Makin' the Headlines

Hey everyone! The month of February was uber-crazy, but I'm back, with a few updates on my latest creative endeavors!

GIRL POWER RE-VISITED :: an evening with the Spice Girls

Can I let you in on my guilty pleasure? I was among the esteemed privileged to see the Spice Girls during their final (?) Reunion Tour at the Verizon Center in DC, on 21 February 2008. If you put two and two together, you will realize that I was an original Spice Girls' fan in their heyday of the late 1990s and, as a shy/insecure teenager, would not have even considered doing half the crazy things I've done in my life if it weren't for their endless promoting of the GIRL POWER slogan. The show was extraordinary [and worth every $ paid], like a post-modern Broadway musical, with its many set/costume changes and special effects. It was a celebration of each individual Spice Girl and what she had accomplished over the years, as well as a tribute to their families and loyal fans. Highlights included the Posh Catwalk, Mel B's Lenny solo, Mel C's powerhouse solo performance of "I Turn to You" and last but certainly not least, the confetti pour down at the end of the show. I was able to get some really good concert photos from my 33rd row seat, and got some published on this Toronto-based online magazine called Now Public. Those photos can be viewed here, along with my album on Flickr.

And speaking of photos....


PROJECT 365 :: UPDATE UPDATE!!!

It's still alive and kickin*... taking a photo of yourself (or some part of yourself) every day for a year is serious business, but it has allowed me to stretch my creativity in unimaginable ways. Click here to see my progress, and enjoy the photo below which was taken on Leap Year Day 2008! Digital photography is amazing!


Finally...

My friend Emily and I recently got accepted to present our research [to be conducted, that is] at the Transforming Museums Conference in Seattle this May! Unfortunately, she won't be able to make it so it'll just be yours truly at the poster presentation. We're discussing curating methods in an era where art is solely considered the commodity and nothing of intrinsic value, so stay tuned for more ramblings about said topic to come.

Stay ARTSY, and make room for creativity in your life!

40x26.667

I used to think alternative exhibition space was a rarity in this town we call Washington DC; that is, until I made a pit stop at Caramel Boutique (16th and U Street) one chilly, Friday evening to attend the opening of 40x26.667. At this chic clothing store, I found an eclectic mix of photos ranging from the wild and rough terrain landscape of central Spain to the abstract, minimalist architecture of New York City, photos that were peeking out around racks of stylish, avant-garde party dresses and accessories. Local photographers Mark Parascandola (repped by the Nevin Kelly Gallery) and Stirling Elmendorf collaborated in this stunning photographic exhibition, which opened on 25 January, and is bound to leave lasting impression on those who view it.

After making my rounds and chatting with Mark about his photographic interests, I quickly realized that the eye is indeed the entrance to a photographer's creative soul. The challenge for every photographer is to find subjects and shoot in locations that are compelling not only for them, but for you, the viewer. In order to complete this task successfully, one needs to question the following: what has been done before? what can I do better or different from the rest? ... and ultimately, what subjects will force me to take a risk and please the viewers around me?


This day in age, with digital photography being the absolute norm (and a bunch of "wannabes" out there who think they make beautiful pictures), photographers need to constantly be aware of what is going on around them. They must have their camera + equipment by their side 24/7 in order to be at the right place at the right time to document interesting aspects of the subject that is commonly overlooked by the tourist taking a random snapshot of a famous monument in Europe. Good technique is not impossible to learn; it is simply a matter of practice and loads of patience. One must be able to see beauty in the mundane, and recreate it: exceedingly well. Thus is the life story of Mark and Stirling, who have traveled all over the globe to produce these amazing photographs.

I, of course, categorize myself in the "wannabe" section and did my own photographic capturing of the opening, which can be found here. Hope you enjoy them!

40x26.667 is on view from now until Leap Year Day, 29 February 2008. Stop by and see it if you haven't done so already.

Published!

I am excited to share that one of my photos have been PUBLISHED in the Milan - Neighborhood Guide online via Flickr. To view, click here, scroll down to "Porta Romana" (the neighborhood this is featured in) and look to the right of the screen. My Flickr alias is Pookalali08 and this is the famous photo that was included in this month's guide!

meager photo show

:: EXHIBITION REVIEW ::
Louise Lawler/Cindy Sherman
Studio Guenzani ; Milano, IT

This was one of the first openings I went to in Milan, on 31 May 2007. This gallery alone cannot sum up the contemporary art scene in Milan, yet it did not make ways for a good impression. I call this show the "meager photo show" because there were only 7 works in the whole exhibition dedicated to these two artists. I was expecting a larger gallery with a wider collection of photographs, so this, of course, completely took me by surprise. Sometimes, one must realize that less can certainly be more....

About the Artists: Louise Lawler was born in 1947 in Bronxville, NY; Cindy Sherman ( New York ). was born in 1954 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Both artists live and work in New York, NY. Since 1988, both artists ingurated a collaboration with Studio Guenzani.

Lawler and Sherman were two revolutionary artists that used photography as a method of expression in the late 70s and the 80s. Both are creative genuises: while Lawler underlines the influence of our perception of artistic objects (ie. paintings, sculptures, furniture, etc.) in her photographic ouevre, Sherman focuses primarily on contemporary iconography, and in the 80s and 90s focused on the representation on the stereotypical female by dressing up as those characters (housewife, model, clown, etc.) as well as violent scenes in our society that might appear to be grosteque and violent -- but yet, are blatantly honest.

This show, although small and meager in size, shines in that it provides a glimpse into the diverse photographs of these two American contemporary artists, who continue to transfigure the proper image and disperses the proper subject in a million different reflexes which in the end, represents a body of work that is stronger and more evident -- to communicate a message to the masses. Indeed art that does more than sit on its ass just to look pretty.