Falling man

whoops. too many candy drugs yet again.
look out... you might fall like this man.

Old couple

old couple floating on a pink gummy cloud over a menacing forest.

i am continuing my series of h.o. scale miniatures and gummy bears type candy. i, seemingly, can't get enough of this stuff. freaky. i know.

a richter painting and a ryan poem

This is one of my favourite paintings by Gerhard Richter. It is called Meadowland (Wiesental). 1985. Oil on canvas, 35 5/8" x 37 1/2" (90.5 x 94.9 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York.Meadows. You can see more paintings here.

This is a poem by Kay Ryan. I think it is perfect.

Green Hills

Their green flanks
and swells are not
flesh in any sense
matching ours,
we tell ourselves.
Nor their green
breast nor their
green shoulder nor
the langour of their
rolling over.

Kay Ryan.


This is about Kay Ryan:

I compare Kay Ryan's poems to Faberge eggs -- tiny, ingenious devices that inevitably conceal some hidden wonder -- don't think they're merely decorative. With aplomb and wit, Ryan sallies forth against quandaries as immense as the nature of nothingness and as petite as the mechanics of dewdrops rolling off a leaf.

You can read more of the review at Salon.

two red ladies

always going different directions....

Cheese!

I am reading a great book about cheese right now. The need for it came from my visits to the "Cheese Vault" at The Cheese Boutique. A vault that is seled like a bank vault, filled with the rarest and most expensive cheeses of the world. The smell inside that sealed chamber of heaven is like no other one in Toronto. Sensory bliss. I have only smelled such divine goodness once, at a Comte cheese farm in the Swiss alps. What heaven! There is a need for more now. Tash - you know the pleasures of the cheese vault. you understand. olfactory sanctionary... my nose loves you.

That crazy squirrel is going to take a picture. Look out! He is unrelated to this post except that he's cheesy.

This is from harpers, it's about cheese.

Quel Fromage!
Posted on Monday, January 16, 2006. From “Adapting a Lexicon for the Flavor Description of French Cheeses,” by Annlyse Rétiveau, Delores H. Chambers, and Emilien Esteve, in Food Quality and Preference. Originally from Harper's Magazine, July 2005.
Sources

Sweaty: sour, stale, somewhat cheesy aromatics reminiscent of perspiration-generated foot odor, found in unwashed gym socks and shoes

Goaty: pungent, musty, and somewhat sour, reminiscent of wet animal hair (fur)

Animalic: a combination of aromatics associated with farm animals and the inside of a barn

Musty/earthy: a slight musty aromatic associated with raw potatoes and damp humus

Musty/dry: aromatics associated with closed air spaces, such as attics and closets

Ashy/sooty: bark-like lingering aromatics associated with a cold campfire

Fermented: combination of sour aromatics associated with green vegetation, sauerkraut, soured hay, or composted grass

Green/herbaceous: fresh, green, slightly sour aromatics associated with green vegetables, newly cut vines, snap peas

Chemical: an aromatic associated with a broad range of compounds, which may or may not include chlorine, ammonia, aldehydes, etc.

Biting: a slight burning, prickling, and/or numbness of the tongue and/or mouth surface

Butyric: an aromatic that is sour and cheesy, reminiscent of baby vomit

This is Quel Fromage!, a reading, originally from July 2005, published Monday, January 16, 2006. It is part of Education, which is part of Readings, which is part of Harpers.org.

Juergen Teller... more

This is Rufus photographed by juergen teller.

I wish he was my boyfriend but he's gay. also i wish Antony from Antony and The Johnsons was my boyfriend but he's gay too.





Marc Jacobs' new campaign features photographs by Juergen Teller who i LOVE now. I can't get enough of this guy. Those muted pinks... the skin tones... the faded pastels, as if the actual image is fading before your eyes... as if he hardly has to take the picture. They are also oddly dirty.

thanks dude.

Bambi by Juergen Teller

Look!

Aaahhhh.

I wish I was in NYC this month just to see this exhibit! Juergen Teller . Nurnberg. These photos are perfect. Check them out at the galleries website. He did the new Marc Jacobs ads and they are quite breath-taking as well.

cy twombly

this is what (in a picture) i want my poems to do in words.
cy twombly, abstract expressionist.

Richard Tuttle's "Monkey's Recovery for a Darkened Room 6"

So, I think this piece is absolutely beautiful and it's as close to what I try to do with my shadow boxes and sculptures as I've ever found... and it's great to see someone else reveling in the same inspiration... but doing it better. It's not disheartening, it's inspiring. Really.

It's the vulnerability that gets me, mixed with the ordinariness. Pieces, things, strung together kindly. Made to go together... and it works. I like how he altered some of the pieces too. Painted the twigs. It's that hand, not over used, but the artist's presence asserted just enough.

"That some of these works barely held together was the point - they were about connecting
the disparate and discombobulated, cobbling together a coherent visual language out of the
odds and ends of life. The work exuded a kind of jittery charm and was becoming humorous,
in a low-keyed way."

About the work of Richard Tuttle in the 1980's, by Richard Kalina, Art in America.

Thank you to culture vulture for the picture.

Writing a Book

How To Write A Book

Make sure every sentence is necessary. Make sure every word in every sentence is necessary. If you're not willing to do that, you shouldn't write a book. (Of course, the evaluation of the words and sentences can happen after you write the book.) How does one learn this process? Practice, I guess.

By Deron Bauman. Who has an excellent blog. He had a post on me and my poetry so I like him very much. He is an excellent writer as well.

Wintery winter wonders

More pictures from one of our trips up north to the Ottawa valley. These were taken at the hunt camp called the "Blue Frog", which is very remote. It is called the Blue Frog because blue frogs have been seen in the area. Come spring, hopefully, we will be seeing blue frogs. For now, blue chairs, abandoned to snow, is simply good enough.

Insects on spools.

This is from an exhibit we saw on the weekend called "Terrible Beauty " it is at the Textiles Museum.

It was quite good. Use of many many insects. I did wonder if they were killed for the exhibit.

I especially liked her insect scenes wallpaper.

New Years Pictures!

1. Hanging out in the kitchen.
2. Kelly wore an utterly outstanding hat.
3. Basement 11 performed some of their hits.

4.We saw Carman - who we haven't seen in a long time. That was particularly nice. This picture of him is not so good though, sorry Carm.

5.Matthew and Michelle had reunion fever as she was just back from
the U.K. and Africa.

6. Mathew and Matthew entertained everyone with their dance to Public Enemy.
While Jamie, apparently, danced with the wall.



































5.Stefany with her beautiful smile and Mat makes d.j. faces.

6. Mathew, contemplative.

7. Mike and Sean converse.

Thank you to Mike and Andrea for another amazing New Years Party!

Much Fun was had by all!

Happy 2006 Everyone!

More insects

Insects!

New poems

2 new poems " Ganz" and "Apples" at Elimae.

1 new prose piece "Found Things" at Elimae.

Please go read them if you'd like.

more winter buds

ode to winter buds and fuzz

good small things found in the snow while snow-shoeing up north.

they persevere even though the winter is very hard.

thank you winter fuzz buds.

Happy Birthday Marty!

Today is My brother-in-law, Marty Iskander's birthday! Yeah! Happy Birthday Marty! He is 40! And It is Friday the 13th! Oh boy, be careful Marty. Unlucky day for everyone. Hopefully it's lucky for Marty, cause he is SUPER Great guy! As is his wife, Stefany, she is wonderful. Thank you both for being so sweet to me all the time. I feel so fortunate to have you both in my life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARTIN!

Go to see his amazing beautiful website, why don't you? It is rigel5. Go now! It exhibits his awesome illustrations and film and video directorial work. He is a very talented artist. And he drives us long distances to see family without complaining one bit. 6 hour drive? Marty can take it. He always has a smile and something funny to say. Such are the best kind of people.

Yeah for Marty!

Dogs Dressed Up!

Okay I know there's something silly about this but I like dogs dressed up. I am not afraid to admit it. Some are. Costumes, reindeer antlers, bunny ears... santa hats...gay pride outfits at the parade... it's all just fine by me. Pugs seem to make good fashion plates. The other day, I saw a man walking a baby pug and I nearly puked with envy. What a cute fucker that little pug was!

Dogs in shirts, however, is pushing it. I mean it's not an official "outfit" and they don't need the shirt for anything, so what is this about exactly? Maybe making the dogs look more like the owners? This is a phenomenon often observed at beaches. Dog's day at the beach??! Shirt and all. I also do not approve of the ol' "dude, I'm putting a bandana around my dog's neck." That is not right. And it's tacky - so stop. Pink Tutu - yes, hick-like bandana - no.

I also appreciate the look of consternation many dogs exhibit when they are forced to wear outfits. It depresses them, clearly. But they have no choice. Sad but true. You can see the worry in their eyes.

Neon Graveyard

I have a friend, Marshall, who sometimes takes pictures of the neon graveyard in Las Vegas. Boy, I wish I was there today. He drives around the states for his job and takes beautiful photos of decay and rust, boat hulls and dumpsters. You can see his photos here at his website Blurbism. They are unique and extraordinary.

More wintery walks

Cleo the spunky little pup.

snow bank. sexy.

farm gear.

and we are going away again! yeah!

green heavy

Green heavy
Gloveless girl

who man-handled away her love,

Stomped on the slow moving snail
Like a failed hunter
Wearing cargo pants and pearls.

She who put it's crushed shell in a box
(Like Proust with the teacup pieces)
She laid the crushed snail beside 17 eyelashes
From 15 lovers and the brownish coloured
leg of a child's action figure
its' painted pants still visible,
Found by train tracks,
Marked black from having been
Blown up.
by some long gone child
the kind of child who explodes toys for fun
(such like many).

this she found along with a lost doll
which looked south american to her,
judging from it's guatemalan type sewn dress and stick legs,
reminiscent of day of the dead dolls she had seen in mexico
and her feeling dead inside she made the connection,
took it home, in pocket, alongside possible charred g.i. joe leg.
and snail shell pieces.

laid them out to be seen anew, repositioned, fingered, as she was wont to do with things.

these things a pain, always more, always carrying, always finding always looking down, her army pants good and useful for their many large pockets.

cut glass from a syringe once cut her reaching in, forgetting what was there, syringes being a favourite find, only the old kind the thin clear cylinder that once held something nice like morpheine.

Winter Walks

sometimes winter can be lovely. when one wears the required snow pants sans argument, and stubbornly borrows boyfriend's hat halfway through the hike. warmth is essential to get photos like these.

Boxing Day at the Krul's

Boxing day we went up north to have a wonderful stay with Mat's sister Cindy's with the Pierce and Krul families.

It was tremendous. Warm and cozy... full of laughter... and sitting in the hot tub while the snow fell felt like heaven.

Xmas pictures

Christmas Day. We had a lovely dinner with 20 people at my brother Paul's new loft.

No small feat but much fun was had by all. Here are the two Matts enjoying the party and the cathy in her party dress.