Your Saturday Dose of Art

You know, I often regard the notion that "it's all been done before" as being fairly accurate, especially concerning art. Nothing is new, just old, recycled, tired ideas. And while, for the most part I do believe this, sometimes an artist comes along and does something that makes me think, "Wow! I don't think that's ever been done before." And it could be the simplest thing, but it gives me hope. My cynicism is silenced, if even for just a moment, and it makes me happy.

I follow Juxtapoz Magazine pretty religiously because they are most likely to give me that warm and fuzzy feeling that it is possible to do something truly original. And while I have known and loved Wim Delvoye for a long time, they posted an article about some of his newest work today and I am in awe all over again.

Wim Delvoye is a conceptual artist from Belgium and he has an expansive portfolio that includes photography, mixed media, sculpture, and all kinds of other craziness that I don't even know how to classify (how exactly does one categorize tattooed pig skins or vacuum-sealed, mechanically-created poo?). You should check out his interactive website which is sort of a sim city that revolves exclusively around the artist and his work. It's pretty rad.

Delvoye's series of "SexRays" are my absolute favorite. A little graphic? Potentially inappropriate? Sexually explicit? Yes, yes, and yes! If those three things don't sound like your cup of tea, you may want to avert your tender eyes:

They are fascinating, no? I'm so glad that an artist out there is willing to increase someone's exposure to radiation for the sake of art! 

The series that Juxtapoz wrote about is called "Pneu," which is French for "tire." And guess what?! They are, indeed, tires. Beautiful, intricately carved tires:

I don't know about you, but I know that I've never seen anyone carve a tire before. So unique and yet so simple (conceptually, not execution wise, obviously). Don't it just make ya feel good?

Time to MTFU

Sometimes I need to be reminded that I am, in fact, an adult. I come from a family where, "Yes, ma'am" and "Yes, sir" are always the appropriate response, and I feel like I am carrying that into my adult life; a time when I finally get to exert my own thoughts, opinions, wants, interests, and demands. A time when I finally get to use "no" if I so choose. 

Or...at least, "No, ma'am."

Your Saturday Dose of Art

I have a whole folder of websites for artists/artworks that I admire, so it's always so hard to know what to share to where to begin. How are we feeling about a little Andreas Englund this evening? On the heels of DragonCon, I feel like this is befitting:

Sitting - Andreas Englund

This is his series, "Portraits of an Elderly Superhero" and I think I'm in love. The nerd and the artist inside of me become simultaneously warm and fuzzy when I look at these. I think that I am commonly drawn to art that I could never, ever, ever have the talent/capacity to do, and that could be why Englund's work is so stunning to me. It's one thing to create a realistic painting from a photograph or a real-life subject, but to create a realistic painting based on a fantasy is beyond talented. Look at the lighting. How perfectly he captures all of the detail in the face and hands. That right knee bone. MIND = BLOWN.

Artist in Progress Producing "Hemlich" - Andreas Englund 

This is a photograph of Englund in the process of painting, just so that you can get an idea of the scale of these babies. Can you even imagine how amazing they must be in person?

I tried really hard to pick out a favorite in the series, but I just can't, so I'm just going to go into overkill mode and give you top three:

 Fight - Andreas Englund

Bad Clementine - Andreas Englund

Thriller - Andreas Englund

Too funny, right? Witty and technically beautiful and nerdy and delightful. I approve, Andreas Englund, I approve.

You Know What Else is Hard to Do, Neil Sedaka? Growing Up.

I'm feeling like a really real grown-up this week. Getting hit hard with some life lessons about money and responsibility and junk. I may not like it, but I guess it had to happen sometime. I got hired on for another part-time job at a restaurant that is opening up in Midtown Atlanta called Takorea. I'm actually really excited about it! I couldn't possibly tell you why, but I've always wanted to be a server. It just seems like such a blasty blast, and a great way to meet people. Not to mention that I'm great at being overly nice to people, even when they are being assholes to me. Not that I'm expecting to serve assholes, I'm just saying, I think it'll be a beneficial attribute.

In other news, the juice fast just isn't going to work. I couldn't even go one day! Pretty pathetic attempt, I know but, oh well. I decided that I'm going to do my own version that really isn't a fast at all, but more of just a light diet. I've been restricting myself to juice, raw fruits and veggies and grilled chicken. I honestly don't really care if it's a fast or not, because I feel good about it. It feels like something I can actually continue with, as opposed to only drinking juice, which I pretty quickly realized I couldn't/didn't want to do.

I mean, honestly, who could drink sludge-green juice ALL DAY for TEN DAYS? Not that it necessarily tastes bad, but I just can't do it. And I applaud anyone who can. Ye are irrefutably a stronger willed being than I. This particular concoction was green apple, celery and romaine. Why? I don't know. I was just trying to stick to the whole "like colors" theory which, so far, has remained a fairly reliable supposition; however, I have discovered through this process that I hate celery and tomato juice. They are terribly effective at ruining the other juices. Pity.

And lastly, I hesitate to even add this, but I bought something else today that I can't afford. Kind of an impulse buy, but also another fabulous piece to add to my "who I want to be" wardrobe. It was just too beautiful, and you can't fault me for loving beautiful things, can you (well, if you can, you shouldn't)? This darling, is mine:

I just had to have it. It fit like a glove and it's so fun. Dress it up, dress it down; it has so many possibilities! So, here's to hoping this jacket looks just a good in the dark, after I can't afford to pay my electric bill next month! Cheers!

Ju-ess

I can't even begin to tell you how many nights I have stayed up watching Jack LaLanne entrance me with the wonder, the magic, the power of juice. Oh, how many blissful evenings I have fallen asleep to that infomercial's promise of a whisper quiet motor, and minimal pulp, easy clean-up, and twice as much juice as the "other guys." Dreams of celery and carrots and kale being pulverized into delicious beverages of joy.

So, this past weekend, while I was home visiting with my family and out shopping with my mother, we came across a Jack LaLanne Power Juicer Express. After a few, "But, Mooommm! I NEED IT!"s (this said in exactly the same way that Cartman does to his mother in South Park. Also, I may or may not use the word "need" in a fast and loose manner), this beauty found a new home on my kitchen counter:

I've been juicing for the past three days now. Nothing serious, just testin' her out. I love the idea of throwing whatever I've got lying around the fridge in there to see what comes out.

Let's see...got some tomatoes. And some romaine hearts and some peaches. Okay! Toss in some peas. Maybe a little potato. What the hell?

I think I may have twarted my random experimental phase this afternoon though when I pitched in some romaine hearts, cantaloupe and celery. I'm not entirely sure why that particular concoction was so foul, but it was not good. Not good at all. The more I looked at the brown goop I was drinking, the more ill I became and had to force down the last few drops. Also, carrots, celery, tomato and romaine - or what I like to call, Salad in a Cup - is wretched. I think that perhaps juicing is most effective (at least taste-wise) when keeping like colors together. Kinda like laundry. 

An old friend of mine has been juicing for a while now and has had some real ups and downs with it. I can't say that she necessarily inspired my want of a juicer (as Jack LaLanne takes full, unadulterated credit for that), but she did inspire me to want to try a juice fast. You can read all about her juice journey on her blog. It's actually pretty interesting and she talks a lot about her struggles with food addiction and closet-eating, two topics that hit pretty close to home.

I found this website with a twenty-one day juice fast that I would really like to try, so that's on the docket for the upcoming week. So, cheers to good juice and good health.

DragonCon: Home of Multiple Dorkgasms

I really could kick myself for having such a wretched memory. Perhaps if I had a better one, I would have remembered that DragonCon is this weekend in Atlanta. Sad face.

For those of you who don't know, DragonCon is an annual sci-fi/comic book/video game/all-things-dweeby gathering that occurs over Labor Day weekend. And it's...hmm...let me figure out how to put this. SPEC-FUCKING-TACULAR.

Let me begin by saying that, despite being a huge nerd, I have never been to this convention. Unfortunately, this time is no different. As I stated before, I forgot about it, thus leading to the sad face. Remember? Thought I'd remind you in case your memory is as poor as mine.

Anyway, luckily for me, there was a parade this morning for anyone who dressed in a particularly stunning costume. And for anyone without tickets to watch from the sidewalk in awe and kick rocks on the way back to the car (i.e. me). I have no qualms about saying that there were tons of people/characters in the parade that I didn't recognize, but that were completely awesome. Like this guy for example:

I don't know who/what he is, but I love him! Clearly a ton of time, thought, effort, patience went into this costume, and I can appreciate the dedication. So, thank you, good sir of whom I do not recognize. Thank you.

Oh, yes. A LEGIT Mach 5 Racer from Speed Racer:

And Bender from Futurama:

And of course, who ya gonna call?:

Maybe this guy? Who did an outstanding job of appearing as crazy/genius as Rick Moranis did in the original Ghostbusters (or perhaps genuinely crazy/genius, who knows?):

 

I was getting positively dizzy from all of the excitement! Thank goodness all of the terrifying terrorists from Netherworld showed up to terrify me back into a terrifying reality:

 

Believe it or not, that last picture was actually taken of this demon-man smiling. The little boy standing next to me was horrified by these guys, and for some reason, this ogre felt that smiling and waving at the child was the best solution to quell his fear. I'm not sure if a fang-revealing smile was really going to do much to soften your black, horned, bloody facade, but you get a solid "E" for effort. 

I actually went to Netherworld for Halloween two years ago and nearly had a heart-a-stroke. Never again.

Of course, what would a sci-fi convention be without a sea of Storm Troopers? I wouldn't know, and I'm sure no one else does either, because I doubt Star Wars nerds have e're been absent from any convention, anywhere, ever. But here's what this years' sea of Troopers looked like:

While all of these people/characters/costumes were honest-to-God amazing, I think that this was my favorite costume of all (although I may be biased because I'm a little obsessed with this game):

 

Hey there, Big Daddy. Come to Mama! Spot on costume! Big, huge, ridiculous, toe-curling dorkgasm over this! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!

So rad. So nerdy. So entertaining. Whew. I need a cigarette.

Soup Night at the Disenborgs

I am an excellent friend, just so you know. It's a certifiable fact. Go ahead, look it up. But, first, read this post.

Remember my friend with the freebies? Well, he's sick. And being that I'm such an extraordinary friend, and a fabulous cook, what was the only possible, logical solution? Well, duh! Soup.

So, this is what happens when you're my friend and you're sick. I make you home-made chicken noodle soup and dessert.

Yum. Paired with some crusty French bread and you're all set. Cold: cured.

And you can't have such a delightful dinner without a delightful dessert, right? So, after dicing some fresh, South Carolina peaches, tossing them with a little brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and flour, and letting them sit for a few minutes:

Add won-ton wrappers:

And then this happened:

I think that this discussion that my roommate and I had post-dinner is probably the most accurate description for how delicious these Peach Won-tons were:

J: "There's only one left, do you want it?"
K: "No, go ahead. Eat it. I've had plenty."
J: "Okay. I will. 'Cause these mother-fuckers are gooooood."