by jad

Near Raphael’s Grave, Thinking About Orientalism

I’m sitting in a room that’s a ten-minute walk from where Raphael is buried in Rome, going through the last couple of shots I took from the exhibit of his life and work at the Met, writing these words while waiting for the sun to start setting, to get respite from the unbearable heat blazing across Europe. And I’m only just now noticing the subtitle the curators had chosen: “sublime poetry.” Being in Italy during this heatwave has been an interesting twist to a challenge we’d already set ourselves. Italy is infamous for its inscrutable ways. But there’s graffiti in … Continue reading “Near Raphael’s Grave, Thinking About Orientalism” →

by jad

MoMA, Duchamp, and a Birthday at the Raphael Exhibit

We’re in the Eternal City of Rome, but my mind’s still in the city that never sleeps—partially, because I’m very jet lagged and have barely slept in the past 48 hours, but mostly because I’ve a shit ton of photos left from our time there and it’s been way too hot to take many photos here. So I’ll be sharing some shots from the art museums we visited. This is the Rothko room at MoMA. 20 years ago, I only visited the Met and spent the whole time in the Modern Art section where I saw a Rothko for the … Continue reading “MoMA, Duchamp, and a Birthday at the Raphael Exhibit” →

by jad

Twenty Years Later: Back in New York, Turning 40

After twenty whole years, I’m back in “the city that blends and mends and tests”—and I still have a screenshot of that split second when my name pops up in the Beastie Boys video as my email avatar. I came here back then as a kind of escape; to be totally anonymous even for a little while; to turn 20 away from everyone, almost to prove a point: that I could make something out of this “great, unstable mass of blood and foam.” And this city did not let me down. It consoled me when I was at my lowest … Continue reading “Twenty Years Later: Back in New York, Turning 40” →

by jad

First Time at the Fremont Solstice Parade

Seattle! @colleengreen420 is cool and will be performing COOL at the @clockoutlounge on July 22, so be there and don’t be square—be cool instead! x This cutie patootie’s got a piece up at @abbeyarts called RED that you should go check out and maybe purchase. I am very proud and ever grateful for her endless care and support, so give her a follow and show her some love immediately: @christine.bingham.art x This was the first time I’d ever been to the Fremont Solstice Parade, and, of course, I found myself in the thick of it on my first try. x … Continue reading “First Time at the Fremont Solstice Parade” →

by jad

The Girl Closet at Once Removed

This was @atm__4ever at @once__removed 02 last night with @sofiiakmusic playing in the background. I’ll have more to say in another post about this durational dimension of the exhibit beyond just “wow,” but for now, just enjoy the interplay of light and shadow. x If @once__removed is an interrogation of impermanence, then @atm__4ever’s durational piece at last night’s opening of this second activation of a home destined for demolition is a searing indictment of time. You’ve heard of “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma”—this is whatever that means for the ephemeral within the truly fleeting. I first … Continue reading “The Girl Closet at Once Removed” →

by jad

Third Side of the Moon

And the cottonwoods in summer are falling like snow many moons ago. (The All-American Rejects – Green isn’t Yellow) x My heart pumps faster than could possibly be alright; I read a magazine before – You only get so many thumps in your whole life. (Modest Mouse – Third Side of the Moon) x I’ve been taking a drive along a memory and had an awful thought: What if I’m wrong and you were right all along? (The All-American Rejects – Get This) x

by jad

Seeking the Fringe at Folklife

I was broadly aware that by taking a step behind the curtains this year and generally being there in the sleepier, pre-crowd hours, that I’d experience a very different Folklife than usual. I remember thinking about that when I stood in front of this window. There’s a special melancholy to the liminal time before showtime, anticipating the crash after you wrap. x They were recording content for their social media, so I didn’t stop to ask, but does anyone know what this dance is called and where it’s from? x At this point, I was actively seeking out the fringe … Continue reading “Seeking the Fringe at Folklife” →