My Name Looks Like Me

MYNAMELOOKSLIKEME>>>WORDPRESS edition

2010-06-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

I have moved this blog to wordpress. I like the lay out much better.

Take a look!

mynamelookslikeme.wordpress.com

"There is a big Richard Serra sculpture here (University of Nebraska) if you want to try something like that again." "Yes, please."

2010-05-13T01:22:00.000-07:00

Lincoln, Nebraska

5/30/2010

University of Nebraska

Greenpoint, Richard Serra installation

-------

A *rare* opportunity to perform inside ANOTHER Richard Serra sculpture. This is beyond my wildest dreams. Thanks to Bryan Day and Jaime OBradovich for help in documenting such an incredible day.

***SOME PHOTOS WERE TAKEN BY JAIME OBRADOVICH

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The search

Spotting the Roxy Paine tree

Bird believed it

Found it

In love

Inside

Markings

Searching for electricity

Jaime OBradovich and his daughter Zoey, photographer and videographer, on set

Curious Cat

READY

SET UP

In play

DOCUMENTATION

After 4 pieces. EXHAUSTION!

VIDEO COMING SOON.....

Sweet Ruin

2010-05-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

"I love you, without knowing how to do it." - Sweet Ruin, 2008 Elisabeth Subrin-----an experimental adaptation of Michelangelo Antonioni’s unrealized script, Technically Sweet, written in the late '60s, but never produced. Set in the Amazon and Sardinia, it was to star Jack Nicholson as T., a disillusioned journalist obsessed with guns, and Maria Schneider as "The Girl." In two screens paralleling the dual plots of his script, Sweet Ruin imagines the ruins of Antonioni's work, as if it somehow actually filmed, but then lost and forgotten.

MAY 2010

2010-05-13T01:17:00.001-07:00

Some interviews

2010-05-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

Indian Jewelry's new-ish blog:

http://swampbats.wordpress.com/mariachavez/

Roulette's Blog:

http://roulettenyc.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/maria-chavez-interview/

Bursts

2010-05-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

3 Things that reminded me of the others:

Disco ball

Sculpture from the Causey Contemporary

Winter hedge causualty in Brooklyn

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Multiples

Corks

bar candles

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Accidents become pieces

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Spring Gothic

Sights and Sounds of Fall and Winter 2009 into 2010

2010-02-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

A few videos of my past adventures as I get ready for new ones ahead.

This series of short videos are from the beginning of my Eastern European tour and back to Berlin, where I hung out with a bunch of different sound and visual artists while waiting a week to perform for the International Turntablist Orchestra at the Akademie der Kunste.

Getting nervous, 6 hours to Gdansk:

The first man to speak english in on my way to Gdansk.

The rolling hills of Poland and the Czech Republic...

Here was a moment where everything stopped, became very still and the church bells from nearby began to ring.

Heading back to Berlin from Ostrava after a very successful show.

Back in Berlin. Had a few days to do nothing but meet with other artists and go see some performances. One of my favorites was this one with 8 upright bassists. Was good.

Hanging out with the boys of AIDS 3-D.

Stars Like Fleas packing up and walking down a ridiculous amount of stairs after a show in Berlin.

Returning to NYC from Berlin. I arrived and performed for the Merce Cunningham Memorial at the Park Avenue Armory.

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MARCH 4th, 2010

CEAIT FESTIVAL

Featuring John Wiese, Maria Chavez, Marcus Schmickler, Better Than Future, Steve Roden, and Bloody Claws (Carla Bozulich)

Thurs Mar 4

8:30 pm

Funded in part with generous support from the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles.

631 West 2nd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012

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EAST VILLAGE RADIO: Radio Heart

2010-02-14T18:31:00.000-08:00

Dj'd with Ceci Moss and Pauchi Sasaki on Ease Village Radio about Peruvian Sound Art.

Here's the link to the show:

http://amillionkeys.com/peruvian-sound-art-special-with-maria-chavez-pauchi-sasaki

Dreaming of Summer, the blue waves..

2010-02-12T01:38:00.000-08:00

Blog Lovin

2010-02-09T00:45:00.001-08:00

Follow my blog with bloglovin

And follow houndstoothnyc.blogspot.com and http://www.portalmrkt.com/houndstooth/ to buy some of our most treasured vintage pieces.

Playing, looking, making- part 14

2010-02-02T02:48:00.000-08:00

Some photos here have been found on these other blogs. I am in no way claiming the rights to them.

the sartorialist

http://missatlaplaya.blogspot.com/

facehunter.blogspot.com

Performed the closing night of Monkeytown w/ Shelley Burgon last week:

More accidents become unintentional art pieces.

Subway fixture, once removed.

tape sculpture

Performed live for WKCR

The record archives. Was impressive.

An Edison roll.

My Leo-ski, wearing my winter hat.

Me wearing my winter hat

Making some totes out of indian blankets for the Houndstooth Pop up store that happening soon.

front

side

back

I love this fabric combination that the FACEHUNTER took:

more soon.

Europe Part 2

2010-01-18T22:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving day, I was flown to Bordeaux, France to perform for the NYC Sounds festival at the Contemporary Arts Museum. Also on the bill:

Seth Cluett www.onelonelypixel.org

Phill Niblock http://www.phillniblock.com/

Katherine Liberovskaya http://www.liberovskaya.net/

Alan Licht http://www.myspace.com/alanlicht

David Watson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2cru8MjYfY

Curated by: Yvan Etienne

Entrance

Phil Niblock walking to the auditorium

Sound check w/ Alan Licht

Walking back to the hotel

Making my face

Bordeuax @ 4 a.m.

Day 2

I like to run

Next to the museum cafe

Park in Bordeaux

if you look inside the structure, you'll see some french skater kids and their girlfriends shooting the shit.

When I was their age i was shooting the shit in grocery store parking lots. Can't help but feel slighted when

I saw them. Why couldn't I hang out in traditional roman structures that were made in the 19th century?

It was a beautiful day

Shopping

Found an incredible white wine from this fantastic wine shop in the main shopping center of Bordeaux.

It had 6 floors, separated by type of wine. The oldest and most expensive wines were at the very top.

Poster

The museum used to be a slave trading port, and before that it was a convent.

The human erosion on the stone steps. I tried to capture it, but just couldn't do it. Every slave,

every nun walked down these steps for hundreds of years. Still send chills up my spine.

Bordeaux shopping area at night

Last dinner before heading to Paris the next morning

trying to get "team Bordeaux" ready for a picture

This guy was funny

PARIS:

NOISE!!

Maxime Guitton took me on a walking tour of the city. He wore me OUT!

more info about his organization can be found here:

http://www.myspace.com/alifibgigs

Had this image ingrained in my psyche earlier this fall season when a friend pulled

a tarot card that was similar. Then I saw it at the top of a government building in Paris. Whoa.

Parisian art nouveau

".....don't accept credit cards since 1845."

A film bookstore, I found some beautiful silent film industry magazines here for my showroom.

The pictures inside are breathtaking.

this picture isn't that.

The light in the sky was really beautiful. I couldn't capture it, but I remember how it feels.

And to me, that's all that matters.

Ran into the Notre Dame

Shakespeare bookstore

French bookstore doggy

Admiral winter jacket from the 1940's. I wanted to buy it, but it wouldn't sell. Too costume-y.

I would totally wear if it fit me.

Dinner with Stephan Moore, head sound man of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.

We sat next to an interesting radio that had European cities as stations. It blew our minds.

Steak tartar and french chicken

A Campari toast for Shelley Burgon, since she couldn't join us.

I learned how to say "on strike" in french.

The Archives nationales of Paris

There was an interesting show there, but what really captured my

attention were the chandeliers on the ground floor.

The people above on the first floor walked around as the chandeliers

on the ground floor gently shook on impact. It was a beautiful sound.

Stephan and I sat there for a good 30 minutes just listening to it all.

My favorite memory of the day.

An amazing antique instrument store with novelty instruments.

If I opened antique music instrument store, this is exactly how it would be.

It was so amazing.

Berlin for my workshop, info here:

http://www.udk-berlin.de/

OF NOW: Improvisation in the Arts

"When I am painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It's only after a sort of get aquainted period that I see what I have been about. I have no fears about making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of it's own." Jackson Pollock

This three-day workshop with sound artist Maria Chavez, whose work has recently become centered on the paradox of time and the present moment, will consider improvisation in contemporary art and its place in the art market. Examining work by 20th-century artists who embraced improvisation, the discussion will also question the need for ownership in ephemeral mediums such as music and dance.

I didn't take photos because I was so busy, but the students were so cool and I really enjoyed my time there.

If you look closely at the above picture, they put my postcards of my workshop on the walls.

Afterwards, Sophie (the woman that set up my workshop) took me out with my best friend Donna Huanca and her boyfriend. We had too much fun.

hee hee...

The next day I worked on a music score for a video piece that Sophie was creating.

Nat let us use his studio. Was fun.

German babies in the cold.

At an opening later that night.

Quechua Couture

w/ Donna Huanca

www.ruaminx.com

Gdansk, Krakow and Ostrava

2010-01-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

Eastern Euro Tour 10/2009

This was an interesting time. Started in Berlin then took a train to Poland. Had to switch trains in this tiny city in Poland called Kutno. It was a little scary. People were staring at my like I was from another planet. I kind of enjoyed it. I also made an effort to wear articles of clothing that made my indigenous features stand out. I think people really liked it. Everyone in both Poland and the Czech Republic were so nice and helpful. Even when they didn't speak english, they made an effort to help however they could. I still owe this Polish guy a house mix. I'm working on it right now.

Thanks to Lukasz and Martin for setting everything up and being such gracious hosts. I was going through a lot of mental things at the time.

While in Ostrava I found out that Suzanne Fiol passed away 2 days before. I was devastated and alone in a strange city. I can't even begin to express to you how much I miss Suzanne. The performance the following day in Ostrava was dedicated to her, with a piece that I entitled "Burial Song". I used an eskimo chant record and made different slowed down loops and almost lost my composure. But Martin and the audience were very sweet and compassionate. And in a way, I felt her presence there. She was my first champion here in NYC. She gave me my first artist residency. She changed my life.

I love you, Suzanne Fiol. Thank you for everything.

GDANSK:

Lukasz, getting the paperwork ready. He was my host while in Poland.

My hotel room:

My view:

If you look at the clouds, they get crazier because they're over the Baltic Sea.

Inside Gdansk:

My first Polish meal:

Some guy was eating sunflower seeds straight from the plant. It was weird.

Set Up:

A light installation in the first room of the art space:

Another:

My poster:

This reminded me of Greenpoint. Little Poland.

Front of the building:

Performance:

Chicken with melted garlic butter inside.

Baltic Sea:

Full moon over Danzig:

I liked how Lukasz put his cap on his knee.

Benches in a small town on our way to Krakow:

I wore these pants a lot.

Mociun, Fall 2008

Krakow, Klub Alhemia:

Video piece for the first group:

Photo exhibit:

Drunk on Bison Grass Vodka and Apple Juice. It's amazing.

Morrocan bar:

The Square:

I had to have keilbasa:

Ostrava:

Set up:

Front of the building:

It was an amazing show. Everyone was so supportive.

I remember this part. I was trying to keep it together during the "Burial Song". I never felt so alone before. But it was o.k.

Asking Martin how many pieces I played.

Beer afterwards:

Martin and Juan, awesome guys.

When I saw the goddess Sade looking down on me, I knew everything was going to be fine.

This on the other hand, creeped me out.

xo

Ambulatory test shoot

2010-01-11T04:55:00.000-08:00

For my tour postcard that never happened.

San Fransisco

2010-01-09T22:23:00.000-08:00

Was flown to San Fransisco for the San Fransisco Electronic Music Festival in mid-September. The hosts were so generous and I had a wonderful time and felt really good about my performance. Highlight included meeting Joan La Barbara for the first time. She's so cool and hot. Thanks to the SFEMF crew for all of their help generosity!!

My hotel was totally green. Solar power, rain reserve water, the bed was made from salvaged wood. Was really great.

I liked this bookstore.

Staples maximalism

painted on the ceiling of a taqueria.

The Brava Theater at night, where the festival was held.

Miya Masaoka with her daughter performing a light-sound piece. It was beautiful to watch.

Theater inside

set up

Musicians roster, again in good company..

Fabric detail of my poncho I wore for my performance.

Driving fast down the hills of San Fran.

This building is owned by the Coppola family.

On my way to my hotel one afternoon, I saw this sign:

turned out to be a gorgeous community garden...

They had chickens!

Hung out with these sweet guys for a while before heading back to the festival. Had so much fun with them!!

Back to the festival for a panel discussion.

With Marcella Faustini, a San Fran based video artist, checking out a space for a possible sound installation collaboration.

Obligatory "Full House" photo

rooftop photo. Note the fog starting to roll in..

It was a beautiful day, the rich people went sailing.

vintage trolley

Waiting in line to drive down that curvy street that everyone talks about

some feet doing yoga

Danielle Steele's house. That lady knows luxury. Truth.

the place was HUGE

lots of funny landscaping

Presidio

"SPIRE" by Andy Goldsworthy

He's one of my favorite artists. I can hear his work.

Obligatory Amoeba visit

Golden Gate Bridge

more soon

TITO: Berlin, Merce and the East Coast

2010-01-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

I like finding unintentional pieces. My whole workshop at UDK in Berlin was about that. More on that later.

Berlin Ceiling

At a bar and low and behold, the poster for TITO on the wall!

I like this splatter.

Like a bear claw with too many toes...

I had an oven in my room for heat. It was interesting.

You start with burning paper, then put these bricks in, then wait an hour or so and the room gets warm.

The fastest swan ever, in Neukolln.

Checkpoint Charlie for a show.

On the side of a building.

That's me laughing at the end...

A hidden gem of a bar. Fits like 15 people. Love.

Went to the wrong building for the first meeting. DOH!

But I made it in time. Some of the best turntablists in the world were here.

such an honor.

Akademie der Kunste auditorium.

Phillip Jeck. My new favorite person.

The ceiling.

I want to make this wall when Matthew gets back.

Set up the next day. It was impossible to rent turntables in Berlin during the festival. They were all with us.

mine:

Set up

camera crew documenting it all.

Ignaz's set up. I always like to watch him get organized. Takes him like an hour or so.

vinyl filing system. So efficient.

Vinyl cutter. GIVE IT TO MEEEE!!!

So you could cut your own vinyl while you were at the festival and it only cost 10 euros. So proud of Ignaz, he really pulled it off.

Rehearsal.

Out that night, more posters of the festival.

accidents become pieces. I'm a little nutty about this subject.

Rehearsal

Duo with Phillip Jeck.

Again, I'm really into physical representations of chaos.

So is Christian Marclay. This was an installation we all created for the foyer of the performance space for TITO, instructed by Christian Marclay, who couldn't be there, he had a gig at the Louvre.

Chaos. Love.

Sort of group photo.

Accidents become art pieces.

Can you see it? the break in the window looks like a woman singing.

See?

The abandoned building across the way from my room.

As soon as I landed in NYC I went to the Dam Funk show that Fader hosted. Was good.

But I was tired and hungry.

Park Avenue Armory for the Merce Cunningham Memorial:

from the ground

from the musicians balcony:

Alumni, warming up:

La Monte Young sound checking in the background.

it was probably my most favorite moment of the whole night. But there were other moments as well.

Alumni group photo:

www.merce.org

A drawing by Merce hung over the musicians area.

La Monte Young and his ladies.

From the ground, showtime:

from the musicians balcony. The best seat in the house. It was incredible to say the least.

the floor looked great.

double eye

Leo-ski

Me as trying on a wig that Casey had, I looked like Etta James. @ Coco listening to Mike Wexler and Aaron Lovejoy a.k.a. Hypnotits (heehee) DJ.

GREENPOINT! Home.

Cute little boy

Baltimore with Bonnie for the Los Solos series. The guy had a nice suit on, but I couldn't capture it. Sorry.

B'more set up.

Speaking to the audience.

Washington D.C. or Silver Springs, MD. Same difference??

ParisLondonWestNile w/ Corridors

Good turnout. Maxime was there!!!

Unintentional pieces.

everything is going to be posted out of order. That was at the end of my Euro tour part 1 in October. I went back 2 weeks later.

More on Poland, Czech Republic, France, blah blah blah...

2010-01-06T01:25:00.000-08:00

JANDEK @ Issue Project Room, Brooklyn

AFTERWARDS:

w/ Donna Huanca (www.ruaminx.com) and Zach Layton

LMAK Gallery set up:

Running into the Facehunter (www.facehunter.blogspot.com) again:

Caris and her beautiful friend @ Tribeca Grand:

we actually had this same mesh shirt at our store. Was a huge hit!

Highline Park in the fall:

Obligatory Empire State a la Warhol photo:

My Indian Summer vision:

I love the red bracelet. I've lost it 3 times now, and always got it back. No matter what part of the globe I was on.

R.I.P. Austrian Punk ceramic Piggy Bank

Michael broke him to shattered pieces while I was on tour.

I never got to say goodbye.

I don't want to talk about it....

CASTOR AND POLLOX: PRELUDE

covers

records (whole)

covers

records (whole)

supplies for prelude

the sacrifice begins:

toes...

sacrifice...

The experiment, live at White Box Gallery (http://whiteboxny.org/)

Learning:

Choosing:

"The Drunk Realist" by Jen Liu @ EXHIBITION 211

SoHo, NYC

DRUNK REALIST
hosted by Jen Liu

"Today we proclaim our words to you people...
Today is the deed.
We will account for it tomorrow.
The past we are leaving behind as carrion."

Naum Gaubo's Realist Manifesto in 3 parts, recited from memory by 3
drunks over 3 nights. The present reflects on a past that imagined no
future, and as they gun-powdered the past, we take a turn at
obliteration in parallel.

1920 Moscow, 19-20 cocktails.

Thursday, August 27, 8pm: Maria Chavez
Friday, August 28, 8pm: Tyler Coburn
Saturday, August 29, 8pm: Scott Kiernan

EXHIBITION
211 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10013
A project initiated by Elena Bajo, Eric Anglès, Jakob Schillinger,
Nathalie Anglès and Warren Neidich.

Matthew DJ'd a bad ass rooftop party at the end of summer.

Before Matthew got on:

AFTER:

Matthew:

He's in Detroit right now, freezing his butt off. I miss him!

more soon.

2010- design pieces for the Winter and Spring

2010-01-05T02:10:00.000-08:00

Getting back into the swing of things since returning from being on tour since September. Here are some design pieces that Quechua Couture is working on.

Here is the inspiration for Spring of 2010.

The beginning of the neck piece is being made from leather sample pieces.

Found at Materials for the Arts, these sheets of rock were originally design samples for restrooms. I prefer to make them into boots for next Winter.

More soon from San Fransisco, Berlin, Poland, Czech Republic, France, D.C., Baltimore and the Merce Cunningham memorial and my hibernation period.

It's so nice to be in the city for a month and a half.

Bard, Bread and Merce

2009-08-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

My photos finally downloaded onto my laptop, so I'm able to post photos from a few weeks ago.

I accidentally dropped my camera so the screen is just white and there is no lens so all of these photos are by chance. Which is my most favorite situation to be in.

I love robots, and Stella McCartney loves them too apparently...

By the below the Highline Park.
Nice balconies.
Outside the Merce Cunningham studios near the Hudson. It was a beautiful day....
I loved this random placement of chairs.

I want to live in the very top floor of this building.

The backyards of Manhattan in the summer.

Inside the Merce Cunningham Memorial gathering.

I wore a vintage black dress that Donna has and looks similar to the black dress that Alexander Wang made for the 2009 winter season. It was the only black thing I could find.

They put beautiful photos of Merce dancing all around the studio, along with televisions that had different videos of his performances. Including our performance at the DIA:BEACON.

I love this photo so much. So, so much.

It was raining and sunny at the same time. I think it was very therapeutic for everyone.

Around 6pm, everyone gathered in the main dance studio and welcomed Assistant to the Choregrapher, Robert Swinston, who asked everyone to participate in the prelimanary stretching routine:

Stephan and I joined in....

More posters and photos of and about Merce:

The set up in the smaller studio:

When I got to the studio, I met up with Stephan who showed me a little treasure from the catacombs of the Merce Cunningham studios:

looked like a TV dinner:

But it wasn't:

He's not sure what it is yet, but it looks awesome. He thinks David Tudor made it. He's so lucky to be a part of such an exclusive group of engineers.

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BREAD AND ROSES @ the Sculpture Center:

Sculpture Center for BREAD AND ROSES 101: Workshop / Performance / Installation by Elena Bajo and Jon Cuyson

"Bread and Roses 101" is a series of one on one discussions that seek to explore, imagine and implement new forms of protest by creating actions and strategies, while negotiating the production of space and consumption of time incorporating leisure as a way of resistance

The University of Trash at the Sculpture Center in New York will be a temporary site for this installation and performance conducted by artists Elena Bajo and Jon Cuyson. The artists will create within the University of Trash an evolving ‘stage’ composed of a diversity of found and existent materials (taken from the streets surrounding Sculpture Center) wherein the workshop will be conducted.

“Bread and Roses 101” will be a venue for social engagement and experimentation as it becomes open to a variety of participants who will be asked to attend the workshop for one hour each. Within that hour both artists will negotiate with the participant/s his/her intentions to create (or not) within the allotted time slot, thereby testing various forms of reality and interpersonal communication. Both artists will assist and/or participate in attempting to make the proposal of each participant/s a reality. All activities will be documented. All of the participants will receive a printed Certificate of Completion that will be created by the artists after their one hour of participation in the workshop.

--So Donna and I were invited to be a part of the Bread and Roses experiment. We spoke about leisure and work and how it coincides with our lives as artists. It was a great talk which ended with Jon giving us a certificate of completion. We said that we were "present" for the hour. Some people played instruments, on lady wanted to watch the moon landing because she never saw it before etc. It was great.

This collaborative project aims to explore issues of new labor and capital, while focusing on leisure and Production of Space as a strategy to articulate resistance. Notions of chance and authorship as well as mental and physical limitations by both artists and participants will manifest as they attempt to integrate ideas that will determine the success or failure of each activity.

The project title was borrowed from a slogan that was used during a women’s textile workers strike that occurred in Massachusetts in 1912 “give us bread, but give us also roses”, and serves as the starting point for this project. This workshop is suitable for those whose interests are in work that do not merely represent a political issue, nor serve as propaganda but directly confronts and transforms the issue itself. If you are interested in radically engaged practices that look neither like art nor activism but take the best of both of these worlds that sit somewhere between direct action and performance, resistance and leisure then this workshop is for you.

In conjunction with Nils Norman and the University of Trash. I actually posted about him and his work a few posts ago. I'm a fan of his now. He has a very interesting approach to social architecture. Very detailed.

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BARD:

So as a few of you know I am applying to Bard for their Summer MFA program in Sound Art. I am working on the application right now and will hopefully be attending next summer.

A 3rd year sculpture student created these great shirts out of rubber.

They had this cheese. That was baked in bread that was flaky like a croissant. It was danger zones.

MARGOT!! One of my new favorite ladies. She was there checking out the show and I went ahead and took her back with me and Donna. We went to Cairo. Long story.

One of my favorite pieces. A video work of a story with blacked out portions, using phrases to recreate the plot. I love that approach. The recycling method. It's very 21st century to me.

Then there was this dark room with a disco ball thing in the middle that made the room feel as if it was moving. The kids really loved this one. I did too. Those are kids walking around and falling over themselves. I'm glad the camera caught it so well.

Lauren Luloffs installation was great. I wish the lighting was better, but again, I had no control.

THIS PIECE WAS BAD ASS!!

A large white room with these lights, and an audio installation of a man speaking, you are assuming that the speaker is Glen, and as he speaks the lights turned off and on to the rhythm of his speech.

It ruled.

More sculpture students works:

The bridge to get to and from Bard.

________

The beginnings of a piece that Donna was creating for the store. Now it is part of my small but growing art collection. It looks amazing now. She went to Korea and brought him with her. He received a lot of attention.

My performance at Glasslands was a great success. Susan Alcorn is so talented. I am so honored to have shared the bill with her and H.M.S. Beagle. They were great as well. Thanks to all that came. I feel ready for my upcoming solo performance at Whitebox. More on that soon.

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Memorial for Merce

2009-08-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

On Monday I was told by Stephan Moore, one of the head sound engineers for Merce Cunningham, that there was a get together at the West Village studios. I brought my camera but the photos won't load, so I drew my favorite memory of the day:

Some of the people that came to the memorial were dancer "alumni" from the past 20 to 30 years. The organization decided to go ahead and hold a practice session and invited everyone to go to the main rehearsal space for the first stretching practice. I joined in, not knowing what to do but happy to be involved. My favorite moment was when everyone, young and old, stretched to the left, perfectly synchronized from years of practice and experience from the best teacher of modern dance. Their necks were elongated, their feet perfectly placed, and their fingers hanging lightly in the air. There was so much grace in the room. I tried to soak as much of it as I could. Hoping that the grace would stay in my movements through the weekend.

In the smaller studio space there were T.V.s set up with Merce's past performances and video footage of my residency. When I saw this I began to cry.

Emotions like these make me think more about my constant practices of not recording for the sake of questioning the idea of ownership. I didn't want to cry when I saw the old footage. The moment was gone and it remains in my memories and in my heart, which is what matters more than owning a copy of it. But I still had this human reaction to try to find and own the video. I said it was for archival reasons, but inside I knew it was for the sake of the ego having "proof" of my participation with the company.

When I asked the main administrator if I could get a copy, she said that I couldn't. "it's only available on-line, all of the original footage from the dress rehearsal is somewhere at NYU waiting to be edited, and probably won't be for a long time."

And there it was, the taste of my own medicine. Bitter yet satisfying. I can't find it online. And I'm glad.

I have always felt that Merce and I shared similar views when it came to owning and distributing works. And here I was, being confronted with the same situation that I have put others in for the past 2 almost 3 years.

This quote from Merce, pulled from his Obituary in the New York Times explains my philosophy completely:

You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive. --Merce Cunningham

I feel the same way about improvisation. It's appreciating the moment rather than focusing on the future.

As Agnes Martin says, " The future is a blank page." Who am I to try to fill it with false ideas that may never come to pass?

Merce, John Cage, Agnes Martin and so many other artists of the late 20th century preached the idea of the moment and presence. This is why I am so inspired by their works.

Here are some photos from their flikr account, here is my proof. I hope my ego is satisfied, although, by it's nature, it never is:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcdc/

When I find the video I'll post it. Or maybe not. Just to make my ego angry.

Merce Cunningham RIP

2009-07-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

I just heard today that Merce Cunningham passed away last night.

I am saddened by the news but honored to have had the rare opportunity to work with him. Here are some of my favorite memories from my residency with Merce and DIA:Beacon from past year.

It was so weird too. As I was getting my store blog ready to show I posted some photos of him in a slideshow that has photos of influences for this coming fall season. I put his picture in the slide show 4 times in a row, as a tribute to him, not knowing that he had passed away earlier in the evening.

Performing with Merce was one of the highlights of my sound career. I am proud to be a part of his musicians roster which consists of some of the best names in the sound field:

Maryanne Amacher, Robert Ashley, Larry Austin, David Behrman, Pierre Boulez, Paul Bowles, Earle Brown, Gavin Bryars, John Cage, Andrew Culver, Stuart Dempster, Baby Dodds, John Driscoll, Brian Eno, Morton Feldman, Serge Garrant, Jon Gibson, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Alexei Haieff, Josef Matthias Hauer, Pierre Henry, Lou Harrison, Alan Hovhaness, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Ben Johnston, Norman Lloyd, Annea Lockwood, Alvin Lucier, Martin Kalve, John King, Takehisa Kosugi, Gordon Mumma, Conlon Nancarrow, Bo Nilsson, Pauline Oliveros, Emanuel Dimas di Melo Pimenta, Maxwell Powers, Michael Pugliese, Radiohead, Pat Richter, Erik Satie, Pierre Schaffer, Sigur Ros, Mikel Rouse, Igor Stravinsky, Ivan Tcherpnin, Yasunao Tone, Gregory Tucker, David Tudor, Ben Weber, Chou Wen-Chung, Christian Wolff, La Monte Young, and Walter Zimmermann.

Team Richard Serra, Merce Cunningham, Maria Chavez, Newton Armstrong, David Linton and Stephan Moore.

With Jasper Johns and Merce Cunningham. What a thrilling moment in time. They both loved that I was Peruvian. It was sweet.

A dancer in the studio working even after the practice period was finished.

My set up for "Experiments in the Studio" at Merce's studio in the West Village:

A large poster of Merce's partner John Cage hung in the main lobby. A sweet reminder of an amazing duo.

My favorite moment at the DIA:Beacon. Coming to the museum on the first day of our residency. As soon as I saw this Serra structure, I knew it had to be mine. Which goes against all of my practices about ownership, but I let this slide...how many times can one claim a Serra sculpture as theirs for a week?

Merce looking on as his dancers warm up. Merce simply clapped his hands and counted a rhythm. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4......It was beautiful to hear and watch.

Thanks to the Merce Cunningham Dance Company for inviting me to be a part of such an amazing residency. It is truly something I will never forget. RIP.

Houndstooth:Online

2009-07-27T04:59:00.000-07:00

Please check www.houndstoothnyc.blogspot.com for some very exciting news!!!!!

www.houndstoothnyc.blogspot.com

Dibujos de Lima, Peru

2009-07-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

On my last day in Lima, I met with my friends Guiseppe, Tomas and Sandra for lunch and vintage shopping. We decided to met at Guiseppe's Artist housing project TUPAC and on the way there I realized that i left my fathers camera at the apartment.

So I decided to draw what I remembered after the day was done. Coincidentally, Tomas bought me some color pencils earlier in the day because we needed change for a taxi.

I hope you like them:

On the way to the restaurant, Giuseppe showed me an old dilapidated church in Baranco, a suburb outside of Lima.

We walked down a cobblestone pathway that he said is hundreds if not thousands of years old.

As we walked down the pathway, the street got steeper and steeper, and we were met with this huge fence that some crazy rich guy lives in and has a little private zoo. On the fence were these incredible flowers that were burning reality with a purple fushia. I stared at it for 5 minutes to feel the color and remember it.

Then we went to a typical Coastal Peruvian restaurant. The guys ordered a big platter of different Peruvian dishes and some ceviche.

On the platter:

TIRADITO- like ceviche but cut differently

Pulpo con Crema- pan seared octopus in a purple cream

Jalea- fried seafood

Arroz con Mariscos- a saffron rice with seafood and peas and carrots

Conchas- (in the middle) crispy corn delights, for the munchies in everyone

Everything was amazing. The tiradito was incredible. The ceviche was the best. And I still think CHIMU is the best Peruvian restaurant in NYC. It is identical to the food I had in Lima.

Afterwards, we went to another cafe where we had a super sweet dessert and some coffee.

We then walked through the center of Baranco, which is lush and beautiful.

That's a park. I guess I'm a bird's eye view person. I never knew...

We walked past this "La quinta" which is sort of small cul-de-sac. High above the la quinta was a massive vine/tree/mushroom mess with these electric orange flowers glowing on top.

We got a cab and went to La Victoria, apparently the tough area of Lima.

We stopped on a street called Grau which was the start of a "chola market". There was vintage clothing, new clothing, amazing electric colored tights for the winter, stereos, music, everything...

On every block were these small trucks filled to the brim with oranges and the loudspeakers talking about how their oranges were the best oranges and the other guys weren't fresh. It was great. They spoke so fast.

the little dots are people, can you tell?

I'm a terrible drawer, but Donna likes them so I'm posting them..

Here's a detail shot of the market:

(it says Pantalones on the right hand side of the drawing, means pants, romance)...

After shopping, we went to Miraflores to meet our friend Luis (who set up the show at Sonoteca) and walked around the park. We heard some salsa music off in the distance and saw a large group of people gathered around this small rotunda:

And in the middle of the rotunda were older people dancing (geting DOWN) to the salsa music. Everyone watching were young and everyone was smiling. Then the music turned off abruptly and everyone, including me went "Aww!!!"

It was the first time I ever felt as if I bonded with the society that I was from. Everyone was Peruvian. I wasn't the only one anymore. And we all wanted the same thing, for the music to continue. It was by far one of the best experiences of my life.

Tomas had a book about Incan music and musical scores, they were all so beautiful so i copied one.

As you can see the pan pipes get smaller as the score goes on. The sun is a symbol of how to play the score. I'm assuming it's a harvest song.

The Mochicas were the bloodiest of all the Inca tribes. Here is a man and woman playing the pan pies linked by string to symbolize their union. It's said that this tribe would keep human heads as trophies predominately in their homes. Rotting.

I saw a drawing of some ruins and decided to re-draw it. And the bottom picture is an etching of an Incan ceremony. Not sure exactly what but they looked like they were enjoying themselves.

More posts coming in the next few days. And a special announcement.....