T

T
Originally uploaded by birdw0rks.

This has to be one of my favourite shots of this woman (whoever she is). Taken just this morning in an excellently-interiorally-adjectivericherly coffeshop down from where she works off of Lex (57th?). The place has a large wall projection of cheesy old TV ads and an interestingly shaped side wall that curves and ripples under its smooth plaster exterior. Decent coffee too.

In terms of wall-projection, the latest Bill Viola exhibition at the Whitney, which I finally got my arse in gear to see last night (pay-what-you-want night, Fridays; no price on art, me!), is superb. Five high def. vids about 15 minutes long in super slow-mo feature figures entering water. Each one has a slightly different bent: some run forwards, some backwards, some are inverted, one has a split mirror effect, etc. Each has a violent climax when the body (which could be a real human or a weighted dummy - hard to tell) enters (or exits, depending on how you interpret it and which way the images run in each) the water. The review I read slated it and in general Viola's body of work, citing his desire to make video art like paintings, indicating an inferiority complex. His earlier stuff may have more immediate impact, but I disagree that the current showing is anything but superb. Totally engrossing, moving, and visually poignant.

A long weekend here with MLK day on Monday. A chance to actually spend a few hours laying down a few guitar tracks while T's at work dealing with a manic wedding at Fitzpatrick's.

Night night chowheads.