MelSpain

Let’s toast to the scumbags… George Condo’s...

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:00:00 -0400

Let’s toast to the scumbags… George Condo’s collaboration with Rapper Kanye West for his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

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Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:56:10 -0400

Yeezy Unscripted, Philly

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:44:00 -0400

Multiple people in groups of two and three emerged from the dark, wet, streets and surrounding pathways of the Barnes Foundation. The scene echoed the same sentiments as Harry Potter’s Prisoner of Azkaban, people in dark clothing and hoods, low murmurs sans magic wands. Like nightwalkers, unknowingly of what may happen at the stroke of 10pm, teenagers and twentysomethings ascended on the Barnes’ lawn in hopes of catching a glimpse of a digital Kanye West. Despite the video people knew they were bound to see projected on the side of the Barnes foundation, or the Franklin Institute, or the Eastern State Penitentiary, it was still the excitement or perhaps the mystery of Kanye’s face projected on a symbolic building in American history that intrigued many. Closer to the 10pm hour, the Barnes’ guards took watch to the surprisingly tamed crowd of maybe fifty Yeezy fans. I could not help but wonder if this act of whatever was performance art or just another absurd media stunt by the rapper. Later, I found it was the latter, but still amusing nonetheless.

What holds some truth in this is the act of waiting, of tasking people with a scavenger hunt of performance based lingering alongside people you sort of don’t know, of social media adventures given limited direction. No, not one of the historic cultural institutions’ staff knew of the event that would take place on their grounds. The Franklin Institute and Barnes Foundation’s tweets were both befuddled sentiments. So, apparently Kanye West will project a short video on our property, as reported by Philly.com?? And of course, Kanye tweeted in caps earlier that day “NEW PROJECTION LOCATIONS TONIGHT.” And of course, his devoted fans followed suit and desperately searched for their city on a shadowy outline of the world map sprinkled with small red dots signaling a video projection event. And of course, Philly among other cities worldwide like Cannes and Auckland were listed. I was curious to join in on the treasure hunt. I wanted performance.

In retrospect, the whole idea was interesting. Bringing people together who all had the same limited information about what was going to take place. People gathered at the Barnes but when the realization sunk in that the projection wouldn’t happened there or the Franklin Institute just blocks away, the whole crowd trekked to the Penitentiary in the rain. More people gathered on bikes, skateboards, cars and even pulled up in cabs closer to 11pm hour on that designated friday night. And when the infamous black van pulled up on Fairmount Avenue, directly across from the Penitentiary- one of the world’s most beautiful and creepiest jails, the large crowd which spilled onto the street, went wild. They cheered in the cold rain.

Of course the mini-van door was jammed and it took about ten minutes to open. The crowd grew weary; I was starting to anticipate a riot of some sort.Yet again, I pondered the question: But why, even though hundreds of video footage was already uploaded around the internet days before, were people still wading in the water in hopes of seeing it live in living color? Fans awaited in hopes that the driver, perhaps a Kanye representative or someone paid to open a van door and project a less than two minute video on a brick wall, would get his act together. Literally. And when the door did finally open, the crowd cheered as the video started with a slide show of advertising images.

Alas, Kanye West’s face appeared in the dark! It was a black and white holographic-like video of him rapping awkwardly in a seemingly dark empty room. It was bizarre and political charged undertones of government resentment and civil disobedience, inviting along a young crowd of innocent and aimless individuals to participate in a protest. Though many of the fans did not know it was a protest (and maybe it wasn’t), but perhaps thought it was a holographic performance. The whole act whispered dynamics of 21st century power by numbers and participatory groupthink. Kanye’s messaging is no doubt authentic, but a bit dangerous in the name of his audience and their knowledge. There were a few girls present whom never visited or heard of the Barnes, nor cared about what type of art and its value was just meters away from them. And yet, they were patiently awaiting the video projection event in the rain with barely any clothes on.

The contents of the video were heavy on the themes of modern slavery to the death of designer labels and minor dialogue on classism, on Kanye’s experiences of not being accepted even though he probably thinks his money should speak volumes and his experience with racism amidst exclusive international social circles. We get lot’s of “fuck you’s” and swearing on his mother’s name- which appears he still may be grieving. An act of dissonance via digital performance art or a promotional scheme for Kanye’s album set to drop June 18th?

It’s also about data mining, groupthink, and blasphemous...

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:47:49 -0400

It’s also about data mining, groupthink, and blasphemous racism, undertoned by smiley faces. Banksy.

I am very interested in typography as reflected by urban culture’s meaning of exposing the disparities. It’s about “international art english”

contemplating egalitarianism

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:50:00 -0400

After indulging in our similarities and how we compliment each other, he made me dismiss egalitarianism. All my femme argument was hushed and forgotten at that moment by his persuasive argument of how we are not equal. We came to a seemingly mutual agreement that our “relationship” is like a collage. And, that there are parts from us both that work together, but it can not be equal. As I slowly came out of my hypnosis and to my senses, I clearly thought that such an ideology was an elite form of masculinity in disguise, but also the answer to many feminism arguments. And, although me and “named has been removed for legal reasons” are not friends anymore, he had a point. As we fall lushly onto our individual and unique cushions, egalitarianism is not going to exist, in any situation. If it does, then are we fighting with gravity on naturally unbalanced emotions, unkind friendships, and sexual favors wrought with fantasies of the subconsciousness- those that even oneself does not know could be pleasurable….

Captured during FRIEZE Art fair 2013. Ahhh this phrase is...

Wed, 15 May 2013 23:00:30 -0400

Captured during FRIEZE Art fair 2013.

Ahhh this phrase is haunting me. WTF, I can’t let go of it

the new meditation room and 21st rising figure in pop culture?

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:07:42 -0400

the new meditation room and 21st rising figure in pop culture?

the new center piece.

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:06:50 -0400

the new center piece.

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Sun, 12 May 2013 19:06:01 -0400

see through the slime..

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:05:34 -0400

see through the slime..

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Sun, 12 May 2013 19:04:59 -0400

coding and iconography.

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:04:17 -0400

coding and iconography.

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Sun, 12 May 2013 19:02:55 -0400

I went to FRIEZE VIP Preview. The ferry ride felt as if I was on an over-sized surf board, bumping...

Sun, 12 May 2013 19:02:00 -0400

I went to FRIEZE VIP Preview. The ferry ride felt as if I was on an over-sized surf board, bumping along the waves

Just in it’s second year in NYC, showcasing the best art around the globe, I was honored to be invited to FRIEZE.

from my patio!

Sun, 12 May 2013 18:59:00 -0400

from my patio!

Me @ FRIEZE ART FAIR VIP SALE

Sun, 12 May 2013 18:59:00 -0400

Me @ FRIEZE ART FAIR VIP SALE

intersections of dining out and eating in.

Sun, 05 May 2013 22:42:34 -0400

intersections of dining out and eating in.

"I’ll tell you a story,” added Takizawa. “When I had my first interview with Mr Yanai, he said to me:..."

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:14:47 -0400

““I’ll tell you a story,” added Takizawa. “When I had my first interview with Mr Yanai, he said to me: ‘What is the most important innovation in the history of fashion? It’s pantyhose.’ When pantyhose was created, lifestyles changed. Fashion is always changing, but an innovation like pantyhose creates major change. It means everyone can show legs and wear a skirt in the wintertime, even if it’s zero degrees,” he said. “Maybe Uniqlo products should have the same value as pantyhose, but for the future.””

- http://www.businessoffashion.com/2013/04/with-an-evolutionary-approach-uniqlo-aims-to-create-new-category.html

remnants from soho afterparty…

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:10:51 -0400

remnants from soho afterparty…

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Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:06:34 -0400