Los Hermanos

My Current Obsession: EATALY

they make cheese on site, including Mozzarella burrata.

they import canned goods with darling designs such as these retro labels for tomatoes

The new big thing here is that Mario Batali and Lydia Bastianich opened up an Italian cuisine Disneyland/WalMart in the Flatiron and all the foodies plus tourists plus local non cooks but Italianophiles like me are flocking there like it's the culinary Promised Land. On a recent Saturday there were HUGE lines with a security guard at each door like it was the Roxy in 1990. Back in the day, I could get past the line and cross the red velvet rope with my gorgeous gay escort in tow but now....not even worth a try. I know the place is like an Italian simulacra for Americans/Culinary Disneyland/Foodie Wal-Mart but it's fantastic. I know the place is expensive and thus most of us can only rarely shop there, if at all. But as a lover of Italian style and food (and men, sigh) I enjoyed strolling through the shop. I walked out with imported pasta that although it was Buitoni was a type of spaghetti that looks different from any type I buy here but just like some I had in Mastorica with a duck ragu (ay ay ay so delicious), Mozzarella burrata, San Daniele prosciutto, olive oil bread, and some jarred pasta sauce with roasted eggplant, all delicious).

If only this were true!

Obama Releases 500,000 Men From U.S. Strategic Bachelor Reserve

My current obsession: Dutch Wax Cloth

As soon as I saw this darling ottoman, I was obsessed. I am beginning to amass a collection of gorgeous custom-made (and store bought from the Cote d'Ivoire fabric collection produced a couple of years ago by Zachary's Smile in SoHo and also sold at Anthropologie) Dutch wax print dresses with fabric from various places in Harlem, Africa and The Netherlands. (including an Obama dress with fabric from Mali!)

Thankfully, my academentia endeavors have paid off and I had a bit of extra cash so I ordered it, and thank goodness because it seems to be getting some press, and who knows if it will sell out?

The ottoman, here:

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pushId=HOME-FURNITURE&selectedProductSize=&id=063174&sortProperties=&navCount=30&isProduct=true&templateType=&catId=HOME-FURNITURE&fromCategoryPage=&selectedProductSize1=&prepushId=&popId=HOME&isSubcategory=&subCategoryId=

and here:

http://nymag.com/shopping/bestbets/68063/index1.html

Here is info on a designer who makes LOVELY clothes with this material:

http://concreteloop.com/2009/08/designer-spotlight-maya-a-lake-of-boxing-kitten?cp=3

And info about the complex history of these textiles which were part of colonial networks of industrial production, from a scholar:

http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=67940

And here is an article on one of my favorite artists, Yinka Shonibare, who uses wax cloth in his work:

http://www.artnews.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=1202

In one of his recent videos, a dancer is shown wearing a gorgeous dress in which the print includes the Chanel logo. As I am going to Amsterdam next month, I planned to scour the fabric market for this print, which I covet. Right now I have dresses with floral patterns but also an old school Walkman and high-heeled shoes. (the latter two from Senegal) Sadly, the Chanel print was custom-made for the artist. I would die to rock that.....

A Sad Day for Art Lovers

I have a running list of museums I'd like to visit. The Liberace Museum, in a mall in Vegas, is high on that list. Today I woke up to the tragic news that the museum is closing 10/17. Why they did not give more advance notice is unclear. But now I am scrambling to figure out if I can go for a weekend. Not kidding. My fantasy had been to do an American Road trip, drive to Graceland and the LIberace museum.....and stop to see other campy American monuments along the way. I had also planned to celebrate a landmark birthday (yes, I am not yet 21) party in Vegas expressly to see the museum, but instead we went to LA. No time to waste on regrets, Travelocity, here I come.

The full sad story is here:

http://www.lvrj.com/news/liberace-museum-to-close-after-31-years-102646619.html

The fabulous Liberace:

Sorry I haven't posted

I just came across a note about the fabulous artist Cory Arcangel's latest project, which is a sample of "sorry I haven't posted" blog posts. I had wanted to write one myself then decided silence would speak for itself, why post to say I cannot post. Is that not a contradiction? That's like not answering an email and then sending a one liner saying, oh things have been messy the past few days/weeks/months, I'll be in touch. I'm finding twitter to be much more feasible with my current work schedule (on leave, ha ha ha, academentia rocks!).

You can see his project here:
http://sorry.coryarcangel.com/

And here he is talking about one of my favorite works he did, I Shot Andy Warhol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnzZXkh3XOk&feature=related

No estaba en el Mas Alla, estaba en Bora, Bora

HOLA is my FAVORITE magazine. Yes, even more than Artforum. Mexican bolero crooner Luis Miguel disappeared for a few months and twitter as well as TV shows were rife with rumors of his demise. Fortunately, he is still with us.

Read the full story in HOLA, here
http://www.hola.com/musica/2010091444732/luis/miguel/disco/1/