i was looking at this gorgeous calendar created by artist nikki mcclure and came across a link to an online store called buyolympia.com. it’s rad. new ways to buy and sell art. usable art. affordable art. disposable art. from real artists, not mega corporations or giant egos. more proof of what germano celant and david byrne were getting at, methinks. and miranda. and andy too, of course.
Entries from September 2007
hotel chevalier
September 29, 2007 · No Comments
and, a v. insightful quote now free on rayette.
Categories: love · movies · uncategorized
let me entertain me
September 29, 2007 · 3 Comments
saw la vie en rose last night, about the tragic life of edith piaf. if you are inclined to think you’ve got problems ─ i’m not saying you don’t ─ but hell, poor edith had it rough! stories like hers make people afraid to identify themselves as artists. but they also help us understand the complications of the creative life, while at the same giving us some inspiration.
speaking of artists … the ny film festival kicks off today. there have been film people all over the place – in the nabe, in midtown, and everywhere i go. i also notice the movie trucks, almost every day. maybe they’re always there, but i notice them more now seeing as i am getting back to my screenplay after setting it aside for a couple of years. it’s fun and exiting. and it also makes me so curious to watch as many other films as possible.
on my to see list right now are: toots, darjeerling limited, and once.
netflix i have out right now are: apocalypto, mean creek and conversations with god.
on my dvr are: several episodes of curb, ellen, the office and a couple of the new tv shows that i’ll probably never watch (bionic woman, big bang, cane).
i didn’t manage to find a single new show on any of the networks that i actually like enough to stick with. feels like they are trying too hard to attract a mass audience, mostly through hyperactive plots and big-time visuals. but the stories and characters are lacking. too many sweeping clichés for my taste.
for hamlet brevity was the soul of wit. for thomas jefferson the most valuable of all talents was “never using two words when one will do.”
so lately i’ve taken to serializing my netflix selections. i tend to watch ½ or 2/3rds of a movie one nite and finish it up the next. it works pretty well, actually. i like it better than watching tv series because you get a quicker sense of depth and completion. i guess you could call it a mini-series, except that it’s really just one intense 2-hour feature film broken into micro-portions.
i really dig the ala carte aspect of netflix. given how quickly films come out on dvd these days, and how good they look on my sweet ass 37-inch hd television, it’s a real joy to watch them at home.
the economics of attention
September 28, 2007 · 1 Comment
the economics of attention by richard a lanham
art & snobbism
September 26, 2007 · 3 Comments
EXCERPT from David Byrne’s musings (Highly recc. you check out the full post):
Art has become a thing, a life accessory, which one must become knowledgeable about. In that sense it is a lifestyle and status marker — being aware of art implies that you are refined, interesting, and possibly… rich. The comment by the gallerist also seems to imply or infer that art appreciation is somehow good for you. In fact, it might even make you a better person. The increased interest in art is not just good for his business, but for the minds and souls of the public. (more…)
Categories: art · uncategorized
heroism
September 26, 2007 · No Comments
“Magellan was not the wisest man of his time. Erasmus was. Neither was he the most gifted. That, surely, was Leonardo. But Magellan became what, as a child, he had yearned to be — the era’s greatest hero.
In the long lists of history it is difficult to find another figure whose heroism matches Magellan’s. For most sixteenth-century Europeans his vision — to circle the globe — was unimaginable. To launch the pursuit of this vision, he had to turn his back on his own country, inviting charges of treason. His ships, when they were delivered to him, were unseaworthy. Before his departure Portuguese agents repeatedly tried, with some success, to sabotage his expedition. …
The hero acts alone, without encouragement, relying solely on conviction and his own inner resources. Shame does not discourage him; neither does obloquy. Indifferent to approval, reputation, wealth, or love, he cherishes only his personal sense of honor, which he permits no one else to judge. … Guided by an inner gyroscope, he pursues his vision single-mindedly, undiscouraged by rejections, defeat, or even the prospect of imminent death. Few can comprehend such fortitude.”
William Manchester, A World Lit Only By Fire, Back Bay, Copyright 1992, 1993 by William Manchester, pp. 287- 289.
Categories: uncategorized
today’s info diet (thru 10 20 a.m.)
September 25, 2007 · 2 Comments
1. hbo on demand ─ the latest episode of curb your enthusiasm (larry steals flowers from a roadside shrine)
2. ipod during subway ride.
3. nytimes dealbook email ─ i’ve heard less than flattering things about ars from multiple sources, but alas. his newsletter is kickass. saves me time. finds me the good stories.
4. tv ratings data email from my company’s research dept. (more…)
Categories: honchos · media · uncategorized
hey wes
September 25, 2007 · 1 Comment
remember the steely dan/wilson/lebowski-esque letter stunt? well they are at it again, this one with wes, to help promote the darjeeling limited. i went to the apple store tonight to try to see his 13-minute short “Hotel Chevalier” but it was so crowded and nutty, i lost my nerve and patience. will be online wednesday, according to today’s wall street journal. can wait to see both. i love this time. wsj article excerpt:
Mr. Anderson’s experiment could become more frequent in the coming years as “a certain caliber of filmmaker who has access to talent and some equipment can have a great idea for a film and get the ball rolling on their own without having to go through the traditional studio process,” says Scott Roesch, vice president and general manager of AtomFilms, which distributes digital short films. AtomFilms is a unit of Viacom Inc.’s MTV Networks and isn’t involved with Mr. Anderson’s projects. “The short is creating a lot of buzz so it’s hard to see how that doesn’t help the film and has got to be a little bit of a marketer’s dream for Fox.” (Fox Searchlight is owned by News Corp., which has agreed to buy Dow Jones & Co., the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, for more than $5 billion.)
PS: the steely dan letters remind me of the unicorn prank except that, good sir, was REAL!
it’s NOT all about the benjamins
September 24, 2007 · 2 Comments
We’ve all read the articles about executive comp soaring to insane heights, and the income disparity growing. I also think there’s a growing quality of life disparity that has more to do with information than money. Some people are getting happier, more self-aware, kinder, more giving and caring with others. Others are getting angrier and angrier, toiling more, forcing more, growing more disconnected from others and the person who they want to be. I don’t know if this is a new thing, per se, but i am starting to notice it a lot more lately.
I read this article about Steve Ballmer’s 2007 compensation. He’s the CEO of Microsoft. He owns 4.3 percent of the company’s stock, and was paid $1.3 million in 2007. He did not receive additional equity compensation. As a point of reference, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison was awarded $61.2 million in the same year. Ballmer’s pay is performance-based and Ellison’s is, well, NUTS. What self-respecting Board member approved that? Apparently, these guys. Oh sorry, these people (there are a whopping TWO women on the Board). Cronies! Besides, smart companies understand that talented, creative people value quality of life over money. To attract and retain the best people, they need to do more than turn them into Lords presiding over fiefdoms. They need to become environments where smart and creative people actually want to spend their time.
Categories: honchos · uncategorized
