Having reached cruising altitude on this Atlanta-bound Boeing, I am trying out the new Gogo ® Inflight Internet. Wi-fi in the sky? Awesome.

Though I’m not tripping about H1N1, a nearby passenger’s incessant coughing reminds me of a comical conversation imagined by my friend Dan while disturbed by a hacking fellow nosher at local cafe.

My good man, have you not heard of that little irritant going around town known more commonly to the educated populous as the swine flu virus? No? Well I have, my friend, and I’d appreciate if you’d direct that tubercular hack in the other direction, sparing my bagel from becoming a petri dish to multiply your slacker scabies. Here here, (handing him my handkerchief) be a good fellow and tie this around your unkempt noggin so I can enjoy my time here without the threat of attack from the chemical-based warfare which squats inside you, plaguing your simian innards.

Ah, that’s the holiday spirit.  On a real note, however, I wish that I’d employed some prophylactic measure against the dangers of recycled air in tight, flu-season spaces.  What should have been in my carry-on is the Reiki-energized Travel Kit from Therapeutaté.  With a synergistic blend of antibiotic and purifying properties, the kit’s sprays are perfect for inhalation from a tissue/hanky or misting into the air before, during and after travel.

When I reach my destination, I’ll do a little Neti pot rinse, have a cup of ginger tea with honey and lemon and hope for the best.

Safe travels this holiday season.

The Therapeutaté Travel Kit,  fresh ginger and the Himalayan Institute Neti Pot.

There are still a few days left to make an Amazon.com purchase in time for Christmas. If you are a woman of color or are shopping for one, a sure-fire hit is Fine: The Basics of Beauty, the first instructional DVD by celebrity makeup artist, Sam Fine.  Following-up his bestselling book, Fine Beauty: Beauty Basics and Beyond for African-American Women, (in which I was honored to appear) the telegenic Sam takes us step-by-step through the process of enhancing the beauty of three African-American women, sharing the tips of tools, technique and product selection which have made him a highly sought-after makeup artist for more than a decade.  Dubbed “the go-to makeup master for women of color,” by Vogue, his brushes have touched the faces of Tyra Banks, Vanessa Williams, Iman, Patti Labelle, Jennifer Hudson and Mo’Nique. Name a luminary of color and he’s likely to have “done” her face.

Gena Avery graces the disc cover; The master, Sam Fine.

I was excited to work with Sam again, styling the video and packaging.  It was obvious to see that our long hours would produce a superior product.  Sam has a very defined aesthetic, is excellent at what he does and is able to clearly articulate the “how-to” of it.  At his chic launch party a couple of months back, the energy and excitement was palpable–this DVD was hotly anticipated.  Now that it is available to all, I highly, highly recommend it.  It is well-conceived, brilliantly executed and to be able to get a “Sam Fine face” for $24.99, well that is a bargain indeed.

Flawless “Fine” faces: Erin, Gena and Jennifer.

Watch the Tyra show this Friday, December 18th as Sam joins the holiday extravaganza to give a fabulous makeover to a deserving mom.

At this time of year, I find myself reminiscing about the childhood joy of taking a pristine sheet of white paper and with a few folds, strategic snips, the gingerly opening of the cut form, et voilà, snowflake!

My paper cutting dexterity ends right about there, so I have considerable admiration for those gifted with the precision to create intricate works with paper and blade. That admiration turned to awe when I discovered the work of street artist, Swoon a couple of years ago. My amazement has been renewed more recently by Brooklyn-based artist Kako Ueda. I stumbled upon her work online in that serendipitous manner in which we find new information while searching for something else. I quickly bookmarked her site, as I was floored by the intricacies of her work.

La Boca de Labo, 2006. The artist Swoon’s collaborative work with fellow cutters Alison Corrie and Solovei at Philadelphia’s former Black Floor Gallery.

Swoon’s 2007 installation at the Brooklyn Museum.

From Kako Ueda’s extensive website gallery, Speak Flower, hand-cut black paper, H 27″ x W 30″

Detail from Speak Flower.

Convinced by a video store employee’s hearty recommendation, I recently rented The Adventures of Prince Achmed, inspired by the Tales of the 1001 Nights. I was intrigued, the 1926 release, by a woman filmmaker, Lotte Reiniger, is the earliest extant animated feature film, each frame created by the shifting placement of paper silhouettes cut by hand, with the resulting image movement akin to shadow puppetry. Several examples of her work can be found on YouTube.

The title card from the 1926 German film, The Adventures of Prince Achmed.

A fragment of the film.

Béatrice Coron’s Sun City, Personal Cities Series, 2005.  Cut Tyvek 48″ x 31″.

The panoramic silhouettes of yet another web surfing discovery, Béatrice Coron, recall the look of Reiniger’s work. Both Ueda and Coron are included in a group show currently mounted at the Museum of the Arts and Design. The fascinating exhibit,  Slash: Paper Under the Knife, up through April 4, 2010 features a plethora of paper artists, female and male, including Mia Pealrman and Ariana Boussard Reifel whose works appear below, and the renowned Kara Walker.

Mia Pearlman’s Inrush utilizes natural light from the window “to blur distinctions between interior and exterior space.”

Ariana Boussard Reifel’s cut and altered book, Between the Lines, Book: 19 x 8 1/2 x 2 in.
Words: 8 in.  diameter

Perhaps it is my vocation which forces me to see trends and market patterns, or just call me a theme addict because I enjoy spotting those disparate things which share a conceptual core.

Multi-media artist and designer Kelly Lamb found inspiration in architect Buckminster Fuller’s famed Geodesic Dome for her Geo-Birdhouse and Geo-Disco ball.

At Brazil’s Instituto Cultural Inhotim, a contemporary art park, Olafur Eliasson’s “By Means of a Sudden Intuitive Realization” (top)  and the glimpse outdoors from his “Viewing Machine.” (below)

Star tessellations in paper from self-proclaimed geek, Eric Gjerde and in aluminum from Drummond Masterton.

From ‘Crystallographica,’ Russian-born fashion student, Irina Shaposhnikova’s collection in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp Fashion Department Show 2009.

The “Lo-Res” is a product of an new semi-automatic design method by United Nude. An object (here, a shoe) is digitally scanned into a 3-D computer model and re-generated into various resolutions. The resolution is blown up, creating a pixelated surface which is then cast in rubber for the resulting faceted shoe.  The leather strap, is detachable.  Available at Epaulet.  Quilt 2009 from Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec for Established & Sons is the brothers expressed desire to create comfortable seating that bucks tradition and formality.  The quilted honeycomb pattern suggests “a superhero, you can see the muscles exposed through the stretch fabric,” says Erwan.

Unlike the previous items, this mirrored gown merely suggests the polyhedral form, but I was thrilled to see this spread included in the Fall ‘09 collection highlights of Bergdorf Goodman’s always beautifully photographed magazine.  It is the work of CD Greene, a talented evening wear designer I’d lost track of. Photo by Serge Leblon.

Alexandra Radocchia Zealand speaks quickly, the words come as fluidly as her agile mind thinks them.  A graduate of “an incredibly intellectual high school,” she continued her studies at Oberlin College (BA, Theatre Design.)  Relocating to New York City,  she did “the New York Theater thing for three years,” but after one too many give-it-your-all gigs, she was left feeling “burnt out,” and wanting to “work on my own stuff again.” She shifted focus and applied for grad school at Pratt.

Neighbors on the same street immortalized in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, Alex and I met in turn-of-the-21st-century Brooklyn through our wonderful, sociable dogs, Buster and Mocha. When I attended her graduate exhibition (MFA, Sculpture), I was taken with her In Flight, a meditative suspension of illuminated dried clementine peels hovering gracefully over a reflection pool.

I recall the day in 2004, when I bounced the infant Leon on my hip as Alex and her hubby Christopher packed the moving van that would take them to a new life in Michigan.

In Flight, 2000, clementine peels, 36″ light box

The family has now settled in Northern Virginia, where I recently had the pleasure of visiting with them while I was in town for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Over a delicious bowl of homemade turkey soup and a delightful acknowledgment of the bright, full moon from Kindergartner Leon (“look, the moon is following me,”) Alex and I caught up on life, books — “I love The Road.  Short, spare; you read it all in one gulp then you go into your sleeping kid’s room and sigh/exhale.”– and her personal spheres of influence.   The work of Giacometti resonates, particularly The Palace at 4 AM, which she’d read about in the yearnings of the character Cletus Smith in William Maxwell’s novel, So Long, See You Tomorrow before actually seeing it.  She enjoys the subtlety and “gestures of humanity.”

Alberto Giacometti, The Palace at 4 a.m. 1932. Wood, glass, wire, and string, 25 x 28 1/4 x 15 3/4″ (63.5 x 71.8 x 40 cm)  In the collections of the Museum of Modern Art.

“Things I’ve liked have root similarities,” and become integral to her body of work. “The skeletal, the flight and the gesture,” are recurrent themes. Ultimately we are reminded of the ephemeral nature of existence, “I think a lot of what I do has to do with the fragility of life.”

Alexandra Zealand Absence of Flight 1, 2008. Grape stems, wax, epoxy, mummified bird,  26″ x26″x26.” This work will be featured in Alex’s first solo show at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Center in January 2010 as well as the gallery’s upcoming advertisement in Art in America magazine.

Her blog is a wonderful look into the genesis of her work and how it evolves. I love its subhead: “Transforming the Mass Detritus of Everyday Life.”

I am inspired by the transformative process of massing, which causes ‘gross trash’ objects to become beautiful and inspiring sculpture when gathered together.

Through this transformation of ‘gross trash’, I also explore our eternal quest to stop – or at least slow down – the ephemeral, fundamental nature of the organic: to die. This can be seen in our earliest myths (the fountain of youth), modern food (twinkies, MREs), and most importantly, in our relationship with ourselves (botox being a particularly scary example).

One of the artist’s favorites pieces from her Addiction series hangs in her kitchen. (left)  Alexandra Zealand. (right)

As warm as she is smart, Alex, thoughtful, compassionate artist and loving wife and mother, shared characteristically quickly, eloquently and with certainty, her seven favorites:

1. Mummies. “I am fascinated by them, particularly the Palermo mummies.” She gestures toward two of her prized books: Bob Brier’s comprehensive Encyclopedia of Mummies. (“The reason it’s so wonderful is that it’s an A to Z of every mummy ever found.”) and The Living Dead: the Catacombs of Palermo featuring photographer Mario Lanza’s hauntingly beautiful images of those entombed in the ancient Capuchin crypt of Sicily’s capital city.  “There’s a great article on them in National Geographic from early this year.”  Whilst showing shot after shot of the desiccated honored dead she says, “There is something about the layers of humanity” in mummies as opposed to skeletons, “which are so bare,” that touches her.  That humanity is expressed in a “fantastic Seamus Heaney poem,” of a woman discarded, tossed into the bog yet preserved for posterity in its acidic peat.

Denizens of the deep: By 1599 with a full cemetery and no place to bury their dead, Capuchin friars created catacombs below their monastery to place their departed brother, Silvestro of Gubbio. (left) Grief-stricken over the loss of two-year-old, Rosalia Lombardo to pneumonia, her father enlisted the services of renowned embalmer, Alfredo Salafia to preserve her beauty for all time. The last of the bodies interred in Catacombe dei Capuccini, the sweet-faced child passed away in 1920. The photo of her remains is current. (right)

2. Coffee No surprise here, given the breadth of her Addiction series of used coffee filters. Life inspires art. Her folks drank instant coffee–light and sweet–and as a child she’d follow behind them sipping from the copious half-filled milky, sugary cups they left about the house.  As an adult, her palate has swung far from diluted instant to fresh-brewed, rich and dark.

“It’s my only drug.  I can do without a lot, but not that.”  She averages 4 cups a day–”3 is a calm day.” She has her first cup at home, making enough to also fill her Thermos for later drinking.  Upon arrival at work she’ll have her second, a library brew. “There’s something about having a freshly made cup.  I feel much better about the world when I have a cup of coffee in my hands.”

Ambrosia…

3. My Bike. “I bought my bike in 1997.  It fits me well and it’s really sturdy.  When I’m on it, I feel really strong and powerful.  It reminds me of living in New York, being young and cool and hip,” she says with a smile.  “I used it when I was a bike messenger.”   She recalls an incident whereby she was “brushed” twice by a blue Datsun, the driver oblivious to the frighteningly close collision.  “I have a bike prayer: God keep me awake and aware, alert and lucky. So far it’s worked.”

Her ‘97 Jamis is an early hybrid.

4. Libraries. Working at the Arlington Public Library has served to reinforce her affinity for these bastions of free and public knowledge fostered at the Andover Memorial Library as a child. “I’ve totally given in, finally.  I love them– the organization of how you find things. The inherent socialism in [public] libraries makes everything available to everyone without judgment.” When asked if she has a favorite library Alex responds, “I am really fond of the one I work for, but I love them all,” including one she follows on Twitter, Bess the Book Bus, a mobile library servicing the underserved, low-income community of Tampa.

A “weeded” copy of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, altered by Alex to reflect its emotional core, became one of the entries in the compelling “Transformed Book Project,” an ongoing collaboration with the Arlington Public Library.

5. Star Wars. “It was the first movie I ever saw.  I wanted to be Han Solo…because he could do almost anything, and he not only piloted, but loved the Millennium Falcon, which is probably the coolest ship in space even if it’s constantly about to fall apart.  It reminds me of the ‘66 Dodge Dart I had in college — a reliable old piece of machinery, if you knew how to take care of it.  Han Solo was also the guy who everyone underestimated, which I think I identified with.  And he had cool clothes.”

She has followed the entire series and now her young son shares her obsession. She finds the first two installments of the prequel trilogy “annoying, but storyline number three, when Anakin turns to Darth Vader, well to turn to the dark side when you think it is the only way to save the one you love, that’s pretty powerful stuff.”

Posted on her wall at work: Mace Windu and Padmé Amidala figurines.  “I have somehow come into possession of them.  They make me happy.”

6. Sun Flares and Solar Winds. Since middle school she’s been intrigued by Helios’ explosive displays of his magnetism. “Something about the sun sending out particles is amazing.”  She is awed by the paradoxes of its power, “the sun gives life, but is incredibly dangerous.”

Culled from her extensive cyber surfing, astonishing glimpses of the fierce phenomenon.

7. Wings (and attendant flight.) “We don’t have them, so I’m especially fascinated,” she says with ornithological zeal. “It’s really hard when you look at a bird skeleton to imagine flight.  It’s not the bones, it’s the tendons and muscles which create it.”  She sings the praises of the Smithsonian’s collection of bird skeletons mounted in flight.

Discovered on her parents’ property in what had once been an old milking shed, a mummified bird with a remarkably intact wingspan may well find itself in one of Alex’s works of art.

A skeleton from the National Museum of Natural History.

I’ve known the gentle Berton of BertonGoods for many years, meeting him first in his incarnation as a milliner. Ever talented and gracious, he’d always allow me to pull in any hat needed for a show or photo shoot.  He has since moved on to other expressions of his creativity through dolls and other artful toys and accessories. His button-trimmed stockings are a holiday favorite at the American Folk Art Museum and ultra cool retailer, auto, stocks BertonGoods regularly.

The signature button doll is available at thisisauto.com.

Three years ago, Berton visited Guatemala and began a working relationship with a cooperative of women there. Most of his collection is now produced there.  “I work with really talented artisans, the indigenous people of Guatemala.  It really empowers them and I am grateful to them.”  He speaks lovingly of the country and its people.

Carved wooden letters (soon available at auto.) and numbers (contact bertongoods@fastmail.fm for availability)

Year after year, the American Folk Art Museum stocks these popular Christmas stocking ornaments.

These multi-functional ornaments can be hung on the tree or used as ingenious “wrapping” for tiny gifts.  The Christmas tree features a zippered back and the mittens have a velcro closure at the top. Contact bertongoods@fastmail.fm for availability.

This tote, available on Etsy, marries two BertonGoods favorites, buttons and ticking stripes.  The designer himself and his favorite fabric.

It is with great love that he speaks of most things.  And wonder.  “I am a very curious person.  I am obsessed with the computer and am constantly looking for things online.  If it exists, I’ll find it.”   A visit to his Brooklyn studio reveals some of his obsessions and delightful pockets of inspiration so who better to inaugurate our newest feature?

With this post we introduce, The Trove, a space for sharing the treasures of the fascinating people I’ve had the privilege to encounter.   When I asked the humble force behind BertonGoods to share his magical seven, I fully expected blue striped ticking fabric to make the cut, but here, in no particular order are Berton’s best loved:

1. Everything Batman. The late 60’s television series was his introduction to the Caped Crusader, reading the comics would come later. “My entire family would sit around and watch the TV show together. The colors, the dialogue really affected me. I learned things.  I remember an episode in Catwoman’s warehouse and the word ‘cat’ was translated into different languages.  His collection of memorabilia numbers around 50 pieces.

The lunchbox was a Ebay score; the Dark Knight Bobble-head, a gift, as was the musical snow globe; the very first item in his collection, the now dog-eared copy of The Official Batman Batbook, a companion guide to the TV series.

2. Music. “I listen to many different kinds, but it’s MJ, hands-down.  Not just because everyone is so Michael enthused right now.  I grew up with him.  I was the fan waiting for the comeback.  I said to myself I am going to go to Paragon Sports to a buy a sleeping bag to camp out for tickets whenever he comes here. I saw the Jackson Five in the seventies and the Victory Tour (1984) at Madison Square Garden… I’m so glad I got this before he passed” (gesturing to an Ebony Magazine special edition) “it was shot right here in Brooklyn.”

Michael, photographed by Matthew Rolston for Ebony at the Brooklyn Museum.

And then there’s John Mayer. “His music speaks to me.  Radio ruins things, but the songs not getting airplay are the ones I love.  ‘Gravity,’ is incredible.”

3. Guatemalan Mountain Range. During his twice yearly trips to Guatemala, “I stay in Antigua, its surrounded by mountains” (the Sierra Madre)  “The one to the south, a volcano, is breathtaking, you simply can’t not stop to look.  It is majestic.  I usually work outside in the courtyard: parrots, tropical flowers and a beautiful smell that is intoxicating.”

The long dormant Volcán de Agua, unobstructed by cloud cover.

4. Handmade, lightbulb doll. Though he’s collected a few Urban Faeries, works of dear friend and fellow doll artist, the late Adrienne McDonald, he particularly treasures this one.  “I received “Nisha” from Adrienne as a gift in 2000.  It is the one doll that I always wanted from her.  I thought it was such a clever idea.  This doll is a wonderful example of her amazing creative genius.”

5.Design*Sponge. The daily home and product design website has become a trusted friend.  “I go there everyday.  It’s very inspiring.”  He looks forward to the monthly downloadable screensavers.  “Isn’t this one beautiful?”

Berton’s October screensaver from DesignSpongeOnline.com.

6. Chicken Roti.  “I grew up in Long Island.  I didn’t know about Caribbean food until I moved to Crown Heights.”

7. Converse Chucks.  In all incarnations. “I remember we used to wear cheap sneakers–there were six of us.  The three boys, we wore my mother down, we begged for Chuck Taylors.  It was a lot for her budget but she got them.”  He wears them year-round now. “I speak the things I want into the universe.  I said, ‘When will someone make Converse that can be worn in the winter?’  John Varvatos heard. I love the Varvatos elastic…this is lined with Thinsulate, genius.”

The Chuck Taylor All Star Bosey Slip-on, with its oiled leather uppers and Thinsulate lining keep Berton’s feet toasty in Winter’s chill.  The rubber update is available now at Converse.com

I didn’t have the pleasure of seeing her in Broadway’s Sophisticated Ladies in 1987, so I wasn’t introduced to the talents of gina Breedlove until 1996 in her astoundingly evil turn as a South African jailer in Sheila’s Day at the recently opened New Victory Theater.  As an actor, she clearly has chops.  The character she portrayed and her personal character are diametrically opposed.  Her surname perhaps a self-fulfilling prophecy, gina is all peace and love.

I bore witness to more of her performance magic when she originated the role of the regal Lioness, Sarabi, in Julie Taymor’s brilliantly executed The Lion King on Broadway.

The Lion Queen.  Photo from “The Lion King” official website.

Years, world tours and a super-cool, self-possessed young daughter later, gina is focusing on her own music: writing, recording and performing.  Her gift from God, her pure, clarion voice; her gift to us, her song.  folksoul, her signature sound is “music that lifts & inspires, with moments of grown & sexy…”

She invites us to join her this month for folksoul Thursdays at Pillow Cafe Lounge:  “come bring some of your spirit & leave with some of mine.”  The no-cover evenings on November 5th, 12th and 19th begin at 7:30pm including special guests Karma Mayet Johnson, Ganessa James and Shelly Nicole.

ginaB

Pillow Cafe Lounge

505 Myrtle Avenue

(btwn Ryerson & Grand)

Brooklyn, NY

718 246 2711

I’ve always been drawn to red metals: rose gold, copper.  Something about a ruddy shimmer that gets me every time.  I can get my fix this month while supporting a good cause.  It is National Diabetes Awareness Month and for the second year in a row, 20% of the proceeds from November sales of TAI™ Lip Shine will be donated to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

The lustrous copper lip gloss was created by Trae Bodge of Three Custom Color Specialists at the request of celebrity hairstylist Diane Da Costa, volunteer ambassador of the ADA.  The shade was selected for the beautiful way it complements a full spectrum of skin tones.  The burnished hue with shimmering flecks of bronze is a perfect lip color–autumn leaves and mulled cider–as we move from fall to winter.

To order visit ThreeCustom.com or dial toll-free 888 262 7714.

A crowded internet cafe.  An occupied chair.  An artist.  A vacant sofa space.  A blogger.  A passage of time.  A departure.  An extended hand.  An excuse me, I drew a picture of you.  An ink sketch.  A thank you.  An exchange of emails.  A sweet Brooklyn moment.

Though I was given the orignal ink drawing, the lovely artist Unyenz followed up digitally with a colorized version.

I am happy to be on the host committee of SOAPBOX, the First Annual Art Auction of The Laundromat Project, a community based non-profit arts organization

committed to the well-being of people of color living on low incomes. Understanding that creativity is a central component of healthy human beings, vibrant neighborhoods, and thriving economies, we bring art programs to where our neighbors already are: the local laundromat. In this way, we aim to raise the quality of life in New York City for people whose incomes do not guarantee broad access to mainstream arts and cultural facilities.

We hope you’ll join us on Tuesday, November 3 for a silent auction and celebration to support change through art in New York City’s most vibrant communities!  Tickets prices begin at just $25 for an exciting evening of drinks, hors d’œuvre, DJ Khary on the wheels of steel and of course, a selection of works from a stellar line up of donating artists including

Ifetayo Abdus-Salaam • David Abir • Dawolu Jabari Anderson • Petruskha Bazin • Aisha Bell • Nathan Bennett • Sanford Biggers • Louis Cameron • Saul Chernick • William Cordova • Pradeep Dalal • Stephanie Diamond • Stephanie Dinkins • Nathaniel Donnett • Sam Durant • Torkwase Dyson • Chitra Ganesh • Rico Gatson • Deborah Grant • Kira Lynn Harris • Wayne Hodge • Sheree Hovsepian • Jennie C. Jones • Nsenga Knight • Joseph Laurro • Simone Leigh • Shaun El C. Leonardo • Glenn Ligon • Carlos Martinez • Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky) • Chris Myers • Glexis Novoa • Wura-Natasha Ogunji • Karyn Olivier • Kambui Olujimi • Jessica Ann Peavy • Micheal Premo • Rob Pruitt • Ronny Quevedo • Tanea Richardson • Marc Andre Robinson • Athena Robles • Paul Mpagi Sepuya • Xaviera Simmons • Shinique Smith • Anna Stein • Hank Willis Thomas • Zefrey Throwell and Eric Anderson • Robert Trujillo • Mary Valverde • William Villalongo • Deborah Willis • Saya Woolfalk • and others

Click here to view the auction catalogue and ticket levels.

So New Yorkers, go cast your votes in the morning and place your bids with us in the evening.  The works can be previewed from noon until 6pm; then join the event from 6 – 9pm.

Included at the $1000 contribution level, Mickalene Thomas’  Kalena, 2009 Archival inkjet print with hand-painted applications. 8 x 10 inches. Edition of 20.

A trio of works available at the benefit auction: Sanford Biggers’ Psyche, 2009  Lithograph 25 3/4 x 43 1/4 inches; Hank Willis Thomas’ Absolute Power (framed); Stephanie Dinkins’ Americana I, print no. 10, 2008  Transfer print on book page.

The Laundromat Project’s First Annual Art Auction

Envoy Enterprises

131 Chrystie St, New York City