thought for the day...

photo by erstwhile model and jewelry designer, michele quan (need i mention that i've been a fan of hers, for just about ever?) . via mquan.com.
and thank you to my sister for sending the link my way.

in celebration of the elements of style...

which was first published 50 years ago today, a celebration of the clever, whimsical work of maira kalman, whose illustrated version of the book was published in 2005.

i've attended a couple of book events featuring ms. kalman. unguarded and humble, she left a surprising impression as a soul with a deep sad streak. yet her stories and her work inspire a thoughtful dreaminess, a reminder that beautiful, interesting work can come from the observation and appreciation of everyday things.

"his first thought on getting out of bed—if he had any thought at all–was to get back in again." via mairakalman.com

"be obscure clearly! be wild of tongue in a way we can understand!" via mairakalman.com

my favorite illustrated "rule"from this volume: "the approach to style is by way of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, sincerity."

i seem to be having a bit of trouble with this lately. but it's good to remember.

*******

among ms. kalman's recent projects is a mural for the newly renovated library at ps 47 in the bronx, as part of the library initiative of the robin hood foundation. the library initiative, a public-private partnership, seeks to reverse low literacy rates and underachievement in nyc schools by building state of the art libraries that serve as a hub for learning and inspiration.

here's a link to an article about the program from the nytimes last month, and a slideshow of the murals by maira kalman, christoph niemann, stefan sagmeister and yuko shimizu.

saturday: "milk", grits and a fried egg

sunshiney saturday spent in the slope.

my lovely friend zovig and i decided to check out the takashi murakami exhibit at the brooklyn museum. it was "cuteness!" for sure. i'm not at all a fan of the louis vuitton collaboration, but those "superflat eye love" designs were quite appealing on a larger scale...i especially loved the color combinations in the "eye love" and jellyfish eyes series, on silk...it's all so much more striking on that fabric...i also liked milk, 727-727 (i actually loved all the paintings that were "sanded" ), cosmos (1998), and this daruma (i open wide my eyes but see no scenery. i fix my gaze upon my heart, 2007). the exhibition is bright and cheery and ominous and overwhelming...odd and funny and interactive...it is, to a degree, kid-friendly, if you're prepared to deal with questions about anatomical correctness/distortions. we had a little "overheard in ny" moment while standing in front of inochi (boy--maybe 7 years old: "mommy, his penis is on his stomach!" mommy: "why yes, it is..."). ha.

walking into the "vuitton exhibit/store" and taking the kooky wallpapered staircase to the floor below, which is a funhouse all its own--toys and t-shirts and other collectibles, all impeccably sorted and contained-- it struck me what a kick this show must have been to put together--and how sad it would be to have to watch all come down (show ends on july 13, btw)...

if you're as interested in behind the scenes stuff as i am, check out the terrific flickr slideshow that the museum has posted on its site...

and if you'd like a peek into the kaikai kiki studio sanctum, check out this ny sun article and its accompanying slideshow...

after the museum, zovig and i moseyed over to fifth ave...and stopped for brunch at stone park cafe. it took me about 3 seconds to decide that i wanted the hangtown fry: eggs, oysters, bacon and vermont cheddar cheese...how good does that sound?! but then...i took a longer look at the menu... i saw that they had grits, with shrimp and a fried egg. i remembered being deeply envious of the shrimp with grits at bar americain, which my sister ordered the last time we brunched together...so i changed my mind and went for the "anson mills white grits, with shrimp and fried egg."

the fact that the grits' brand name was proclaimed on the menu--as if i should recognize it--aroused my curiosity, so when i got home i did a little research. there's quite an interesting story to tell! turns out that the anson mills white grits come to us thanks to one man, glenn roberts, who was so deeply interested in the history of the south, especially its culinary history (cheers!) that he set out to revive--by organically growing, harvesting, and milling--varieties of corn, rice and wheat that were nearly extinct. he was able to find and harvest a "famous" carolina gourdseed white corn (that was "revered for its high mineral and floral characteristics, and its creamy mouthfeel"), which dated all the way back to the 1600s. this is the white corn that was milled into the grits that became my brunch!

and they really were creamy...i've only had grits a couple of time in my life (LOVE the cheddar grits at freemans...ooohhh. those are very different...toothsome...GRITTY) but this dish was nearly like a pudding. thick and rich and creamy, completely indulgent. i will admit, a little smoky, salty bacon would have livened it up. but it was very, very good.

anson mills white grits...
Originally uploaded by ata08

matias aguilar

Untitled, from the I Love Rock and Roll series. 2005.
by Matias Aguilar on view as part of the Do You Think I'm Disco exhibit at Longwood Art Gallery, Hostos Community College. Feb 2006.

he's an amazing artist...he captures beautiful, soulful, sometimes humorous moments, mostly of city life...check some of the them out here and here and here and on his blog. i'll be posting links to his photos whenever i get updates, too...