Way back in July 2021, Allen Kitselman sent the final design for the triangle shelf to me. We looked into having them built and every bid was way too high. Time went by fast and two years and three months later here they are. (We found a reasonable builder.)
Golden ratio much?
Romey picked out the color (and all the dark blue was repainted to match it).
These shelves are meant to display art, and we started with a beautiful original print by Emily Shepardson called Atlas Series Europe from 2019.
Inspiration for the design came from the paint cube in the corner, the stairs, and some math…oh, and the cat.
Oh boy, oh boy did we want to go to this one the second we heard about it. Laurie Anderson has overtaken the second floor at the Hirshhorn with an installation that is a bit of a retrospective and a living piece of art at the same time at the same time art at the same time living piece of art at the same time.
Just go. I mean, you’ve been already right?
The Hirshhorn is under construction. Just like the exhibit.
So lets go see… But before we start, I just have to mention in passing that my artistic son was psyched to see the exhibit spontaneously well before I did (beat dad by two weeks in fact), but failed to connect the art he was experiencing to Laurie Anderson’s music (especially Big Science which he has heard a zillion times). I think hooking in some of the great music would be a treat.
I guess this counts. Kinda. Only an expert drum machine.
Flags in unison, except for one flag that was on strike or experiencing technical difficulties, or maybe it is just an iconoclast.
The striking flag. You can tell it is a communist since it is red.
This picture makes the song play in my head.
Anyway, here. This song was only alluded to through text in the exhibit. Have a listen.
This picture will play the song in your head, through your earholes.
Then there was the crow room (actually probably a raven, but I am calling it a crow anyway). For me, this is all about Emily Shepardson. I think Laurie owes Emily some royalties. Or maybe just a make up concert in the living room.
This room is striking, fun, quirky, disturbing, and classic overload all at the same time same time all at the same time classic overload all at the same time.
The raven crow
The crow raven
The craven row
Romey and the crow
Did I mention that my dear friend Spool was along?
The golden canoe looks as seaworthy as some of its NH counterparts
A picture for emily of a picture of the picture, but not this picture, the one IN this picture.
Color!
Kind of a shock after all of that black and white. Big paintings.
Color too!
The tape loop violins
Then it was back to Fall in the beautiful gardens next door.
My art compatriots
I mean who gets to see art like this with two beautiful women? Oh, its me.
What a place to see one of my all time favorite contemporary music groups. Eighth Blackbird played the National Gallery 2.16.20, and the show was free. As always, the group featured brand new music from living composers, including: Nina Shekhar, Fjóla Evans, Andy Akiho, Holly Harrison, David Lang, Viet Cuong, Jonathan Bailey Holland, and Julius Eastman. This show included some ringers in for violin, flute, and clarinet.
Lisa Kaplan, fearless leader and director of eighth blackbird
My favorite set was the second, and my favorite piece was Viet Cuoug’s Electric Aroma (2017),
The most precious thing in the museum was Cora, of course.
Cora does contemporary
The setting (no pictures or recording during the show)
After the concert, there were a few minutes for art.
Then it was out and on the metro for cocktails and dinner at Baba.
Yes please. We have been collecting Emily’s art for many years, and we love it. Emily’s eye and her artistic sensibility are incredibly well developed. Watching certain threads across time develop, bloom, evolve, and rebloom has been particularly rewarding: gloves, house, lace, birds, and crow. So we were psyched to see the latest curated show. The show is not so much a culmination as it is a snapshot of the creative petri dish (or, the “endless collage cycle” as Emily herself puts it).
Go see for yourself.
follow you home
domesticity below
The show is professionally hung and well lit. Properly curated and composed.
Emily’s statement
the artist (according to the name tag dutifully working its way into her hair)
This piece now belongs in our collection
palpable buzz during the opening
This one will live at the Stick
collusion
where this one will end up is anybody’s guess (amy’s favorite)
Disclaimer: Emily Shepherdson is one of our dearest friends, and we love her. We don’t love her art because we love her. No wait, we do love her art because we love her, that’s not what we mean. But we would love her art even if she were a stranger. Oh hell, just go see it for yourself. Show up through March 4.
Fun and games in the big city to celebrate amy’s belated birthday. Dinner at Water and Wall was very good (but not exceptional). Arlington has lots of great eats to be had! If you do go to Water and Wall, definitely get the veal sweetbreads. Wow.
Birthday girl
One of the highlights of the evening was seeing more of Emily Shepardson’s art and glassing her “art closet” (which by the way is spreading like frosting on a cake into Victor’s old room. I even got to take home an etching.
Emily herself
Special delivery.
Bill arrives with another batch.
William approves.
A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.
