Art in One Form or Another

Bring (More) Vegas To Colorado!

We're off to vote this morning and while Obama and Udall are easy choices, a slew of amendments require a cheat sheet (just like old times!). Four pages long (back-to-back).

Among our favorites are Amendment 50 which would increase wager maximums, extend casino hours and add new games local casinos (it would also pump lots of cash into local community colleges). We're a "YES" on this one. We're also a "YES" on Referendum O. It's too easy for residents to change the state constitution. O would make constitutional amendments more difficult to get on the ballot. Our last "YES" is on Boulder County 1A. It will sell bonds to raise money for home and business owners to install green construction, like solar panels and build incentives for eco-construction without raising taxes.

Can't wait until all of the brainwashing campaign advertising is over so we can get back to more "Whopper Freakouts." 

From the Great Wall to Central Park

I don't even care what they are celebrating but whatever it is Chanel has built a Zaha Hadid-designed torus-shaped exhibition hall in the middle of Central Park's Rumsey Playfield in honor of the monumental occasion.

The Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion is free and open to the public by a reservation-ticket system through Nov. 9. Though all 23,000 advance tickets were claimed online within hours of becoming available, a limited number of same-day tickets are available at the on-location box office starting Wednesday.

Jonathan Hoefler: What is "Possible"

As part of the Artists for Obama series, Jonathan's Hoefleer's "Possible" is a beautiful interpretation of Obama's words. Taken from Barack's speech on America and building a more perfect union, Hoefler's print is available at Obama's online store.

"When I was invited to contribute the first all-typographic poster to the Artists for Obama collection, I knew immediately that I wanted to work with the text of his stirring speech, "A More Perfect Union." Barack Obama is a leader unique in the history of our nation, who not only understands but embodies what it means to be an American in the 21st century: not only to reflect on our rich heritage, but to embrace our possibilities."

Revisited: Fatty Crab

One of our only mandatory's for every trip to New York is a meal at Fatty Crab. This time we made our way to the West Village for Sunday Brunch where wisely let the ex-Raleigh Hotel Pool Manager/waiter make our menu decisions and he nailed it.

Green mango dipped in sugar and chili. Great. Then watermelon crispy pork salad. Even Better. Followed by Wonton Mee (shrimp and pork wontons, fried noodles). Now that's a happy ending. While their staple is the duck and the crab which are religious experiences, it was great to try something new.

Moore Gets Mintered

PAPER magazine's portrait of Julianne Moore as photographed by Marilyn Minter. WANT IT. NEED IT. WANT IT. NEED IT. WANT IT. NEED IT. WANT IT. NEED IT. WANT IT. NEED IT. WANT IT. NEED IT. WANT IT. NEED IT. WANT IT. NEED IT. WANT IT. NEED IT. WANT IT. NEED IT. WANT IT. NEED IT. WANT IT. NEED IT.

New Favorite Artist: Scott Ingram

We were introduced to Scott Ingram's work at Nancy Solomon's Gallery in Atlanta a few months ago. While there was another exhibit being shown throughout the space, it wasn't until Nancy and her team took us into the back where a deceptively simple piece stopped us in our tracks.

Scott is a student of the Masters of Minimalism, specifically Donald Judd + Ellsworth Kelly, which made a lot of sense when we looked at some of his pieces. Ingram offers a fresh view in his use of fingernail polish in a study of form, line and color.

Added bonus: Scott personally frames each piece with the same level of precision and finish. Wanted It. Needed It. Got It.

Ari Gold, Zoe Bartlett and Pushing Daisies Dude Don't Scare Me on Broadway

Last week we caught the preview of David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow Broadway revival. The play is about two Hollywood power brokers (Jeremy Piven and Raul Esparza) and an assistant (Elizabeth Moss) who debate the merits of art vs. commerce over green-lighting a sure-fire blockbuster or a script that has more "spiritual meaning."

While the idea of Jeremy Piven playing a studio head may seem like he is rehashing his role on Entourage, he really is able to make Bobby Gold a more dimensional character.

Elizabeth Moss played Karen perfectly walking the line between sexy and naive. Raul Esparza who played Charlie Fox stole the show, selling the idea to the crowd that he'd serve up his own mother for Executive Producer credits in a blockbuster movie.

The Christmas Book is Full of Treats

Every year Neiman Marcus prints The Christmas Book. And every year, I read it cover-to-cover. Comprised of the most over-the-top and obnoxious (in a great way) gifts that you can possibly imagine, the catalog includes some of the most outrageously expensive jewelry, trips and collectibles.

Facing a spiraling economy, the team in Dallas left out the $45 million private jet and the $20 million personal submarine. Some of my personal favorites include the Guiness Bar (custom home built bar with a trip to Ireland and a year of Guiness on tap) for $250,000. For $500,000 you can get the Dallas Cowboys' end zone, and my personal favorite, a Jack Nicklaus custom backyard golf course. For only $1 million, Jack Nicklaus and his team will design and build your very own-custom desgined three-hole course and the Golden Bear himself will play the inuagural round, too. What a deal!

One day I'll buy something out of this catalog... Have to figure out if it will be for me or Sarah, though.

Burger Bash was Burger Heaven

To kick off the NYC Wine and Food Festival, we went to the Rachel Ray Burger Bash on Friday night.  Throngs of meat-lovers descended upon the Tobacco Warehouse in Brooklyn under the Williamsburg Bridge to sample 18 burgers and vote (by text message) for their favorite.

The chefs included Rachael Ray, Tom Colicchio, Michael Lomonaco, David Burke, Spike from Top Chef, and Al Roker. Food Network personalities were also out in force as we saw Bobby Flay, Giada DeLaurentiis, Cat Cora, and Guy Fieri who were all chowing down to cast their vote for the best burger.

 

In the end, Billy Joel's wife, Katie Lee, won with her grilled cheese style burger and I was the first one there to congratulate her!

Bansky Opens Faux Pet Shop in Greenwich Village

Sarah and I visited Banksy's newest work in New York City this weekend. Set inside a fake pet store, it's an incredible exhibit where fish sticks swim free and chicken nuggets self-dip. Not only are people protesting animal cruelty (this part is real) in front of the shop (a closer look at the life-like tiger in the window reveals that it's actually a coat), but jaded New Yorkers are also going in to buy pet food and supplies.

The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill, as the green awning reads, is Banksy’s first official exhibition in New York and makes me feel better about my love for Chicken McNuggets. Check out our Flickr pictres to see more!