Dude...

"The Lebowski Cycle" by artist Joe Forkan. Each painting references a masterpiece of western art as well as the film The Big Lebowski.

Only the Lonely

Lucky Tiger #1 (2009), from the NYTimes

Saw Laurel Nakadate: Only the Lonely at PS1 featuring her work from the last decade, including photos and videos of her in strange men's homes, acting out exorcisms or re-enacting Britney Spears' music videos. Some of it was hilarious. But then almost instantly I felt really bad for laughing or just simply felt sad. Some of her work does seem a little mean-spirited, as if she's poking fun of the lonely, ackward middle aged men. She claims, however, that much of her motivation was to get out there and meet strangers, interact with people she wouldn't normally talk to, and see what would happen when she turned on the camera. I thought it was an enjoyable way to spend an hour away from the heat! Laurel Nakadate crying, dancing, playing dead, and posing raunchily with the song "Angel of the Morning" from one of her videos resonating throughout the gallery in the background. See for yourself, only a few days left before the show closes this Monday, August 8th.

Only the Lonely, Installation from P.S.1 

Exorcism in January (2009), from the NYTimes

Finished the first layer of my painting last night. A little nervous, as it was my first time picking up a paintbrush but I was surprised at how much easier it is than drawing. It's also really calming. Looking forward to the rest of the semester.

By the way, how awesome is this weather we are having, so cool and breezy. I love fall!!

Yesterday morning, I witnessed many men and women run the ING New York City Marathon. It was fun to cheer on the runners... but it really put me to shame! I get the urge to run (for leisure-- not to the train station when I'm late for work) about once every 2 years. As inspiring as it was, I still preferred being the spectator, watching the marathon participants run past Bay Ridge Avenue from my seat at the diner as I happily finished my greasy breakfast of corned beef and home fries!

 
Vincent van Gogh. The 'Au Charbonnage' Cafe. 1878. Image from Moma

 I don't know why it took me 3 years to go to the Moma, even though I have made the trek to the corner of 53rd St. and 6th Ave. plenty of times to stand in a 2 hour line in the freezing cold for a $5 halal chicken and lamb over rice dish! The main draw was to see the Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night (sounds like a Phantom of the Opera song!) exhibition. My favorite was a small drawing called The 'Au Charbonnage' Cafe (1978), mostly because it was one of the few pieces that was not in color, and also because I stood in front of it for a good 3 minutes before sharing it with anyone else (and this is after they've already limited the amount of people allowed to view the exhibit at a given time!)

Brooklyn Botanical & Thoughts on My Impending Deportation

Went to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden last week with my friend Dan.

Getting ready to leave my home in Brooklyn for an indefinite period. I will be heading back to Canada to await a new work visa. I keep joking that I'm being deported, but since I'm leaving within the given grace period and not illegally overstaying, should I rather say that it's more like... um, an exile? Apparently, I need to be screened by this agency called the Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools... even though I graduated from NYU! Anyways, although I was upset at first, since I was still on orientation (a 3-month-long training as a new nurse before working without supervision), it gave me an unexpected vacation. The only downside, besides the obvious lack of income, is that this will set me back a few months in getting my very valuable first year experience. Not that I would want to work anywhere else, since I work at great hospital :) but in case I would ever have to work in Canada or something awful like that ;)



Well, because of the recent turn of events, I was able to visit my relatives in California and make it to my cousin's graduation from UCI. Above, a drawing of hers that arrived in my mailbox yesterday (I forgot to take it with me), which was inspired by Filipino artist BenCab's work.