I can’t believe I waited until now to visit the NY Botanical Garden in the Bronx. It is easy to get to by subway and breathtakingly beautiful. The torrential downpour happening when I arrived yesterday gave way to a gorgeous day. Dale Chihuly is an amazing artist who makes exquisite objects out of glass. The photo set also includes a few general photos of the botanical garden and some of a sculpture by Tom Otterness.
Latest book
Going to see Bill Bryson tonight at Symphony Space. He will read from his new book about growing up in 1950s America. There is a great video for it at VidLit. I’ve been a huge fan ever since I read and listened to “A Walk in the Woods” about hiking the Appalachian Trail.
I may also just like that he is an American in England.
Sadly, it means I can’t go to tonight’s Forgotten-NY book signing and walking tour.
During lunch stopped into the Consulate General of the Phillippines and saw a beautiful exhibit by Lina Llaguno Ciani an artist from the Phillippines who lives in Italy. Gorgeous, delicate oil paintings and some drawings of eggs and strings and birds and other small mostly natural objects. It is there until Friday. I called the artist to ask if there was a catalogue, sadly, there is not but at least I was able to tell her how much I enjoyed her work. Some images of her work here.
UPDATE: She’s got a website now: http://www.linallagunociani.com
The Treatment
Went to see the treatment by Eve Ensler at The Culture Project tonight. Dylan McDermott (Eve Ensler’s adopted stepson) is a soldier with post-traumatic stress over torture he committed in the line of duty. Portia is the psychologist and soldier tasked with the job of getting the goods on his superiors and treating his disorder.
It had some interesting ideas [about psychological trauma, treatment and torture, transferrence, duty and military life] but didn’t go deep enough with these ideas instead just bludgeoned the audience with a simple message in flat-out exposition about the rules having changed, rules are good, we need them blah blah blah. At some point he says something about not wanting to talk about his mother and then spilling out his guts about his mother. Isn’t that a tired trope at this point?
The playwright should be given credit for using her work to protest something she finds unjust. We don’t seem very involved with this war like Vietnam…maybe it’s because we have cable now – it is not the only thing going on in your living room. The cynical part of me sees it also as an attempt to be relevant – The Vagina Monologues came out in 1996.
It’s like Colombian artist Fernando Botero‘s new paintings based on Abu Ghraib now on exhibit at the Marlborough Gallery. He is a talented artist, known for his pleasant figures with exaggerated proportions (ok they’re fat). Someone may want to tell him prisoners don’t usually look like that. On the one hand, good for him for protesting something ugly with his work. On the other hand according to a recent New York Magazine piece: “The buzz, helped Botero pieces break records at auction this year, two selling for over $2 million each.”
Went to an amazing show tonight at Housing Works Used Book Cafe. [All proceeds for all performances at this venue benefit Housing Works an advocacy and aid organization for homeless people living with HIV/AIDS.] Chris Thile the incredible mandolin player from Nickel Creek and Hilary Hahn the incredible classical violinist. They played separately and together. They rearranged pieces for solo violin or violin and keyboards to be for violin and mandolin. They also did a Dylan cover for the encore – “Masters of War.” They each have new CDs highly recommended.
Chris Thile
Chris Thile – How to Grow a Woman from the Ground Fantastic mandolin playing and a southern voice make for some good music. Check out the videos below for Chris Thile in action. The second song is from this CD and was written by Jack White of The White Stripes
Hilary Hahn
Hilary Hahn – Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 / Spohr: Violin Concerto No. 8 – Gesangsszene She performs Paganini and Spohr with virtuosity. If you enjoy the thunder and calm a violin can inspire get this CD.
Below are 4 videos from Chris Thile’s start to the evening – he likens himself to the “musical corndog” of the evening compared to Hilary’s elegance and what a mighty fine corndog was he. I wish I had more memory cards to record more of this evening. The venue was packed and people were on their feet and cheering. More classical shows should have this unstuffy, rocking vibe to them. Guess they should keep combining with bluegrass.
Video 1/4: Untitled
Video 2/4: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
[by Jack White of The White Stripes]
Video 3/4: I am your musical corndog banter
Stay Away
Video 4/4: J.S. Bach – Gigue from the D Minor Partita
He introduces this as Foie Gras infused relish to extend the musical corndog metaphor.
Bonus: Toxic covered by Nickel Creek at SXSW 2006
