i just returned from an incredible trip to montreal--my third visit, and the best. it was SO good that when i got into the elevator at work this morning, i couldn't remember which floor i worked on. i just stood there as the doors closed, staring at the buttons.
montreal is grand because 1) restaurants give you and your friends separate bills automatically, without any fuss or heckling, 2) you can bring your own wine to some restaurants, 3) there are strip clubs and dance clubs for every sexual persuasion, 4) the thunderstorms are brief but furious, with great sheets of rain drenching everything, 5) the contemporary art museum is excellent, 6) everyone is flirtatious and bisexual, and, on a related note, 7) french girls are really cute. oh yeah, and the reason i went: 8) mutek, an electronic music festival, happens every year. there's so much going on there, and such a good vibe.
was really depressed to be back in conservative edmonton, where 1) the local goth store ropes off all the clothing in a special section, and you have to ask a sales clerk to let you in so they can keep an eye on you, 2) the local comic store keeps all its "adult" material in its own room that is only open a few hours on certain days of the week, and you have to get a clerk to let you in, AND it costs $10, which is nonrefundable unless you buy something!, and 3) the supposed hippest sex store in the city sells mostly cheap gadgets and joke items.
montreal is grand because 1) restaurants give you and your friends separate bills automatically, without any fuss or heckling, 2) you can bring your own wine to some restaurants, 3) there are strip clubs and dance clubs for every sexual persuasion, 4) the thunderstorms are brief but furious, with great sheets of rain drenching everything, 5) the contemporary art museum is excellent, 6) everyone is flirtatious and bisexual, and, on a related note, 7) french girls are really cute. oh yeah, and the reason i went: 8) mutek, an electronic music festival, happens every year. there's so much going on there, and such a good vibe.
was really depressed to be back in conservative edmonton, where 1) the local goth store ropes off all the clothing in a special section, and you have to ask a sales clerk to let you in so they can keep an eye on you, 2) the local comic store keeps all its "adult" material in its own room that is only open a few hours on certain days of the week, and you have to get a clerk to let you in, AND it costs $10, which is nonrefundable unless you buy something!, and 3) the supposed hippest sex store in the city sells mostly cheap gadgets and joke items.
*blush*. Yeah, Yoko started to suck when she made bronze objects of her pieces. She couldn't have needed the money that bad, I mean, she was married to one of the most famous men in the world at that point. There was no real need to commodify the stuff, except for vanity or something. I always get pissed off when I see those pieces, but I still feel good about her as an artist. She made some really great work and still occasionally makes some things that are strong and poetic (but not very often).
I just bought a little exhibition catalogue from Amazon called "Do It". I know, stupid title. It is basically an assemblage of contemporary artists making instruction pieces (Yoko is in there). It's kinda nice. Below is a link to the web version which contains all of the artists in the catalogue and more. I think the curator has done a lot of interesting stuff, and was an early supporter of one of my favorite artists, Gabriel Orozco.
http://www.e-flux.com/projects/do_it/homepage/do_it_home.html
Was that Yoko show at the Power Plant? For some reason, I have been there twice. The last time, I was in Toronto for the CAA conference trying to get a job teaching sculpture at some college. None of the interviews panned out, I flamed out and basically just spent a lot of money to get a job that I didn't get. There did seem to be some good thrift stores though.
I must admit, that I too have the Fruits book from Phaidon. The guy at the Giant Robot store, here in L.A. told me that the book is actually a lot better than the magazines and even if you were to find a recent issue, the scene that is documented in the book is pretty much over.
OK, I thought Buffalo 66 was amazing, have the soundtrack, but his new record?? I don't know. I saw him a few months ago at Starbucks with some foxy chick. One of my co-workers tells this story about how she saw him during the opening of Buffalo 66 riding around on his bicycle outside the Angelika theater in NY, asking people what they thought of the film. And have you read some of his interviews?? He has an outrageously large ego and is a superphreak. Sorry had to rag on Vinnie a little.
Oh man, AfterLife!! I shoulda put that in fave films too!! Great, great, great. And In the Mood for Love-got the soundtrack and am gonna try to rent the DVD soon. It has an extra disc with a documentary of the making of the film plus lotsa extras. Have you seen that yet?
I am afraid that my Canadian geography is somewhat lacking. Alberta wasn't a French province, was it? Now I'm embarrassed, cuz I'm supposed to be the smart guy. Anyway, do you speak French? How far is Montreal from you. It sounds great. I must go sometime. Is that where McGill is? I once knew a girl who went there. Are there any songs that mention Alberta?
Oh! You keep putting down all the things I wanted to say but forgot-French girls, typography, galaxie 500, etc. My insane infactuation for French girls and most things French has finally brought me to attempt to learn the language (I mean, I have tons of French music and I barely understand what they are singing). I bought an introductory CD, but kinda stopped about half way though (a few weeks ago). I gotta start again. Escavouz comprenez? See, it's all aural, so I don't know how to spell anything.
I cannot believe about yer stores there!!! $10 to peek at a dirty comic!! Quel horror! (I bet I spelled that wrong, I haven't made it to that point on the CD) Speaking of comix and Dan Clowes, after reading David Boring, I got kinda hooked on Clowes and was very impressed with his facility for language and narrative. I thought that he could clearly write a pictureless novel if he wanted. So far, this is my favorite that I have read of his. I actually don't really like comix in general, partly because I feel that most are so poorly drawn and I cannot get past that. I am only attracted to the really stylized. So here are the only guys that I like:
Chris Ware, #1 (kills me dead)
Dan Clowes
Windsor McCay
Tony Millionaire (really only Sock Monkey, not Maakies)
Jim Woodring
Charles Burns (probably only Black Hole)
I want to like others, but have yet to find anyone who meets my aesthetic demands.
Ya know, I'm scared of needles too. The last time I had blood drawn, I nearly hyperventillated and all of my extremities went completely numb. Man, am I the berwimp. It was kinda embarrassing & I think that I scared the nurses.
Ok, now you are regretting your offer to be my friend. I have rambled and rambled and... I am not normally this loquacious, I don't know what has come over me. You must forgive me.
btw: Who is Vladislav Delay? I'm not hip to him.