Double Toasted: Pretend Art Connoisseur

Every so often, I like to pretend I know something about art/the art world and make my way over to the far reaches of Manhattan known as Chelsea. I make a list of exhibits and galleries I want to visit but always end up wandering into whatever gallery looks cool from the street (yes, I judge these books by their cover). On one of my excursions, I stumbled upon the Eyebeam Art + Technology Center, a venue I knew for its Fashion Week Parties yet housed a completely different theme this time.

The exhibit I walked into appeared ~~weird~~ peculiar at first until I learned its meaning. It was a traveling exhibit called SURFACE TENSION that brought together designers, artists, scientists and engineers to explore the future of water. Intrigued to further explore the room as I consider myself to be one of those eco-friendly types, I was fascinated by what I saw. Immediately, I was drawn to a waterfall of words created by artist Julius Popp. The installation titled BIT.FALL was a sprinkler releasing drops of water to form words that were being streamed from current news on the internet. I could've stared at the waterfall for hours curious to see what word would come up next or down in this case.

Balenciaga

Prada

Nicholas Kirkwood

Givenchy

Alexander Wang

Back on track I visited a gallery housing a series of fashion photographs originally commissioned for the December 2011 issue of Vogue. Artist Rachel Perry Welty created self-portraits using patterns designed by clothing labels Prada, Balenciaga, Alexander Wang, Nicholas Kirkwood and Givenchy. Each "self" portrait featured the artist covered from head to toe in the print with her face concealed from view. In this fashion face off (no pun intended), my favs were the Prada photo and the Givenchy photo.

Further down the road, I discovered the Ameringer McEnery Yohe Gallery and what I can only describe as artistic play dough plates. In actuality these "play dough plates" were clay plates made by artist Polly Apfelbaum. I really gravitated towards each and every plate for their distinctive color and print crazy natures and because I am easily amused by colorful, shiny objects.

Lizzie was one of those girls that would use absolutely any excuse to stop paddling.

Once again owning an exotic pet was proving to be nothing but trouble.

It was so like Patty right idea, wrong execution.


It didn't matter how much overtime was needed. The pancake producers were determined to catch up with their brunch orders before brunch.

422 days without an accident at the chocolate quarry

My favorite exhibit happened to be my last and involved food (go figure). The exhibit "Edible Worlds" by artist Christopher Boffoli took two of my favorite things—food and witty writing and combined them with miniature stick figures immersed in various food dishes. Each image was accompanied by a clever explanation which I shamefully giggled at each time I read one. Naturally this exhibit made me hungry at the end and had me dreaming of my own chocolate quarry. Leaving with the satisfaction that I had filled my culture quota for the day, it was now time to fill my food quota—and I don't have to pretend to know anything about that.

Places of Interest:

Eye Beam

540 W. 21st. St., 212-937-6580

Exhibit ended August 11th

Yancey Richardson Gallery

535 W. 22nd St., 630-230-9610

Exhibit ended July 6th

Ameringer McEnery Yohe Gallery

525 W. 22nd St., 212-445-0051

Exhibit ended July 7th

Recommend Markus Linnenbrink-there were songs before there was radio

starting September 6th