Monday at the Met

I've been waiting to use that title for so long. I was really hoping it would be for studies I did of work on view at the Met but, what're you gonna do? Maybe next week you'll see a study of Canova's Perseus with the Head of Medusa. It's kind of tall so it'll probably being looking directly up Perseus' nose.
There's so much opening at the Met recently. Tomorrow, the roof garden opens up for the summer. The installation this year is a group of huge sculptures by Frank Stella. I love the look of these sculptures against that skyline. It's a great view from the roof deck. So, it's hard to look bad up there. Last year's installation didn't really play with the skyline quite as well. Don't get me wrong, I was a big fan of Cai Guo-Giang's installation. It was just more about concept than pure esthetics to me. If you missed Cai Guo-Giang's show there's going to be a retrospective of his work at the Guggenheim in '08. I'm sure it'll be explosive (har har). If you didn't follow the link to see his work, that joke doesn't make sense.

Back to Stella- Now, if you think that the work on the roof garden is a little too stark or industrial, you can go to the Kimmelman Galleries and see some friggin color. I felt like I walked into an exploded comic book.

A Good Laugh

I promise to put more work up here soon, but until then you get something else.

So, my girlfriend got me a subscription to McSweeney's for this past Christmas. If you're ever stuck with something to get a special someone, I think this is a great gift. If they're not pleased with it, transfer it into your own name and then break up with the jerk. They're probably not worth your time and energy.

The great thing about this quarterly is that they give you a heads up when they're about to ship you the journal (I don't generally subscribe to literary quarterlies, does this generally happen?). Which is great! And each journal is different. Last one I got was three separate, little journals magnetically bound into a leather case. So brilliant!!

I got my email today, informing me that my new journal was on its merry way. Which inspired me to read their on-line goodness. I found this-CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS VISITS ST. MARGARET'S SCHOOL FOR YOUNG WOMEN, WHERE HE DISCOVERS LITTLE GIRLS AREN'T FUNNY, EITHER. It made me think of you.

God, I wish I were British... er, lived in England

I just came across this link on boingboing.com, which is becoming more and more my soul place to read the news, find out about technology and look at ridiculous things. The little entry is about cameras in the UK. If you didn't know, the UK employs cameras all over the place (George Orwell, what?). These new cameras are a step up though. Check it out.

I know some people might see it as an invasion of privacy, but I disagree. God willing they'll load these things onto the NYC subway faster than you can spit (on the floor of the subway). I'd love it if some raspy voice came out of no where with, "Quit cutting your toe nails on the subway!!! Who raised you?" Or what if the eagle-eyed surveillance crone would cry out, "Put your damn head phones on!! No one wants to listen to the soundtrack to your PSP!!"

Aside from the obvious littering, there's a whole host of social faux pas-es this thing could clean up. Maybe I'm becoming a disgruntled, old goat quicker than I think. Or maybe I think people could wait to get to the top of the subway stairs before lighting their cigarettes. Cripes, maybe my standards are too high.

Wasn't this blog meant to be about art? Eh, art imitates life... or vice versa.

A Bit of a Soapbox

I apologize for this break in my usually congenial blog, but times are tough and things need to be said, by me to you. After the events on Monday I think my views on gun control have taken a really abrupt turn. I grew up in Virginia and I know quite a few people who own guns, who shoot guns and who hunt with guns- both friends and family. Although I've never been all too interested in guns I never thought I should take the right to bare arms away from anyone who was. Living in a free society holds many contradictions. Just because I don't believe you should have a gun doesn't mean you are not allowed to hold a differing opinion.

A person can be a vegetarian AND be ProChoice. You could see that as a contradiction or you might not, it depends on your beliefs really. Here in America we're allowed to have differing view points and as long as yours don't step on other people, that's fine. We have an obligation to put up with and respect differing opinions so that our opinions and beliefs can have room. You give a little, you get a lot. Really you do. But I think it's time to seriously reevaluate gun legislation. I realize that if the populace was a well-armed populace it would be able to defend itself against crazies with guns. On the other hand, if we gave up our rights to guns and maybe made gun laws a lot more stringent we wouldn't need guns to protect ourselves. Make sense? No? You're a sportsman and should be allowed to follow your passion. Then, let's put it a different way.

No other sport offers it's participant a piece of equipment, that when used in the manner it was originally intended, the ability to kill innocent people. If you are truly a sportsman, with an honest to God passion why would you be opposed to stict gun laws? You respect your gun don't you? You realize their potential? That's why you like them, right? They are deadly and are a means of destruction. There is no gun built with the intent of creating anything but harm. If there was an outbreak of hockey stick-related mass murders, would we make hockey sticks harder to get? Probably. Did you know that full faced ski-masks are illegal? Because, they are.

So, you think that people will kill without guns? Of course they will. But, you know what they won't do without guns? They will NOT go on a killing spree. A knife wielding maniac can't do what happened in Virgina Tech. A man with a chainsaw will not be able to sit in a clock tower and be able to rain bullets on unsuspecting people. These things happen and continue to happen. Something needs to change. Does you passion for guns matter more to you than your family and the safety of millions? What's to stop someone from coming into your children's school and taking them from you? Do you suggest we arm elementary school teachers and teach them marksmanship? What's to stop someone from coming into your office and shooting you where you sit, reading this slightly inflammatory blog? Gun in your desk? Good idea.

Something needs to change. What is wrong with us that we cling to this right so desperately even in the face of so many events that say it's wrong? Why does empirical evidence not even phase us? I think it's time the gun lobby step down. It's time for the NRA to hear that what they're doing is actually absurd.

Lilya, my volunteer was in today. She kept asking me why Virginia let's people buy guns so easily. She asked why people were allowed to buy hand guns. "You can't hunt with that? Why do you need that?" I had no answer. I have no answer. Do you?

A small afterthought

I almost forgot about this-

The attention to detail in this torso fragment is astounding. Stylized happy trail?

Also, I love my new camera. You'll love it too, as I will be posting lots of pictures on the blog.

G&R Reunion Tour!!

So, last night was one of the many opening receptions for the new and improved Greek and Roman wing at the Metropolitan Museum. It was a fancy gala event to start off what looks to be a season filled with over crowded museums and small children putting gum on old things, besides their grandparents.

If you get a chance to go and see the new wing, you should. It's beautiful. Who am I talking to here? Mom? Dad? Does anyone read this thing? Anyways, here are some pictures from the event.

There were all sorts of or-dervs. There was roast beef that I later found out was veal, then someone told me was lamb. There were veal meatballs that were ACTUALLY veal, shrimp, some sort of carrpachio in a martini glass, lots of cheese and then a full bar. My girlfriend was happy with that. She likes the champagne.

The wing officially opens to the public this Friday, but chances are you (or even YOU) know me and could stop by earlier this week if you wanted. Just drop me a line, come meet me for lunch. Or don't. You can always wait to see it with the rest of the masses. Chances are it will be REAL crowded in the coming months. And something about that space makes me think there's going to be more than a few people touching, bumping and possibly knocking over some herculeses.

this is hercules/herackles/me after a bath and lion slaughtering.

Buy me this!!!

Dear Santa,

I realize it's a little early in the season to be asking for presents, but I think I've been pretty good for the last 3 or 4 months and I deserve this.

Sincerely,
Aaron With-Angel-Wings

-----

As you, my faithful reader, may or may not know I kind of have this problem buying stuff from Kidrobot. Mostly Dunnies, but also those Koo-Koo, Kozik labbits and mongers. I don't know what it is, but I can't help it. I'll post some pictures of my collection.

If I ever bought this, this is what would happen- I would bask in its glow for like two days, watching TV while sitting on it, though probably less cool than the model in the picture, then I'd come to terms with the fact it's not all that comfortable and put a plant on top. Which is great, but then it becomes an incredibly expensive plant stand. A really awesome plant stand, but still a plant stand.

In conclusion, why doesn't Kidrobot and Mr. Kozik make a Chia Labbit? Seriously. Get on that.

More Fing-Genius

So, I posted some images to the website finally. Only problem is, now I really want to do a redesign. The more I work with it, the more ideas I get. It's going to be the website of purgatory or something. I know it.

Check it out, again- www.fing-genius.com

Hot Fuzz=Best Action Movie of All Time.

I would've come up with some snappy movie critic-esque title for this post, but that's just not my groove, man. Lay off.

So, last night I went to a free screening of Hot Fuzz. Two words- Best Movieever!!!! It has all the key ingredients of a great cop movie: shooting two guns while flying through the air, shooting a gun while driving a car, and uh... drop kicks to old ladies? It's got mystery, intrigue, ultra-violence and the kind of comedy a guy like me can really understand- slapstick.

It's by the guys who made Shaun of the Dead. So, imagine that with cops and no zombies. Also it has Bill Nighy, but he was in Shaun of the Dead too. Hmmmm, just put that together. Weird.

If you aren't completely satisfied with Hot Fuzz as THE action movie to beat for the summer, well, I guess there's always Transformers and TMNT and Spiderman 3, but definitely NOT Fantastic Four 2. That has stinker reflected all over the Silver Surfer's retarded shiny butt. What you think TMNT is stupid? F you. Those guys raised me and I WILL go see the movie. Maybe tonight. By myself. Drunk.