14

A number which represents the high temperature for Twin Falls today. A very cold ending to an interesting year. The past few days have been spent re-connecting with family over dinners and wine, a most beautiful wedding of a dear friend, and afternoons of movie watching. It's hard to believe that a year ago I was embarking on my grand Slovakian experience... It seems like a million years ago. Looking forward to what 2011 has in store for me, I'm betting my chips on a new state and a new job. Here's to adventures!!

e.s.a.d.

This is one from the vault... I think I took this circa 2002?

to you and yours

Celebrating the "hat on tree" ceremony ala SCTV style

Happy Holidays ocular readers! I've finally made it back to Idaho for a festive (and much colder) change of scenery from Tucson. Things around my parents house are looking a lot like the Shmenge's and their Leutonian Christmas traditions. It's heaven.

up the mountain

insignia for the twin peaks cave... someday hoping to stumble upon this whilst walking tumamoc

 Now that the semester is officially over, I've been killing time until my departure back to Twin Falls. Much of this has been spent walking up tumamoc hill, indulging in hours and hours of yoga, and taking sunny morning bike rides. Enjoying the warm Tucson weather as much as I can until I'm submerged into the snowy white. In other non-earth shattering news, my piece for the upcoming photo show is printed, framed, and ready to hang, and I've heard back from Tsai Eve that the gallery in Taipei City received my work. All systems go.

i am out of interesting things to say

This has been quite possibly the most difficult semester of my two and a half years in grad school. I am very glad it's over. For the next four weeks it's ice cream time!!

bring it

Claude Cahun: Self Portrait 1911

As I prepare to finish the last art history paper I will ever have to write, ever again, in the history of my life, I can comfortably say that I am not sad. After six and a half years of studying art history, I have no qualms saying farewell to this practice for a while. Going out with a bang with Cladue Cahun (a.k.a.) my shero!

success!

\in-'stol\ was a huge success last night. A big thanks for everyone who came out to celebrate with us! We had a huge turnout for both spaces, and although it was a lot of work for a one night show, it was totally worth it. I've included a lot of images from the event (which I normally don't do) so enjoy!

Emma High 

my two favorite ghosts

6min, 45sec

Outside shot of my piece

 Andrea Jensen

 Frank Yunker

 Erin Garber-Pierson

 Rebecca Hamlin

 Daisy Pitkin

 Last minute touches

 Sarah Zidonick

 Getting support from my lovely photo ladies: 

Me, Christiana, Lizz, Coriana

24 Hours to install, 2 minutes to sit...

adventures in boredom

A vision for my future: double barfs

Pix Pix and I were discussing what work we were thinking about putting up in an upcoming photo show in January... I think I'm gonna go with this? Desperately trying to properly manage my time before the end of the semester happens. Distracting myself at the library and going on frequent rage walks up Tumamok hill is not helping me achieve this.

be there

It's gonna be good times!
(I will be screening my two favorite ghosts for the first time)

and then i ate naan

one of my finer art history doodles
Stuffed my face with Indian food and watched basic cable tv....
It was great.

yes please

I would like to go home now.
Map circa art history class - Monday afternoon.

opinions are like kittens

Mona (my adopted feral cat) is not amused by me, or my camera.

mediat-ion

Wall tapestry in my kitchen : A fair representation of my innards.

specificity of place

 discussing our area... to build false walls, or to not build false walls.

Currently in the process of organizing a show at 6th and 7th gallery for my installation seminar and therefore spent a lovely afternoon determining the poetics of space. . it's going to be an art explosion on the 2nd of December. Mark your calendars!!

you are invited

Official invitation to the exhibition my work is being shown in. If you are by chance in Abu Dhabi, you should go.

tricks

Little me at age 7

Props to all the moms out there that make halloween the best holiday ever... my mom did!

time crimes

 image still from Chris Markers epic Le Jetee

busy as busy is busy, sensory deprivation is in order.

mashup

a haiku describing current audio situation:

sound design and light pattern

halogen slovak

patience and cabins to grow

It's a designated studio day, and my ability to concentrate has most certainly been distracted by late night dance parties and celebratory drinks for pix pix. Thinking thesis will now be about how many hours I can sleep in one day, and how many haikus I can write about said sleeping schedule. I'm guessing 13?

checking out

bakery tomfoolery 

this is neat

Still shot from In Hurricane Island 2010

In Hurricane Island will be showing in an exhibition titled "In These Rooms" at the Garden Gallery in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. from Oct 31 to Nov 12th. Big thanks to Sama Alshabi for curating me into this exhibition, I'm super stoked to be a part of it. Now if only I could go to the opening....

phantoms

Image from the daily mail/ my dreams

My new obsession: Gliese 581g, the unconfirmed extrasolar planet that lives within the constellation Libra. According to astronomer Ragbir Bhathal (and active SETI member,) this red dwarf star seems to be emitting some suspicious signals... Perhaps a late night trip to the desert is in order for further investigation.

abyss

Figure drawing I made from the spring. I like her invisible chair

Feeling a void today, wishing I had a drawing class to go to....

art coma

Image from ArtInfo Blog, an installation view of The Dissolve at SITE Santa Fe

 I've finally returned from Santa Fe refreshed and renewed from an amazing trip. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to go to SITE Santa Fe with my colleagues, not only was the work amazing, but so was the company. The artist talk went well, despite literally almost passing out while describing The Longest Winter. No joke, I was inches from the floor.... Regardless, I learned some circus tricks from Erin, talked about Egypt at length with Jim Cook, and lounged in a hot tub whilst enjoying a most splendid southwestern sunset. No I go back to the grind. Le sigh....

the dissolve

Image taken from one of my epic walks to the Tesco in Brati... it's good motivation

 Getting ready for an epic trip further west for Site Sante Fe's eight international biennial. I've never been to Santa Fe before, and I am really looking forward to the theme of this years exhibition aptly titled The Dissolve. Artists include my current girl crush Martha Colburn, Hiraki Sawa, Joshua Mosley, Oscar Muñoz, Jacco Olivier, Raymond Pettibon, and many other artists working in installation and new media. I'm super excited to be getting out of Tucson however, I have to give an artists presentation which, for those of you who know me, is my least favorite thing to do. I would much rather have someone speak for me... in a luchador mask... while I play nintendo ds in the corner. Wax poetic all you want about professional development and blah blah blah... I just want to observe from the side.

The gambler

Photo of my grandfather taken by my grandmother 1949

The miniature/ The gigantic

Things I'm missing today, a list:
the farm
kittens
grass
cool weather
garden kale
francis

days turn into different days

to do:
lighting design
wall text
celebration

done:
thesis review
install

le sigh

In lieu of the MASSIVE day I have looming tomorrow, and the equally draining week I've had, all I want to do is color correct Guitars music video....

and then this happened

Screen shot of new work in progress...

one million hours later

 After a 9 hour day I simply can't wait to nest in something like this... Taken in Karin's delicious living room this summer. To bad this is in Portland, and that Karin has moved to Detroit.

Got through my entire class for the first critique of the semester. I was hesitant at first with this group of ruffians, but to my surprise, they have started to set the bar higher for themselves... for the most part. Although teaching is great and all, I still can't help but revert to adolescent insecurity when I'm stuck in front of a group of 18 or somethings for 3 hours. (I could have sword that they were talking about my short pants and frizzy hair for the first fifteen minutes)

My voice is hoarse, I'm hungry, I've got loads of work to do, but I'm content....

Blam!

Press release for AY-yah-fyah-lah-YOH-kull! It's pretty small, but I think if you click on the image you can see it bigger in a separate window. Getting prepared to install in about a week!! Exciting times ahead...

Crush

 Video still from Don't Kill the Weatherman

Martha Colburn - American artist, musician, filmmaker, and all around bad ass. I like her... What I like about Colburn, is her general attitude towards art practice. Having been introduced to her video work through my installation seminar, I feel as though she encapsulates an energy that is lost so often in contemporary installation practices. The work is colorful, violent, dirty, and punctuated with whimsy. I kinda want to have lunch with her and Debroah Stratman one day.

 Still from Debroah Stratman's From Hetty to Nancy, 1997

Buki

watermelon

and the windows opened that night,

a ceiling dripped the sweat 

of a tin god,

and I sat eating a watermelon,

all false red,

water like slow running of rusty 

tears,

and I spit out seeds

and swallowed seeds,

and I kept thinking

I am a fool

I am a fool

to eat this watermelon,

but I kept eating

anyhow.

Some Bukowski for your Tuesday. Rekindling my love with The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses Over The Hills... Sending off show submissions and rent today, also making my students watch La Jetee/ Sans Soleil. It's a Tuesday for the ages.

for several seconds

SK, Spring

each time i woke up i thought i was dreaming, when i am falling asleep in the evening i am afraid that i will forget to breathe in my sleep.

Build it

In need of some technical building skills to make this 3 part projection work... Thinking a lack in said skills is going to hold up production for now. It's Wednesday, and it already feels like Friday. Need. Yoga. NOW!

It's Sunday

And I don't really plan on leaving my studio... until I have face to reality tomorrow.

Ay-yah-fyah-lah-YOH-kuul

Can't you tell how epic this will be?

 Preliminary sketch for the layout of PixPix and our show!! Ay-yah-fyah-lah-YOH-kuul will be opening at the Lionel Rombach gallery during September 20 - 29, 2010 with an opening reception on September 23, 3-4:30. More on this to come.... Exciting things are brewing in the universe!!

Aesthetic Nostalgia

The Rogerson Restaurant circa 1950: Owned by my grandfather Ben and his best friend Ted

cirsium provocation

This meadow was filled with bees and one of them stung me.
I stuffed my whole mouth with every single bee on every single thistle.

no grace

drawing from sketchbook circa bratislava: resembling a spirit projection

Hang on St. Christopher

Image I took last summer... it's resonating with me now much more than it did 12 months ago.

Cooped up in my studio listening to Tom Wait's Beautiful Maladies on repeat. It's taking all efforts to keep myself focused, yet I can't find the extra spark I need to get motivated. It also kinda smells like french fries in the building which is also distracting...