Lux Lotus

On The Decline of Civilization

I know that iPods are ingenious, but I am always thinking to myself about this sort of unarticulated theory that the Walkman, and in turn, the move towards mass customization, fundamentally altered the way that we organize our society.

It's all sort of neocon now, as opposed to buying into the idea that in order to hear what you'd like on the radio, you have to call the station and request a song and also listen to what everyone else wants to hear.

Someone far more articulate than me has a truly fabulous essay on the idea that the portability of the Walkman removed an essential feature of listening to music - context. [via Arts & Letters Daily]

The Hot Seat

Smithsonian magazine has an excellent piece about the origin of the eerily ubiquitous, single-form, injection-molded plastic chair, which actually turns out to be a work of design genius.

This humble piece of furniture, criticized by some people as hopelessly tacky, is an item of truly international, even universal, utility. What other product in recent history has been so widely, so to speak, embraced? And how had it found niches in so many different societies and at so many different levels, from posh resorts to dirt courtyards? How did it gain a global foothold?

The article is for some reason in .PDF form, but well worth a read for the rather fascinating story of one of the world's more familar objects.

JANE loves CUPCAKE!

Cupcake, the reading series I founded a year ago with Elizabeth Merrick and Jen Kirwin to promote New York's best women writers, is mentioned in the August issue of Jane magazine. It's not available online, but the piece is on p. 34 ("DISH") at newstands everywhere. While you wait for the deli to deliver it with your cigarettes, you can read our "funny feminist literary blog" here.

The Ballad of H&M

Is there a better song in the world than The (International) Noise Conspiracy's "Capitalism Stole My Virginity?" I doubt it.

NEW YORK loves EMERGING ARTS!

I was interviewed a couple of weeks ago by a writer for New York, and I am pleased to say that Emerging Arts is highlighted in the magazine's online "Cheap Guide" as a recommended source for buying art on a budget.

Noted: "As its name suggests, Emerging Arts throws its weight behind new and unknown artists, often giving them their first gallery shows."

More: http://www.nymetro.com/urban/guides/nyonthecheap/shopping/art.htm

Creativity, From Path To Product

I usually try to avoid both The New York Press and The Village Voice with equal fervor, but I always make a beeline, as they say, for Steven Psyllos' column exploring the creative process. I spoke with him about it briefly when it was still coming together, and it's nice to see that it's turned out so well.

My recent favorites are his interviews with intriguing artist Ernesto Caivano ("The idea is that different mediums will allow the story to become more rich, or real."), Brazilian Girls' Sabina Sciubba ("We live in a world where security is such a priority for people that they will live their entire lives without realizing themselves in order to avoid all struggles."), graf great WEST ONE ("I see two schools. There are young writers, who in my view are not producing much that is really exciting. Then there are other kinds of street artists using stencils, wheat-pasting posters, tiling, etc., following the same principles of bombing, but with a fresh meaning."), sleek choreographer Noemie LaFrance ("I compare [choreographing] to focusing the lens of a camera. First, I have an image in my mind that I see clearly, like when you close your eyes and imagine something or when you dream."), and of course, Masta Killa of the Wutang Clan (" I think when you chase things, you never really grasp them. If you stay true to your craft and build on your foundation, you will draw things to you.").

The newest edition comes out with the paper each week, but the archive can be found here. Of all my regular reading, this is the one thing I most recommend to anyone who has ever labored to bring something new into the world. Do check it out.

Grounded in the Conceptual

It's sort of forward-thinking to be posting this on Tuesday, but I just saw this e-flux promo for the Ana Mendieta show at The Whitney that piqued my interest:

Embracing the aims of feminism, Mendieta quietly subverted the monumental gestures of male land artists such as Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer by working at a human scale in the landscape. Critical of the exclusion of artists of diverse races and ethnicities from the art world and early feminism, she vehemently asserted her own trans-cultural identity. Borrowing freely from a variety of cultural traditions throughout the world, she frequently appropriated symbols and aspects of the ritual practices of ancient and indigenous cultures of the Americas, Africa, and Europe in her art. While abnegating all forms of boundaries, Mendieta's cipher -- the naked female form that performs in the studio, merges with the landscape, is etched on a leaf, or is burned into the soil or a tree trunk -- remained at the center of her production.

For the first time in a long while, I am actually going to peek at all of the exhibitions.

The Whitney is pay-as-you-wish on Friday evenings from 6-9PM, and as you frequent readers know, I saw Orlan in the shop (buying the Guerrilla Girls latest manifesta) last time, so it's bound to be interesting again.

Ring-A-Ding-Ding!

I am in the country for the weekend. The air smells so crisp, fresh and lovely. I am seriously, occasionally considering the merits of relocating here. It could be so nice! Anyway, there are myriad reasons to come back to the city, but... sometimes I wish I lived here so that I could get a bicycle and not worry about anyone stealing it. I want a bicycle so badly! Dear bicycle fairy, if you are reading this, please bring me a bicycle with a basket and a bell.

A wink, a kiss on the cheek

Hello darling: I'm sorry I haven't written, but you know, it's just that, everything catches my eye - collecting shiny leaves, chasing raindrops, the dewy, cool evening breeze up here, and it's all just so much sexier than typing, you know. And besides, when I'm almost never here that means that things are really, really lovely with me - gorgeous, really - so even when there's no post here it's really sort of a smile, wistful-like, a promise that I'm off somewhere, running free and really having fun this time. I'll write more. I'll try, I promise. Last night I found an old box of buttons that my grandmother collected in the '30s, the '40s? and I was so, so blown away by how special and pretty each one was. They all had a story, and so do I. Right now, a great one, a really big one, but it's not for telling here. I'm saving it, for next time I see you. 'Til then...

Last Chance For Summer Cupcakes!

Tonight is the last Cupcake of the summer (we're taking August off), so I hope you'll consider joining us for what promises to be an excellent reading by novelists Zoe Heller (What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal) and Heidi Jon Schmidt (The Bride of Catastrophe).

And also, Miss Elizabeth has been blogging up a storm over at the Cupcake blog. You can check out her she-cat wiles, and try not to get cut, here: http://cupcakeseries.blogspot.com.

Finally, do read Time Out, Paper, The L, Bookcircuit, and all the other lovely pubs that recommended us.