Coolest Book Ever?

Tree of Codes by Jonathan Safran Foer:

http://papercuts.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/jonathan-safran-foers-book-as-art-object/

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALMOST

Francine Spiegel WORD UP

My pal Francine Spiegel's show was just up in Sweden; she's definitely ruling it in the painting department:

www.galleriloyal.com/

And, I discovered an interview we did for North Drive Press awhile back is in PDF form, so I'm going to try attaching the site link here, then you can click her name and download the file:

www.northdrivepress.com/ndp5.html

Upcoming Readings

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
I have three upcoming readings to mention and hope to see some friends there:

Februrary 19th, Oakland, CA: Writer's With Drinks series
At the Makeout Room
http://www.writerswithdrinks.com/

April 28th, San Francisco, CA: RADAR Series hosted by Michelle Tea
At Intersection for the Arts
http://www.theintersection.org/

May 7th, San Francisco, CA: 2nd Floor Projects Reading
Celebrating the release of a Writing/Art Multiple in collaboration with gallery artist TBA
At 2nd Floor Projects
http://projects2ndfloor.blogspot.com/

Cristina Toro

I received a letter in my mailbox the other day from a woman named Cristina Toro, and attached to this very kind letter was an intricate painting that looks as if it is embroidered. I wrote back to Cristina and she tells me that this painting (above, the painting that spells MOON) is large, 5x7. She has also made other alluringly stitched-style paintings, and so I thought I'd post a couple here. Exciting to get mail from people out there making work I might have missed otherwise...

George Caitlin, Medecinman, 1848

From the Swedish edition of North American Indians.
Courtesy William R. Talbot Fine Art, Antique Maps & Prints
Santa Fe, NM 87501

Art of McSweeney's

Here is a new book that just arrived on my doorstep, and it's a real honor to be a part of it. McSweeney's has published an ultra-deluxe volume about their book design endeavors, and each book entry is accompanied by design images and anecdotal tales about the making of the book. Interview snippets throughout. Dear New Girl or Whatever Your Name Is occupies a couple spreads, and there are some educational sections about the practicalities of publishing McSweeney's and The Believer. This book makes me excited about printed matter (again).

Ada Books, Providence R.I.

I'll be reading at Ada Books this coming Saturday, October 16th, at 6pm. Sumanth Prubhaker will be reading too...it is a truly special east coast bookstore...Come on down or spread the word! Thanks...

http://ada-books.com/

Bruno Munari

My essay about Bruno Munari is posted on X-Tra's site, and Munari will have the cover image for their upcoming Fall issue. Here is a quote to encourage you to click:

The egg has a perfect form even though it comes out of a butt.

-Bruno Munari¹

http://www.x-traonline.org/past_articles.php?articleID=408

Homunculi in the news...

Three reviews so far...keep 'em coming! Congrats to all the artists in the show.

New York Magazine:
http://nymag.com/listings/art/homunculi/

Village Voice:
http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-06-15/art/james-hyde-richard-hughes-artists-of-homunculi/

BOMB on-line interview:
http://bombsite.powweb.com/?p=12500

Grey Oceans

I'm loving Cocorosie's new album, Grey Oceans. And I especially love it because Matt shot the covers for the CD and LP. There was a lot of feltcraft and blue-grey paint happening back when those photo shoots took place. Cocorosie will be touring the US soon, and I hope people enjoy how much fire they've got right now cooking their looks and sounds. It's not all grey and watery; as with everything they do, it's an elemental brew. Here's a sweet little movie they made about how art is "polishing god's shoes."

http://subpop-public.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/video/7085.mov

Homunculi vs. Fruiting Bodies

It was a shame that Brian Chippendale's Fruiting Bodies opening collided with our Homunculi opening at CANADA, but it's not a competition. Matt and I stopped by Cinders yesterday before heading back to LA to see Chippendale's wicked and very pinkish new body of collaged silkscreen/paintings:

http://blog.cindersgallery.com/

Best of all, Matt and Brian came face to face to taint each other further with mushroom madness. How many mushrooms can two men paint? I see a fungi collaboration in the future...

If you're in NYC Chinatown, please check out Homunculi, a chunky set of paintings and sculptures by four stellar artists, starring gnomes, a fox, shadow puppets, eye-shaped cloaks, hobo clowns, fuschia trannies, and some witchy, green-handed women. I think CANADA will post more photos as time allows:

http://www.canadanewyork.com/

Here's a video tour someone made that I just found trolling on-line:

http://www.artreview.com/video/homunculi-curated-by-trinie?xg_source=activity

Report from Portland

I *love* Powell's; I wish I could overnight it to rove the shelves for a good twelve hours by candlelight. Last time I was there I dropped major cash after I raided their mushroom field guide section. An artist I admire, Wendy Given, snapped this at Powell's and made my day. I just wrote an essay about her lovely new body of witch-related artwork, for an exhibition of hers that opened at Wieden + Kennedy gallery called How To Explain Magic to A Dead Rabbit:

http://blog.wk.com/

The black cat photograph, titled The Tutelary, is Given's exhibition poster...

Good time for a bear dance...