I ran into an acquaintance, who mentioned he’d visited the gallery and seen my sign.

“That sign is huge!” he commented. “How long did it take you to make?”

I tossed around the timeline in my head, until I figured it took me two-ish months to complete. “Yeah, it’s big,” I said. “I gravitate toward making big things because I’m small.”

“Ahh, I gotcha,” he replied, “Napoleon complex!”

I might as well have said, “EUREKA!” because at that moment I felt that he’d diagnosed a disease I’ve had for 23 years.

Has anyone heard of this? Little people compensating with big things? Why didn’t I think of this before?

(P.S. He was 5’6″…4.5 inches taller than me!)

xx

j

Yes, indeed. Here I go again!

xx

j

It’s a big week, again. Lucky for me, I’m no longer employed at the g-store, so a few extra days are open this week to do studious things (read my overdue library books, prepare for future disasters, brainwash myself into doing homework, etc.). I might get used to my new schedule — I work once every two weeks! It could be a terrible or a beautiful thing, I’ll see with time.

And crazy enough, the exhibit is already coming down at the end of this week (wow, that was fast!) to make room for a juried student exhibit. I’m entering a few pieces…they need some serious love before I can enter them, so there goes my weekend. All for you, art. All for you.

Lastly, I’m giving a superpresentation (see: really long talk) for my Contemporary Art & Design Theory class on Thursday. It’s about Italian sculptor and funny man artist Maurizio Cattelan, who made his name by mocking art.

Cattelan is outrageous; he steals, he jests, he fools, then he disappears. He rarely does interviews and when he does, often turns them into a joke or sends stand-ins to pose as him. He’s dark humor at it’s finest, but he’s just plain ridiculous. After reading several books about him, nothing surprises me anymore! Here are a few of my favorite works of his:

Love Saves Life (1995), based on a Brothers Grimm story where a donkey, dog, cat, and cock fool humans and escape their suppressive farm lives to live in peace and harmony…until Cattelan creates Love Lasts Forever (1997)…

Hollywood (2001), a recreation of the famous sign in Sicily, Italy.

Him (2001), a childlike depiction of Hitler.

If you like what you see and are interested in Cattelan, check out this gallery page for tons more of his work (disclaimer: some might be slightly raunchy and/or offensive, but that’s just Cattelan).

Well, back to the books. It’s storming pretty nice outside (if that’s not an oxymoron) and I’ve eaten far too many cookies for my own good.

A happy, warm evening to all —

xx

j

After what seemed like a hasty decision (as decisions often are in dreams) I decided to get married. The entire length of the engagement was a few days, during which time I somehow acquired a dress (?). No further arrangements were made — no church, attendants, time or location. I’m not even really sure who I told about the event, other than my mom and immediate family.

I remember the day coming, and waking up thinking, “this is my wedding day…this doesn’t feel like my wedding day…”, and I went about the day as though nothing special was happening, and my life wasn’t about to change. I didn’t have my nails or my hair done. I don’t even remember seeing my “husband-to-be,” whoever he was. It was just me, and just another day.

Toward the end of the afternoon, right around eight o’clock, I decided to put on my wedding dress with the hope that others might see and remember it was my wedding day. Since there were no plans, I didn’t know where I was going to get married, or who was going to marry me. My tentative plan was to drag my family to some weird, arbitrary place where I’d marry a stranger and live out the evening in spontaneity. It sounded great in my head, but when I realized no one wanted to go along with it…I felt foolish.

After some time waiting around in my wedding dress, I asked my mom, “Isn’t anyone coming to my wedding?” I remember her looking at me, searching for the words to tell me it was a bad idea. But all she could say was, “You have to stand by this person for a long time.” I felt naiveness and a sharp disappointment run through me, knowing I wasn’t ready.

I’m trying to connect this dream to real life, but all I can gather is a call for patience…

xx

j

Seriously…how can this not make me happy??

Speaking of Olive, here are a few recent photos I took of her:

She’s practically the cutest thing I’ve ever seen…

xx

j

A short film by my cousin Ed! What a talented young fella. Enjoy!

My long lost sister!

via Sartorialist.