Questions

I love my class this summer. The extremely hardworking, motivated, enthousiastic drive of non majors is delightful. No big questions of why do we have to draw like this, why can't we just shade things, what is the point of this project. They just want to try everything. My metaphores are coming in handy in the classroom. Top five are:
1. Observational drawing only works when you look at the road and stop playing with the dial of the radio.
2. This piece of paper isn't the "one ring of mordor!" Your whole stack of paper isn't even in Lord of the Rings.
3. In my class we drive with one foot only, none of this gas and brake at the same time. So if I even see an eraser until the last week I will pull this class over and hop the backseat to give you a whoopin'.
4. Not every day will be suicides and free throws,, but count on enough to make you better.
5. Drawing is just like riding a bike. Eventually you hit someone and have to decide to ask yourself what happened, or you try to ignore it.

FOTC

(photo from BBC2 comedy online)

Last night was the premiere-asaurous rex of Flight of the Conchords on HBO. I left the room typing away at my sylabus to go downstairs and watch the show. After a constant belly busting night watching their Stand-Up hour special the night before, I had no idea their sitcom show would be able to compare to the deadpan delivery of two bumbling fools on stage. But seeing the two gangly Kiwis arguing over which was better to have gotten with girls back home, or to talk about getting with girls in New York (If the girls are hotter you are talking about it means you are moving up!) they proved their skills. The oustanding cameos by people as briliant as Eugine Merman among others was a wonderful treat. His short bit in the elevator about a broken faucet was outstanding.

Part musical, part sitcom, and completely nervious the show is a rough intensified version of the two real characters with simple problems solved in halariously stupid ways. Filming their music video with a camera phone, singing about how the hotest girl at the party could be a part-time model, or wondering if it is more awkard for a girl to be startled by someone flicking on a light in the dark, or if that someone happens to be her ex. Everything was delivered with dead-pan seriousness verging on effortless and "it doesn't actually matter" style. The posters in the New Zealand consulates office are amazing. I hope they sell those on the HBO store. I would buy them all for my office. If you didn't see the show, watch a couple of the videos on the HBO site and then swing by Youtube and see more.

Back in the Kitchen

Oh Top Chef, how I missed you. And now with another great chance to relive the same drama of season one and two I give you my perdictions on how the year will turn out. Just like in season one and two we have a wonderful villan and loveable yet overly demanding thirdplace bitch.


Our villan for this season: HUNG, an almost exact copy of Marcel but with an Asian Twist. Now that it isn't ok to think the french wine lovers are better than us, we have to pick a new target, Asians. Great job casting directors, he even knew last seasons bad guy. I feel certain that the only way this person will not be in the final four is if too many critics catch on to the exact storyline repeat of seasons 1 and 2. Look for more over-confidance, extra sauced lovely plates that scream "I know what cooking is about and you can't get into my club!" Best of luck Hung, and maybe the producers will let you change the generic storyline and let evil win. Who knows.

Our third place, sore looser with amazing talent will either be one of these three

Howie, an extremely talented chef who will certainly deliver some NEUH YOURK TUDE. What he most certainly learn durring this season is how to soften up and be a leader, and everyone will be so surprized at how he has changed and grown so that when he is kicked off the show some viewers will cry out at the televisions and bawl.


Winner of the first Quickfire challenge, Micah will win us with that lovely South African Accent and become a real bitch until she finds a soft spot in her heard for this season's newest hearthrob:



Ahh Chris, you will wow us with your stories of overcoming cancer and find a real voice in complex sauces and delightfully optimistic garnishes. Just wait this guy is going to use more citrus juice than "orange julius" used.



If Sara doesn't make any mistakes her proximity to MIami Quisine will give her a real edge with the seafood centered menu that will most likely show up this year. However I fear the viewers might start leaving if there is too much fish on the show. Take Iron Chef Japan as your guide on that one. Viewer demographics were always less on days with sea urchin, squid, and whatever other exotic food you might present.

The Winner of Top Chef hasn't shown off yet, and I have a sneaking idea that the one change the judges have planned is that it will not be Tre.



But perhaps I am giving too much credit to the producers. They have found a formula and if "The Real World" is any indication, things aren't going to change, it will just become more drunken fights, a (cross your fingers) major knife accident, and a romance. It seems the only ingredient not added to the stew yet.

As far as judging goes, it was great to see Anthony Bordain back in the hot seat dishing out insults and swearing at the worst of the worst. I just picked up his book and am excited to read.

Thanks for the shotout Knoxvilleartblog over on myspace.

The image is from that blog.

Over on the right side you can see the piece of metal that superman bent without his glasses on. Even leaned up against the wall in a more sturdy fashion it was knocked over. In fact the soal of John Legquizamo was almost let loose in the gallery when someone kicked it over. I don't think they were intending to let out the destroyer of the future, but it was a tight turn to have to take around the hole to the center of the universe, the bag of everything, and the shelf with poor choices of meals and door jam paintings.

Great Show!

Sleeping for three days in a gallery with no air conditioning was worth it to get the show of Sarah Hollis and myself up and installed. Kathryn flew down, and I kept Tucker the dog with me in the gallery, he was a great friend to me, and helped me get up at 6 every morning and start working. Picked up around 7 big prints from the most amazing letterpress shop in the universe, Yee Haw Letterpress. I am extremely proud of my new DADA print. Can't wait to find some wall space for that one.

Met Dolan and Ali for fried chicken in Kentucky, great meal, lots of overstuffing and ramblin conversations. Much needed boost of energy after an exhausing show.

Here at the school senior students have their work up all over three floors of the building, and I think outside my office is a fountain built by one of my students.

Working tonight on a massive piect for Insulation, a show curated by my office mate David Rosenthal.

Just found out my little write up is on the citybeat blog. "The lunchroom of the Art World." Got to go and sell these summer classes to students in about thirty minutes. Hooray!