Julia Oldham

Smecta?

2012-02-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

(Notes: 1. French doctor's offices are set up so that in the morning you don't need an appointment--it's just first come first serve. 2. My whole visit cost 23 euros, which is apparently the general rate--you just pay the doctor at the end of the visit! And most people can have that cost reimbursed. 3. My doctor was attentive and nice, and spent lots of time with me. 4. French health care rocks. 5. Going to the doctor in France is an awesome way to practice your French; but I hope you don't get whatever I have, because it's awful.)

Square Panchon

2012-01-31T09:54:00.000-08:00

The Saga of the Hat

2012-01-31T06:17:00.000-08:00

Well, the Saga of the Intestinal Bacteria continues, alas, but in between bouts of terribleness, I will sometimes have up to 3 hours of respite, during which wonderful new Sagas, like the Saga of the Hat, come into existence.

(Notes: 1. Yes, that was Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" blasting in the wasteland that was the Polygone Mall on Sunday. 2. That dog really peed while standing on its front two legs. It was SO messed up. 3. I would NEVER throw an article of Eric's clothing away unless I had a VERY GOOD REASON..... 4. Does my drawing of Eric's hat in that last panel look like a chicken butt and legs??)

Just a reminder...

2012-01-30T03:05:00.000-08:00

...this Wednesday night in NYC will be a good time!! My video Antimatter Twin will be included in this all-video exhibition:

The Opening of Anti-Oxidant: Promantic is on Feb 1 from 7-10 PM at Christopher Henry Gallery in New York, NY. Group Show of Video Art. Curated by Jason LeBlond and Christina Medina. Special Limited Engagement: February 1st - February 5th. Christopher Henry Gallery presents Anti-Oxidant: Promantic, a group show of Video Art curated by Jason LeBlond and Christina Medina. A delicious assortment of works have been compiled into a single reel, which will be projected large scale on the gallery’s main wall.All of the components of Anti-Oxidant: Promantic fall into the chemical classification of the purest substance known to man: LOVE. Works by Dev Harlan, Cody Critcheloe (of SSION), Bec Stupak, MArco Ovando, Rob Roth, Sean Capone, Julia Oldham, Clinton Curtis-Querci & Carrie Beehan, Lindsay Bennidict, Franck Paglieri and Wonderpuss Octopuss.

Crap Suzette.

2012-01-29T12:01:00.000-08:00

I apologize. Really. The journal entry I'm about to post is totally gross and completely immature. But I spent the weekend with an explosive case of food poisoning (either that or the gastroenteritis that has apparently been going around), and it was so utterly miserable that only poop jokes got me through it. (Apologies: I spelled "vichyssoise" as "vichysoisse", but Julia Child calls this soup "an American invention" anyway.) Also, I *could* have posted the more autobiographical entry about this weekend, and I restrained myself.

Sorry again...

Carmina Beurre-ana

2012-01-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

Many of the restaurants in Montpellier inhabit beautiful stone buildings with vaulted ceilings--Maxime explained to me that because Montpellier is built on rock and one cannot really have a basement here, these stone rooms used to serve as cellars in the middle ages. Although these structures are very common here, Eric and I always feel transported to another time when we are underneath the vaults. We went out to dinner at one such restaurant last night.

(Note: Our food was perfectly tasty, even if it wasn't nearly as dramatic as the music filling our ears, and our waitress must have noticed that she forgot our kirs, because she gave us a pair of complimentary cognacs at the end of our meal.)

Day Job at the Freedman Gallery.

2012-01-27T01:24:00.000-08:00

Frustration, 2010

Julia Oldham with Maxime Clusel and Eric Corwin

Reading, Pa. – The Freedman Gallery, Albright College, will present Day Job, organized by The Drawing Center, New York, and on view from January 26–March 4, 2012. Events relating to the exhibition include:

Thursday, Jan. 26, 6 p.m., Lecture by Curator Nina Katchadourian, Klein Lecture Hall, Free
Thursday, Jan. 26, 7–8:30 p.m., Opening Reception, Freedman Gallery, Free
Mondays, 4 p.m., Afterschool Art Program, $5 per child

Comprised of work by 21 artists, the exhibition looks at the relationship between an artist’s “day job” and his or her creative practice. Although the term “day job” may be cast as something that steals time and focus from an artist’s practice, a generative relationship can also exist. Rather than subscribing to the idea that having a job is by definition disruptive, Day Job looks at the ways in which the information, skills, ideas, working conditions, or materials encountered on the job can become a source of influence.

This presentation explores the ways in which artists relate to and choose their day jobs, or conversely, how one’s job may serve as an impetus for creating artistic work. Preceded by a long history of artists whose creative practice existed in parallel with other jobs, such as Alan Saret, who worked for New York’s Port Authority engineering division; Rosalyn Drexler, a wrestler; Andy Warhol, who worked in advertising and magazine illustration; and Adrian Piper, a philosophy professor, this presentation also provides a window into the myriad ways in which today’s working artists support themselves in an economic climate that often demands diverse and flexible solutions to staying afloat.

Works in Day Job were selected through an open call to all artists enrolled in The Drawing Center’s Viewing Program. From art handlers, art teachers, and a museum guard, to an attorney, an electrician, a pilot, and the scenic artist for the soap opera “One Life To Live,” the artists in the exhibition demonstrate a striking range of interests and influences. Whether created in resistance to the job, inspired by the job, or even while on the job, all works are a deliberate result or response to the artist’s job circumstance. Part of The Drawing Center’s Selections series, this exhibition is curated by Viewing Program Curator Nina Katchadourian, and organized for Freedman Gallery by David Tanner, director of Albright College’s Center for the Arts.

To accompany the exhibition, The Drawing Center has produced an edition in the Drawing Papers series. The publication features a statement by each artist in the exhibition, accompanied by an image of his or her work, as well as an introduction by Viewing Program Curator Nina Katchadourian.

Artists included in the exhibition are Chris Akin, Pasquale Cortese, Elizabeth Duffy, Caroline Falby, Alex Gingrow, Tom Hooper, Alexa Horochowski, Michael Krueger, Shawn Kuruneru, Travis LeRoy Southworth, Mary Lydecker, Raul J. Mendez, Julia Oldham, Alex O’Neal, Roberto Osti, Zach Rockhill, Luis Romero, Alfred Steiner, Justin Storms, Harvey Tulcensky and Jonathan Wahl.

To learn more about the exhibit, please visit www.albright.edu/freedman. For information about programs for children and school groups, please contact Beth Krumholz at 610-921-7776 or bkrumholz@alb.edu. For additional information on The Drawing Center, contact Emily Gaynor at 212-219-2166 x119 or egaynor@drawingcenter.org.

The Freedman Gallery is located in the Center for the Arts at Albright College on 13^th and Bern Streets, Reading. For more information or disabled assistance, please call 610-921-7715.

Exhibitions and programs in the visual arts at Albright College and in the Freedman Gallery are proudly sponsored by The Silverweed Foundation in honor of Doris C. Freedman, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and its partner, the Berks Arts Council, and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

The Drawing Center is the only not-for-profit fine arts institution in the country to focus solely on the exhibition of drawings, both historical and contemporary. It was established in 1977 to provide opportunities for emerging and under-recognized artists; to demonstrate the significance and diversity of drawings throughout history; and to stimulate public dialogue on issues of art and culture.

Founded in 1856, Albright College is a nationally ranked, private college with a rigorous liberal arts curriculum with an interdisciplinary focus. The College’s hallmarks are connecting fields of learning, collaborative teaching and learning, and a flexible curriculum that allows students to create an individualized education. More than half of students have dual/individualized majors in as many as 200 different combinations annually. Albright enrolls about 1,660 undergraduates in traditional programs, another 800 adult students in accelerated degree programs, and 100 students in the master’s program in education. Albright College is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, about 60 miles west of Philadelphia.

Ne touche moi pas / Ne touche pas moi

2012-01-26T01:05:00.000-08:00

This is Elsa, who is nearly 2, has almost no hair yet, has the biggest cheeks EVER, and is very fond of her new pink sneakers and will absolutely run in the pub even if you tell her she's not supposed to. She also likes to toothily command, "Don't touch me!" if she is being tickled or cuddled. I got her quote wrong here, though--instead of saying "Ne touche moi pas", Elsa says "Ne touche pas moi" in baby grammar. I was so tickled by her adorableness that I didn't notice the difference--or maybe I wouldn't have noticed anyway!

(Note 1: I learned from Elsa that "J'ai un bobo" means the same thing as "I have a booboo" and "Je veux faire pipi" means "I have to peepee." CUTE. Note 2: I don't have a scanner here and these reproductions are fuzzy. Desolée.)

Inexplicable: The Case of the Cardboard Wang.

2012-01-24T08:12:00.000-08:00

This afternoon while I was walking through the old city in Montpellier, I came upon this strange scene (note: the dick was a huge cardboard cutout, crudely decorated with markers):

Getting to know Montpellier.

2012-01-24T04:23:00.000-08:00

Some wee snapshots of my long, rambling morning walks through town.

Luminous tram stop graffiti.

Lots of weird, minimal, glassy buildings over by the Antigone District, east of the old city.

Lantern hanging over a street downtown.

Mysterious legs by the promenade du Peyrou...

Self portrait in Antigone.

Such a happy little door, and yet creepy too... (I see this same graffiti figure all over town--the sort of phallic thing with long legs and a big nose.)

Sunday at Camargue / Toilette à la Turque

2012-01-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

And this following discovery took place just before we arrived:

Poor Jan.

2012-01-22T01:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Eric and I went to the Musée Fabre here in Montpellier. It was glorious. Firstly, the building is really amazing and is full of beautiful rooms like this:

And strange little architectural details like this:

And the collection, which contains paintings from the 15th to 18th century, is huge and includes loads of beautiful Renaissance works--which I've always had a great big fondness for. The collection of early Dutch and Flemish paintings was particularly captivating... Of course we loved the images of rotting fruit and fish, the luminous landscapes, and the paintings of lively parties--but we were especially drawn in by the animal painters of the 1600s like Frans Snyder, who created beautiful, horrifying and almost dancerly images of boar hunts. I wasn't able to take a photo of the Wild Boar Hunt in the Fabre, but here's another piece of his that I found of the same theme:

Frans Snyder, Wild Boar Hunt (mid 1600s)

Snyder gave his animals very human expressions--rage, fear and pain comes across on their faces in a very recognizable way, and their eyes are distinctly human. The piece in the museum (which I sincerely which I could show you--perhaps I can get an image on another visit) presents a boar whose face is full of fear and an almost comical surprise. A brittany spaniel lies in the foreground, its intestines spilling onto the ground and its face twisted into shock. It's incredibly disturbing, but I had a hard time moving away from it. I really got the sense that Snyder was interested in giving his animal subjects souls.

But just to make sure this post isn't TOO mature--a giggly moment I recorded in my journal (sorry for the poor quality):

By the way, here's a little photo of poor Jan:

Howdy, Montpellier.

2012-01-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I'll be living in the beautiful city of Montpellier for the next month, and I couldn't be happier about that. Since I'm still too jetlagged to make any sense (that 9 hour time shift is a pretty rough one), I'm just going to show you some of the good stuff around me.

Sunrise (jetlag)

Tree being trained

The aquaduct

The door to our apartment!

A questionable establishment...

Threesome

Bear eats four pizzas.

2012-01-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

If you need further enticement to come to the opening of Lupification, or the Divide tonight at Archer Gallery, here's an image Bonnie Fortune's "Metropolitan Habitat" series, which will be included in the exhibition. Read more about her project here.

Metropolitan Habitat #7 by Bonnie Fortune.

Lupification and Promanticism.

2012-01-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

Don't forget, tonight (Saturday, January 14) is the opening reception for Lupification, or the Divide (works by Bonnie Fortune, Julia Oldham and Ryan Pierce) at Archer Gallery in Vancouver, WA. Please come by from 6-8 PM! The artists in this exhibition approach humanity through its connection to or separation from the natural world. Each presents a unique perspective, whether exploring the relationship, seeking to understand, looking for solutions, or discovering connections to animals, plants, and insects.

And the Opening of Anti-Oxidant: Promantic is coming up on Feb 1 from 7-10 PM at Christopher Henry Gallery in New York, NY. Group Show of Video Art. Curated by Jason LeBlond and Christina Medina. Special Limited Engagement: February 1st - February 5th. Christopher Henry Gallery presents Anti-Oxidant: Promantic, a group show of Video Art curated by Jason LeBlond and Christina Medina. A delicious assortment of works have been compiled into a single reel, which will be projected large scale on the gallery’s main wall.All of the components of Anti-Oxidant: Promantic fall into the chemical classification of the purest substance known to man: LOVE.

Gras Double.

2012-01-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

Hooray, Eric and I are heading to France next week, where we will spend one month having lots of adventures (and getting some work done too, I guess...) in Montpellier. This week our dear friend Courtney is coming all the way from the east coast to hang out with us, and will be taking care of our house and beasts while we are away. We are looking forward to spending the week prior to our departure showing her around town and having a wonderful time.

In anticipation of our journey across the ocean, I'm posting some drawings I did of one of my favorite memories from our last journey to France, which was last year at the same time. The following events took place in Lyon on January 8, 2011, with the same beloved pal we'll have the pleasure of seeing on this trip:

LONG LIVE ERIC THE BRAVE!!! (Note 1: As Eric explained to me, the poopy smell of gras double is intense only during the first few bites, and then you become accustomed to it and can enjoy the complicated flavors in the dish. Note 2: We noticed that at the tables around us, either EVERYONE or NO ONE ordered the gras double--probably because it is a little hard on whoever is sitting next to you. Note 3: I did not actually want to leave Eric in the park, but he WAS a little smashed.)

Boxing Day, 2011

2012-01-03T21:46:00.000-08:00

Thinking wistfully of the familia... here's a little entry from my drawing journal on Boxing Day, when I spent a wonderful day in DC with my parents and sister (pardon the lousy images).

Sunset evolution (on the I-5 south)

2012-01-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

Lupification at Archer Gallery

2012-01-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

Press Release: At this point in our shared history, there are few who would deny the inevitable change needed to keep the world around us healthy. However, few agree as to the exact understanding of the problem or the measures that could be taken. Are humans part of the natural world, or do we no longer fit into this category? Is technology a savior for our planet, or an aspect of its demise?

When we look to humanity for answers, we may be looking in the wrong direction. Increasingly scientists note that humans may have gained our understanding of community and cooperation from wolves, the first socialists. Perhaps through lupification, we became dualities instead of singular bodies focused on the ape within. It may be that we do not struggle against nature but within it.

Archer Gallery presents Lupification, or the Divide, works by Bonnie Fortune, Julia Oldham, and Ryan Pierce. The artists in this exhibition approach humanity through its connection to or separation from the natural world. Each presents a unique perspective, whether exploring the relationship, seeking to understand, looking for solutions, or discovering connections to animals, plants, and insects.

Bonnie Fortune (Copenhagen, Denmark) is an artist and activist who researches and explores issues such as health, ecology, and communication, often collaboratively. In these drawings and posters, she demonstrates the need to, and the possibility of, addressing habitats for wildlife in urban areas.

Julia Oldham (Eugene, Oregon and New York, New York) explores science alongside her own notions of desire and understanding of the natural world. By translating the activities of insects into choreography or performing experiments on plants, she communicates a romantic and inquisitive approach to the natural world.

Ryan Pierce (Portland, Oregon) explores his understanding of humanity and nature using both optimistic and pessimistic approaches. His paintings are of a post-industrial world, simultaneously suggesting either a clean slate for or the inevitable downfall of humanity.

Special thanks to the artists, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Jessica Bromer, Katherine Shell, the Associate Students of Clark College, and the Clark College Art Department. Dedicated to Ada and Kudzu.- Blake Shell, Archer Gallery Director

Clark College |1933 Fort Vancouver Way, FAC 101, Vancouver, WA 98663 | 360.992.2246 | www.clark.edu/archergallery | bshell@clark.edu | Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 10am - 7pm, Friday - Saturday 12-5pm.

Lupification will include my 2009 video series The Timber (plus 6 drawings), and my 2010 video series Possumhaw Plant Electrics. Here are two teasers!

Double Indemnity.

2012-01-01T22:59:00.000-08:00

As Lola (sketch and final)...

As Phyllis (sketch and final)...

Hobbit Beach.

2012-01-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

Marvelous New Year's Day at the Hobbit Beach, replete with delightful tide pool creatures, heroic mutt, and unexpected sunshine.

December in 10 shots.

2011-12-31T14:19:00.000-08:00

Winter 2012 Exhibition News.

2011-12-22T21:26:00.000-08:00

Some upcoming exhibitions and screenings. Happy Holidays!

Antimatter Twin at CoCA

Antimatter Twin will be in the Annual Exhibition at the Center on Contemporary Art in Seattle from December 29, 2011 to March 18, 2012. My video was selected for this exhibition by Gary Hill.

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Present Company Opening Party

My talented and energetic pals Jose Ruiz and Chad Stayrook, along with their colleague Brian Balderston, are opening a space in New York called Present Company. You should definitely go to the opening party, Intro Outro, which is on December 30 at Present Company, 29 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY, to support their endeavor--and one of my videos will be included in a screening that night.

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The Timber and Possumhaw Plant Electrics at Archer Gallery

The Timber video and drawing series and Possumhaw Plant Electrics will be included in a 3-person show along with Ryan Pierce and Bonnie Fortune at Archer Gallery in Vancouver, WA this January. The opening reception will be on Saturday, January 14.

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Antimatter Twin at SHOP

Antimatter Twin will be included in This House is Not a Home, a group exhibition at the Southside Hub of Production in Chicago. The work of two amazing artist pals, Maia Cruz Palileo and Maxime Clusel, will also be included in the show. The exhibition opens February 25th.

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Frustration at Freedman Gallery

Day Job, a group exhibition curated by Nina Katchadourian and originally on display at the Drawing Center in New York, will travel to Freedman Gallery at Albright College in Reading, PA from January 26 to March 4, 2012. Frustration, a collaborative effort between myself and physicists Eric Corwin and Maxime Clusel, is included in this show. Lecture by Nina Katchadourian at 6 PM on January 26 in Klein Hall, and opening reception on the same night at 7 PM at the gallery.

Sketch for Extensionality

2011-12-21T21:57:00.000-08:00

Playing around with math, migraines, and breaks from reality... here is a sketch.

The betrayal.

2011-12-17T14:23:00.000-08:00

Birdman.

2011-12-14T12:30:00.001-08:00

The airplane.

2011-12-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

Fenwick

2011-12-11T18:02:00.001-08:00

The Christmas Moose

2011-12-08T19:18:00.001-08:00

Getting into the holiday spirit...

More Birdmen drawings here...

Out for a nightwalk.

2011-12-04T20:02:00.001-08:00

November in 10 shots.

2011-12-02T13:34:00.001-08:00

Ghostly trills.

2011-11-29T15:22:00.001-08:00

Last night there was an owl party right outside my window. It happens pretty frequently here, which makes me think that the property around my house must be the prime territory of a local owl. Hoo'da thunk it? (Har har.) After doing some research on just who lives around here, I figured out that the sounds I've been hearing at night are the vocalizations of a Western Screech Owl.

Western Screech Owl

Photo from US Department of the Interior

Now, when I think of "screech owls", I imagine owls who make a terrifying screaming sound. Apparently they do that sometimes, but their more general territorial call is a ghostly-sweet trilling. I'm kicking myself today, because the owl vocalizations outside my window would have been wonderful to record... but instead I stayed snuggled up in bed and listened from the comfort of my bedroom. So to hear an example of this pretty nighttime song, you'll have to click here. In the audio sample linked, you'll hear a single voice, but what I heard last night involved at least 2 separate voices, one high and one low. There is an audio recording here of a pair of owls, male and female, excitedly chattering. It sounds closer to what I was hearing, although it does seem like the wrong time of year for owls to be looking for love--so perhaps it was a territorial discussion instead. The next time I hear it, I'll get out of bed, power up my audio recorder, and go out on the deck.

My pal Gerry suggested I try to view my owl friends next time I hear a party going on. I'm hoping I can get some recommendations from birding friends about the best way to peep night birds (Red lights? Night vision feature on my old camcorder?) These little beauties live in my neck of the woods, Western Oregon, year round. I'll keep you posted as I get to know them better.

Hoo.

2011-11-18T19:43:00.001-08:00

I can't stop watching bird videos. And especially this one.

Murmuration

2011-11-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

More amazing birds... from Sophie and Liberty this time.

Chris Jordan: Midway

2011-11-07T16:05:00.002-08:00

from Chris Jordan's Midway project

While spending the past week in San Diego visiting my sister, I had the opportunity to glut on the wonderful museums around town. One of my favorite museums in San Diego is the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park, which currently is exhibiting Infinite Balance: Artists and the Environment. Among the many interesting works in this show were several images from photographer Chris Jordan's series Midway, which were incredible to see in person. These photos explore the albatross community on Midway Atoll, an extremely remote cluster of islands which, though they are 2000 miles away from any large land masses, come into contact with vast amounts of floating plastic trash. The albatross babies are fed this trash by their parents, who can't distinguish it from food, and the babies die. Jordan photographs their decomposing bodies, which are filled with the colorful bits of plastic that they ate. The photos are beautiful and heartrending--and make me so sad but also so curious. Jordan keeps a website about this project HERE and is also making a film about this project, which I'll be very eager to see:

A couple things I learned today at the Museum of Man...

2011-11-02T15:35:00.001-07:00

Bleeding: additional stills.

2011-10-26T01:14:00.005-07:00

Some more shots from Bleeding:

Bleeding: a few early shots.

2011-10-22T00:04:00.001-07:00

Here are a few preliminary stills from my new video Bleeding (in collaboration with the inimitable Eric Corwin, and with sound by my marvelous sister):

The quince tart.

2011-10-19T19:56:00.001-07:00

I have a quince tree in my yard. I had never in my life tasted a quince until that tree started fruiting this fall. I picked one of the hard, yellow-green fruits on a crisp October day, took a cautious bite, and OH MY GOD it was awful! Astringent and bitter, it made my mouth pucker and did not inspire me to take another bite. After doing a little research, I discovered that eating quinces raw isn't exactly recommended...

Apparently, quinces need to be cooked for a long time with a load of sugar to make them palatable, but then they can be delicious. They are known for their strong perfumey smell, citrusy taste and blend of bitter and sweet flavors. In fact, marmalade, another bitter-sweet concoction, was originally a quince and honey jam made by the Romans... and was eventually made with citrus fruits many centuries later.

E and I had been invited to dinner by our friends J and K and were given the task of bringing dessert, so we decided to take an experimental route. I found a few recipes for quince tarts, and I devised my own version. First, I chopped up the quinces into 1/4 inch slices, which was actually a pretty tough job since they're such hard and slippery little things! I then simmered them on the stovetop for about an hour with raisins, wine and a quarter cup of sugar.

It's amazing the way quinces change color as they cook! They start out looking like apples and end up this gorgeous, deep, autumnal red. Extra pretty with the raisins mixed in. HOWEVER, at this point the quinces still tasted utterly HORRID. That astringent quality was still there, and it even infected the raisins! I was beginning to have pretty serious doubts about the outcome...

Nevertheless, we went ahead and buttered a pie dish, sprinkled 1/4 cup of sugar in the bottom and filled the dish with the quince/raisin mixture. We sprinkled an additional 1/8 cup of sugar on top. E made a pie crust which was... not pretty. Thankfully, it was going to be on the bottom of the tart when it was presented, so no one would see it. We rolled out the crust and placed it on top of the fruit. We baked at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

The tart looked pretty in its dish as it emerged from the oven, but there was no real way to taste it and test it out... E and I tasted a little piece of the filling that had bubbled up from below the crust, and we both agreed that it tasted downright BAD. We went to bed feeling dejected and feeling a little sick after taking so many tastes of this foul fruit.

The next afternoon we flipped the tart out of its pie dish, and it was really a very attractive dessert! Judging from the taste of the simmered fruit and the bubbled-up filling, though, we assumed the tart was going to taste like absolute hell. We contemplated buying a backup dessert. We also considered the possibility of "tripping" and dropping the tart on the driveway at our friends' house, thereby relieving everyone from the horror of having to taste this abomination.

I think this photo accurately portrays our dread:

DEATH

Well, there was nothing we could do. We would have felt like cowards buying a backup dessert, and we thought we might hurt ourselves tripping and dropping our horrible tart. So we did the only thing we COULD do... we whipped up a shitload of heavy cream!

We arrived at our friends' beautiful home, feeling a bit sheepish. Upon our entering, J and K sweetly told us how pretty our tart was (the quinces really did turn such a pretty color) and asked us what it was. We made a long disclaimer and explained that dessert was probably not going to be the gastronomic highlight of the evening. (And it wasn't--as our lovely hosts had made an absolutely delicious dinner.) But when we reached that final, dreaded course...

Lo and behold, something magical had happened over the course of the baking and settling overnight, and the quince tart was in fact kinda yummy, especially smothered with whipped cream! It was definitely a strange taste--the quinces had developed a sort of hard/pasty consistency, and still retained some of their bitter flavor. But there was just enough sweet to balance it out, and the raisins helped push the flavor even further toward sweet.

We took a pretty serious Dessert Gamble on the fruit machine, but hit the jackpot!

Hive Culture at Wave Hill.

2011-10-11T11:11:00.001-07:00

If you can't make to the Bronx to see Hive Culture: Captivated by the Honeybee at Wave Hill, you can see all of the works in the show online, on this page about the exhibition. There are many beautiful and eerie works included in this show, like Rob Keller's dollhouse-beehives and Holly Lynton's photos of a beekeeper in the desert. Go check it all out!

I love you, cinnamon stick monster.

2011-10-03T16:32:00.001-07:00

I sure loved seeing Nick Cave's newest sound suits at Mary Boone and Jack Shainman this past weekend. I think the hairy bunnies (plus mutating bunny) were my favorites.

Although the cinnamon stick monsters were also adorable and scary...

I adored the video of dancers performing in his suits at MB--SO incredibly fun and surprising:

Emma's Secret Found at the Riverdale Train Station

2011-10-03T14:24:00.003-07:00

Poor Emma... taking that crack at her wig was uncalled for. I wonder if she knows Luke in Chipping Campden.

Antimatter Twin at (e)merge art fair.

2011-09-19T11:05:00.002-07:00

More info at: http://www.emergeartfair.com/

Levitating minivans; peanut butter as bird food.

2011-09-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

What fun! Two great performances last night at PICA's TBA:11:

Lido (the pride is back) by Jesse Sugarmann

Whispering Pines 10 by Shana Moulton

Hive Culture, September 13 - December 1

2011-09-09T13:38:00.001-07:00

Three of my videos will be included in this exhibition at Wave Hill in the Bronx, which runs from September 13 - December 1, 2011. I hope to see you at the reception on October 2!

Frog legs at night.

2011-09-09T11:15:00.000-07:00

My dad just sent me this photo of a little nighttime visitor who came to the door at my family's house in New Hampshire last night. Some of my most vivid memories of my childhood summers in New Hampshire are of little tree frogs stuck to the glass doors in the late evenings, snapping up all of the bugs attracted to the kitchen light.

Photo by Nile Oldham

One of my faves: The Botfly.

2011-09-04T22:24:00.002-07:00

Did I ever post this?? I love this video.

Chocolate-brown at sunset, pale tan soon after sunrise.

2011-08-13T13:15:00.008-07:00

It's Praying Mantis season in Ijamsville, MD, and my mom sent me this wonderful photo she took of a lovely individual hanging out in her garden. A spin through Bug Guide makes me think this is a Chinese Mantis, which was introduced as a form of pest control to the US in the late 1800s. (This shot looks particularly close, especially the thorax and wing patterns.) Whether it's a lady or gentleman is up for debate. If I'm correct about the species, this critter's compound eyes are, according to Bug Guide, "chocolate-brown at sunset, pale tan soon after sunrise and during the day." How poetic! (Mama, keep an eye on this guy's peepers!)

Photo by Katy Oldham.

Update: My parents found that this mantid's eyes do indeed turn a deep brown in the evening!! This particular individual has staked out a spot in the yard to call home and appears in the same place every day, giving my parents a chance to really observe behaviors and changes. Here are a couple shots of our friend's dusky eyes...

(photo by Nile--eyes darkening)

(photo by Katy--this one's a little blurry due to low light, but you can really see how dark those eyes get)

Bronx Calling in the NY Times

2011-08-11T16:59:00.002-07:00

Bronx Calling has just been reviewed by Ken Johnson in the New York Times. He says about my video Antimatter Twin, "Julia Oldham’s video of herself and her double in dreamy meetings supposed to allegorize something about small-particle physics is expertly produced and psychologically intriguing." Read the rest here!

News: August-October 2011

2011-07-27T14:26:00.003-07:00

A few upcoming and ongoing exhibitions:

Circuit, 2011

My brand new video Circuit (a ghost story driven by the inner workings of a 40-year old Datsun Roadster) will be included in Snowclones in Chelsea. The exhibition opens next Thursday:

SNOWCLONES
August 4 - August 13
Opening Reception: August 4, 6-9 PM
508 West 26th St, 11th Floor, New York, NY

ART BLOG ART BLOG is extremely pleased to announce the opening of "Snowclones" curated by Benjamin King (HKJB) and Rob Nadeau. This show is the fifth in a series of exhibitions ART BLOG ART BLOG is presenting at a temporary location in Chelsea, NY on the 11th floor of 508 West 26th St. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, August 4th from 6 - 9pm. The exhibition runs through Saturday, August 13th. Open hours are Tuesday - Saturday, Noon - 6pm and by appointment.

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Antimatter Twin, 2011

My video Antimatter Twin is included in a group exhibition at the Bronx Museum of Art, which will be on display for another month:

BRONX CALLING: THE FIRST AIM BIENNIAL
June 26 - September 5, 2011
Curated by Wayne Northcross and Jose Ruiz
At the Bronx Museum of Art
1040 Grand Concourse
Bronx, NY 10456

For three decades, the Bronx Museum of the Arts’ Artist in the Marketplace (AIM) program has helped to demystify the often opaque professional practices of the art world for artists at the beginning of their careers and has introduced the work of these emerging artists to the public. On June 26, the Bronx Museum will open two exhibitions to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this ground-breaking program, Taking AIM and Bronx Calling: The First AIM Biennial on view through September 5, 2011. Bronx Calling: The First AIM Biennial will consist of a joint exhibition at the Bronx Museum and Wave Hill, the two largest institutions in the Bronx dedicated to showcasing the work of local emerging artists.

Curated by Wayne Northcross and Jose Ruiz, the exhibition will feature sculptures, works on paper, video installations, photographs, and other works by the 72 participants in the 2010-2011 AIM program. All AIM artists currently live in the New York area. Most were born in the U.S., and some hail from South Korea, Ecuador, Brazil, and Trinidad. Bronx Calling will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue featuring the work of the 72 participants, as well as essays by Jose Ruiz, Wayne Northcross, and Christian Viveros-Faune

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Antimatter Twin, 2011

Antimatter Twin will then travel to Washington DC in late September to be exhibited, along with 3 new photographs, at (e)merge:

(E)MERGE ART FAIR
via G FINE ART
September 22-25, 2011
Capitol Skyline Hotel
10 “I” Street, SW
Washington D.C., DC 20024
Visitor info here

The (e)merge art fair celebrates galleries, artists, artists' work and the creative process. The Fair garners support from all corners of the artworld and aims to create an energetic environment of collaboration and discovery.

(e)merge will take place September 22 - 25, 2011, in Washington, DC, within blocks of the U.S. Capitol Building, at the Capitol Skyline Hotel. The Fair will feature dozens of international galleries and nonprofits in the Hotel rooms on designated exhibition floors.

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Rotations 3, 2005

A suite of 3 videos from 2005 called Rotations will be on display at Wave Hill in a show devoted to honeybees starting in mid-September:

HIVE CULTURE
September 13—December 1, 2011
Opening Reception: October 2, 1-4 PM
At Wave Hill, Glyndor Gallery
West 249th St. and Independence Ave.
Bronx, NY 10471

The long history of artists’ fascination with bees and beekeeping has intensified over the last decade with the growing concern about Colony Collapse Disorder. This exhibit presents painting, sculpture, photography and video that explore a multi-dimensional preoccupation with the pivotal role bees play in pollination, environmental health and our changing relationship to nature.

Until next time...

2011-07-25T10:33:00.002-07:00

Well shucks... it's always so sad to have wonderful company leave. My parents headed back east this morning, and now I'm blue.

Little Belknap Crater, the McKenzie Pass.

2011-07-23T20:34:00.005-07:00

In between bouts of mad gardening, my parents and I have been going on some very nice hikes while they are visiting me here in Oregon. Just a few days ago, the McKenzie Pass--which allows passage over the Cascades at about 5300 ft, finally thawed out and was opened for the summer! So today my parents, E and I took a hike through the lava fields that can be accessed by that route. Here are some impressions of our trip.

Approaching the McKenzie Pass--the trees have gotten stumpy as our altitude has increased, and there are clumps of snow on the side of the road!

Black lava and a view of Belknap Crater (our trail leads us to a little lump off to the right called Little Belknap Crater). The razor sharp volcanic rock probably took 2 years of life off of my poor hiking boots, the rolling bits of it definitely challenged my ankles, and my hands are shredded from catching myself on sharp outcroppings as I stumbled, and from pawing at beautiful, sparkling bits of lava with my Rockhounding Mama. We didn't bring Lucius on this hike, because this stuff is really hard on dog feet. Maybe we'll get him some booties before next time.

Surprising snow... E was interested in glissading on his butt whenever possible and put on a good show of climbing to the top of this hill and careening down at lightning speed on his ass just as a bunch of civilized looking hikers passed by. I pretended not to know him.

My parents in the lava field, with two of the three sisters in the background. You can't tell from this photo... but my Rockhounding Mama has about 50 pounds of "Take Home Rocks" in her backpack. And this is on the way UP. It was surely 250 pounds by the time we reached the car. As you might imagine, she has bulging Rockhounding Muscles.

A view of pointy Mt. Washington (7794 ft) from the top of Little Belknap (about 6300 ft). Just to the right of Mt. Washington (without snow) is Three Fingered Jack (7844 ft), which my dad consistently misremembered as "Snaggle Toothed Billy" (I might like that better!) The snowy peak to the far right is Mt. Jefferson (10497 ft).

A panorama of our view from Little Belknap Crater, taken by my pop, Nile Oldham. (You can click on that and see a larger version if you like.)

The top of Little Belknap was a beautiful terra cotta red... and the landscape in general looked like something from outer space. I've never seen anything like it. Near the summit of Little Belknap there was a lava tube (which I didn't manage to get a good picture of), that led straight down to the bowels of the earth. It was terrifying, and of course E teetered right on the edge of it, aiming his camera down into the abyss.

It was a hot hike--bright sun and black rocks radiating heat. And yet there were many fields of snow all around us. My mom and I would grab handfuls of it and dribble cold water down our backs to cool down. I tried dribbling some ice down E's back, but he shrieked and skittered away from me on the sharp rocks. I thought I was being nice!

Beautiful speckles of colorful plant life could be seen here and there in the lava fields--it was always such a surprise and delight to come upon these hardy plants. The trees seemed not to do so well, though...

My mom is like Indiana Jones.

2011-07-20T20:29:00.008-07:00

Another garden adventure with my parents today--IN WHICH MY INDIANA-JONES-LIKE MOTHER DISCOVERED A SECOND SET OF HIDDEN STONE STAIRS (here's the first), which were almost completely buried in the dirt. She is amazing and obviously has a sixth sense for lost staircases. This one leads up to a little meadow from our driveway.

With E's help (he is an ivy-ripping beast of a man), we also pulled up a massive pile of English Ivy, which we are letting die on the driveway so it doesn't re-root. We are sore and covered with spiders.

And both of my parents did a heroic job of helping me cut down bushes, pull weeds and hack blackberries out of the little connected meadows in my front yard so that the lovely, tall grasses can spread and grow. (We left all of the pretty rose campion and a little tangle of vinca.) Here's a glimpse:

Snowclones.

2011-07-17T19:53:00.005-07:00

My new video Circuit (the beginning of a brand new series--more about that soon!) will be included in a group exhibition in Chelsea this August. I hope to see you at the opening...

SNOWCLONES

Curated by Benjamin King (HKJB) and Rob Nadeau
August 4 through August 13 (opening August 4 at 6 PM)

Inna Babaeva / Drew Beattie / Susan Bricker / David Deutsch / Michael Dopp / EJ Hauser / Pam Jorden / Rachel Lieber / Benjamin King / Lauren Luloff / Michael Mahalchick / Rob Nadeau / Julia Oldham / John Pearson / Jackie Saccoccio / Clintel Steed / Holly Zausner

ARTBLOGARTBLOG (temporary space)
508 West 26th Street
11th floor
New York City

Garden mania.

2011-07-15T21:06:00.009-07:00

I wrote previously about how I was putting my parents to work in my garden... Since then, my Crazy Garden Workhorse Parents have helped me to really shape things up around here (although they've nearly killed me!) Here are some photos of our progress (sorry for the varying quality of shots)! Thank goo'ness for my mama and pappy.

Euonymus in the back yard.

Somewhat phallic hen and chicks...

Pappy with the 'lectric Bush Hawg!

Pieris in the backyard.

Barberry and hawthorn on the (newly mulched) hillside. (We got some extra help from our wonderful neighbors, who procured a yard of delightful bark mulch for us and helped us haul away a mountain of dead juniper.)

Beginnings of succulent patio, done in collaboration with my mama.

Finished succulent patio! So cute!

A couple more shots from "Circuit"

2011-07-12T17:41:00.001-07:00

Preview of "Circuit"

2011-07-09T21:38:00.003-07:00

Here is a little preview of my new video "Circuit", which will be on exhibit in Chelsea this August... more to come!

Prodigies in Play!

2011-07-09T12:10:00.002-07:00

Yeah!! From Lance Esplund's write-up of Bronx Calling in today's Wall Street Journal ("Video Artist in Pause; Prodigies in Play"):

"Best in show, however, goes to Julia Oldham (b. 1979), whose spare, affecting video 'Antimatter Twin' (2011), recalling Ingmar Bergman's 'Persona,' explores the contemplation of self."

Flattered by the Bergman comparison in a big way... Read the rest here! There are lots of wonderful artists in the show--I'm very lucky to have gotten to know a handful of them!

Secret stairs.

2011-07-08T19:56:00.001-07:00

My parents are visiting me here in Oregon, and so I have of course put them to work in my garden (I know it sounds a little cruel, but I couldn't let those green thumbs go to waste!) In addition to helping me shape up my jungle of a garden, my mom found a hidden stone staircase that had been completely obscured by 35 years of azalea and cotoneaster overgrowth. It was so exciting! We cut back the plants and excavated it--here it is:

12 second impression of Sahalie Falls.

2011-07-06T18:03:00.003-07:00

I wouldn't mind being a Waterfall Dwelling Merperson...

From a July 4 trip to Sahalie Falls with my parents.

Eastern Hercules Beetle

2011-07-02T12:55:00.002-07:00

My parents are always sending me photos of the wonderful critters in and around their house in Maryland. Here is their latest submission--a beetle found in the basement:

(photo by Nile and Katy Oldham)

I'm going to take a stab that this is an Eastern Hercules Beetle (Dynastes tityus)! This must be a female, because the males have 3 horns on their heads (which you can see here) while the females have no horns. These guys are in the Rhinoceros Beetle subfamily of the Scarab Beetle family--the beetles in this group are generally large! The Eastern Hercules Beetle is a detritivore; as a grub, it feeds on rotting plant animal matter on the ground. As an adult, its diet is supposedly not well known. What a beautiful gal this is!

Love Doves cuddling in the newly planted flower patch.

2011-07-02T10:29:00.004-07:00

I took these photos last night, but the mourning doves are still in the flower patch this morning! (Two young birds with an adult?) I'm pretty sure they were eating my poppy seeds...

Antimatter Twin: Excerpt.

2011-06-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

I now have a short excerpt from Antimatter Twin up and running on my website right here. If you'd like to see the whole thing, head up to the Bronx Museum of Art for Bronx Calling: The First AIM Biennial. Antimatter Twin is included in this show, which will be at the museum through September 5. Further screenings of Antimatter Twin TBA!

2 in 1

2011-06-29T12:15:00.003-07:00

On the west coast after a delightful week in NYC for the opening of Bronx Calling and to enjoy Pride with my family. Here is a shot of your two favorite Oldham sisters, who had to sleep in a very small bed together in Chelsea and now have cricks in their necks.

Gypsy. Dita. Tease. Teese.

2011-06-14T18:19:00.003-07:00

Alternatively...

A Brief History of Shana Moulton

2011-06-13T15:01:00.002-07:00

What a great piece from Art21 about super fun and bizarre video artist Shana Moulton:

Slug + Utz.

2011-06-12T18:52:00.002-07:00

One would think that a slug's favorite snack would NOT be potato chips... considering the troubled relationship between slugs and salt. However, this slug (probably a European Red Slug, found hanging out on the Oregon coast) is clearly a risk taker.

Bronx Calling!

2011-06-10T12:33:00.007-07:00

Please come to the opening of Bronx Calling on the afternoon of Sunday, June 26! I'd love to see you there. My video Antimatter Twin will be on display at the Bronx Museum of Art.

June 26 through September 5, 2011
Bronx Calling: The First AIM Biennial
Guest curators Wayne Northcross and Jose Ruiz
Open House: Sunday, June 26 1-4 PM at Wave Hill (West 249th St. and Independence Ave., Bronx NY), 2-6 PM at Bronx Museum of Art (1040 Grand Concourse at 165 St Bronx, NY)

Bronx Calling: The First AIM Biennial features sculptures, works on paper, video installations, photographs, and other works by the 72 participants in the 2011 AIM program. On view at the Bronx Museum and Wave Hill. Five site-specific commissioned projects at Randall's Island as part of FLOW.11.

AIM artists: Hannah Smith Allen, Tomer Aluf, Thomas Bangsted, Nina Barnett, Joell Baxter, John Bent, Gabriela Bertiller, Lea Bertucci, James Bills, Chris Bors, Laura Braciale, Calvin Burton, Anton Cabaleiro, Brian Scott Campbell, Noa Charuvi, Andrew Chan, Michelle Cheikin, Cecile Chong, Matthew Conradt, Corey D'Augustine, Katherine Daniels, Dennis Redmoon Darkeem, Priscila De Carvalho, Dennis Delgado, Stella Ebner, Nicky Enright, Carl James Ferrero, Xavier Figueroa, Veronica Frenning, Christine Gedeon, Sarah Granett, Kira Greene, Debbie Grossman, Nathan Gwynne, Meg Hitchcock, Erik Hougen, Michael Clyde Johnson, Laura Kaufman, Hein Koh, Nick Lamia, Heidi Lau, Robert Lucy, Jongil Ma, Luis R. Maldonado, Jr., Glendalys Medina, Kenneth Millington, Monica Moran, Julia Oldham, Maia Cruz Palileo, Shani Peters, Gregory Reynolds, Jacob Rhodes, Viviane Rombaldi Seppey, Allyson Ross, Alan Ruiz, Jennifer Sanchez, Romy Scheroder, Tina Schneider, Gabriel J. Shuldiner, Hrvoje Slovenc, Christopher Smith, Jessica Stoller, Benjamin Tiven, Jerry Torrens Torrens, Meghan Wilbar, Randal Wilcox, Scott Wolfson, Natalie Collette Wood, Karla Wozniak, Sean Wrenn, Marina Zamalin, and Jenny Zhang

The exhibition is presented in collaboration with Wave Hill and is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue.

Bronx Calling: The First AIM Biennial is generously supported by the MetLife Foundation Museum and community Connections grant, Jerome Foundation, Helena Rubinstein Foundation, The Greenwall Foundation, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Inc., Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, and the New York State Council on the Arts. Target Free Days: Target sponsors free Tuesday and Saturday morning admission to Wave Hill.

Still from Antimatter Twin (directed by Julia Oldham; physics by Eric Corwin;

music by Lurch and Holler; visual effects by Daniel Vatsky)

Off the the races: first autocross meet!

2011-06-04T19:41:00.004-07:00

A marvelous day of EESCC Autocross.

Legendary Ijamsville Tarantula: Part II.

2011-05-30T17:19:00.004-07:00

I've written before about the Ijamsville Tarantula, the hairiest beast in Western Maryland... of which my father is the Master. Every time one of these sprawling creatures surfaces in the house, my brave father, rather than shrieking, wetting himself a little, and reaching for the nearest rolled-up newspaper like so many would do, reaches for the Ijamsville Tarantula Relocation Chamber (he sometimes still shrieks and wets himself a little, though). You can see this sophisticated piece of equipment here:

(Alas, Prince Tarantacular lost a leg in this risky procedure!!!)

Today was another Day of the Ijamsville Tarantula in my childhood home in Maryland, and like all Days of the Ijamsville Tarantula, Nile "Tarantula Master" successfully moved the beast from the basement to the woodpile. The Oldham house has no shortage of spiders, insects, and even snakes at times. But the Ijamsville Tarantula, if left indoors, can cause night terrors, panic attacks, and overindulgence of alcohol. As Mr. Tarantula Master stated in an email today, "I took a video of the spider too, but it was too scary to send." Removal of Ijamsville Tarantulas from basement to woodpile is thus beneficial to both humans and spiders alike. Nile managed to capture this terrifying image of my mother actually CARESSING the beast's prickly fur (you'll see that, like any sane person, he kept a piece of plastic between himself and this risky rendezvous between fearless woman and arachnid):

(This is the same woman who once chased a bear up a mountain

with the intention of "snuggling". Heart of a lion, she has.

She probably gave this spider some cookies before saying farewell.)

PS It's a wolf spider.

The revival of Moley.

2011-05-29T12:38:00.001-07:00

While we're on the subject of insectivores with funny noses...

I remember having a blast drawing star nosed moles when I was a kid. That crazy nose is nearly irresistible as subject matter with a big pink crayon or colored pencil in hand. I started an illustrated book when I was 10 about a star nosed mole named "Moley" (WHAT a creative name) who has to deal with an annoying bobcat who likes to defecate at the entrance of Moley's Mole Hole. (This would surely have won a Pulitzer had I drawn/written more than 3 pages of it.)

I most definitely did not know about the star nosed mole's bubble-blowing-to-detect-prey behavior in the below video until just now. OK: current favorite beast is now a toss-up. Thank you David Attenborough for always teaching me new things. I love you, and Moley does too.

Caravanning.

2011-05-28T18:39:00.011-07:00

Last night while watching David Attenborough's wonderful series Life of Mammals, I learned that shrew families (mothers with babies), when startled, will latch onto each others rumps with their little sharp teeth and run away in a conga line. It is called "caravanning" and it is ADORABLE and also kind of snake-like. You can watch some stock video of this phenomenon right here.

And here is a little photo I found of shrews caravanning:

(Photo from Dr. Osamu Matsuzaki's ethology lab at the University of Tsukuba.)

The caravanning alone made shrews my new favorite beast. But there are a lot of other interesting things about shrews too! Shrews are vicious hunters and voracious eaters, and must constantly munch on bugs because of their crazy metabolic rates. They have to eat their weight every day! Some shrews are venemous, and others use echolocation. In the winter, some shrews go into torpor, a temporary hibernation in which metabolic rate and body temperature are lowered. The shrew also has an impressive brain-to-body ratio. What all shrews definitely have in common is a ridiculously cute nose that wiggles when they eat.

Elephant Shrews, or sengis, like the creature in the video below, are actually not closely related to True Shrews (it was recently discovered). BUT they also have adorable noses.

It still smells weird.

2011-05-19T12:50:00.002-07:00

Sweet memories of dancing to Jessica 6 until the wee hours with J a few weeks ago. (Although I kind of wish you hadn't dumped that pint of a stranger's beer on my leather bag, J; that bag will never be the same.) ;)

Enchevêtrés.

2011-05-16T17:40:00.006-07:00

La vidéo Entanglement est maintenant en français! Merci, Maxime, pour l'aide avec les sous-titres (et merci, C, pour le nouveau titre, Enchevêtrés)!

Rodin et moi, among other things.

2011-05-14T16:36:00.004-07:00

I think I managed to capture some of the grace of Rodin's Crouching Woman here in this reenactment, don't you? (I pulled a muscle in my neck doing it, which is testament to my great effort.) My parents were kind enough to document this beautiful moment on our last day together, during which we took a wonderful trip into DC.

Crouching women at the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden

While in town, we saw some wonderful videos and installations at the Hirshhorn by Laurent Grasso.

From Polair by Laurent Grasso

We also saw Nostalgia for the Light (recommended by my pop), which is one of the most beautiful documentaries I've ever seen--I'd like to see it again:

Now I'm back in my little house on the hill here in Oregon, hoping that the sunshine will follow me here from warm and bright Maryland.

NO BOYS.

2011-05-09T20:52:00.005-07:00

My cousin's 7-year-old daughter and I made a huge 4-foot-wide "NO BOYS ALLOWED" sign for the door of my childhood bedroom. (That's a pony on it with giant purple kissy lips, a curly mane, hoop earrings, and inspirational lashes.) Afterward we went on a worm and earwig hunt. (14 and 8, if you want to know how many of each we found.)

Mother's Day.

2011-05-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

My favorite picture of my mom.

Solar Nim

2011-05-08T20:38:00.002-07:00

Well, my stint in NYC ended with a doozy of a night out dancing on Friday night at Tammany Hall with lovely physicist J, who always knows where the fun stuff is happening. Our dancing shoes kept us out til nearly 3 AM, at which point I finally limped my way back to Ridgewood and collapsed into bed.

I felt sad saying goodbye to my new friends at Outpost on Saturday the morning... (this feeling was compounded by my hangover.) It had been such a nice and incredibly productive week (and I was feeling severely tempted to catnap a certain Mushroom). I said goodbye to Ruth and took the train down to Maryland, where I'm spending the week with my family and with our own assortment of lovable fuzzy critters.

Teddy, His Royal Fatness
(I know... a lot of kitty talk recently.)

I spent a great Mother's Day with my mom today--and felt lucky that I could be here for it. While I'm in town I'll get to catch up with family and friends, AND I get to visit with the Yard Robots!

Solar Sammy, Solar Caspar, and Solar Nimrod
(That's actually not all of them.)

Wrapping up.

2011-05-05T16:40:00.002-07:00

Hooray! Today Dan and I exported what may well be the FINAL DRAFT of Antimatter Twin, and it looks awesome. I can't wait to show Eric Corwin (my physics collaborator) and Liz and Michael from Lurch and Holler (who composed the music for Antimatter Twin) the fruits of our labor! So, so exciting. Mushroom the Outpost Cat thinks it's exciting too:

Tonight I'll celebrate by having a drink with talented artist/curator pals Jose Ruiz and Chad Stayrook. Maybe I'll smuggle Mushroom along...

Tomorrow is the last day of my residency. We'll make sure everything is perfect and get all my files situated before I had south for a quick MD/DC visit to see family, friends and some interested art folks in the DC area.

(The ice cream truck is passing by outside, and Tutu is providing wonderful slide whistle harmonies to enhance the ice cream tunes. I'm going to miss these critters.)

Tutu, as in Desmond.

2011-05-04T18:33:00.002-07:00

Self Portrait at Outpost

I finally met the African Grey Parrot today! His name is Tutu. He has lovely misty grey plumage that is white-tipped, and a fiery red tail. I have not known many birds, and I don't know their body language, so when Tutu, perched on Ruth's hand, darted his head toward her mouth with sharp beak open at lightning speed, my immediate thought was OHMYGOD HE'S GOING TO BITE OUT HER TONGUE AND EAT IT. But dear Tutu did not have anyone's tongue for breakfast. He was just giving Ruth a kiss, which he does by gently (but quickly) nipping her teeth with his (BIG SHARP) beak. It's sweet. But had Tutu done that to me, I'm pretty darn sure I would have crapped my pants on the spot. I have a lot to learn about Bird Affection.

Another great day of editing with Dan here at Outpost. We have finished rotoscoping and masking all of the scenes in Antimatter Twin, and are rendering the footage overnight tonight. We started working on some smart looking titles for the video after spending an enjoyable hour in the afternoon watching the opening credits of many films on Art of the Title--what a great website! (Boy are the opening credits to the film ALIEN totally awesome.)

Another nice walk through the neighborhood.. and oh my god, I totally saw a UFO!!!

(Alright, alright. It's just a street lamp.)

Parrots Who Like Spaghetti Westerns

2011-05-03T19:34:00.002-07:00

Today began with a jolt at 6:00 AM, when the Parrot started singing the theme of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with GUSTO. The sun was just rising.

I had another excellent day of editing here at Outpost--Antimatter Twin is coming together so very well, and I am delighted. It's taking some hard work--a lot of frame-by-frame TLC to make sure the antimatter conjugates really inhabit the same space in a believable way. Along the way, I'm learning a lot from Dan.

A little after lunch time, I had to negotiate with Mushroom the Puff Cat. She decided to make a nest out of my warmest sweater, which I needed. She wrapped herself in the sweater, rubbing her face against it, imparting massive quantities of drool, digging in her nails and emitting a cloud of hair simultaneously. It was a careful job extricating sweater from cat, and it resulted in some hurt feelings on the part of sweet Mushroom. Luckily, at around the same time, the Amazon Parrot, named Rocky, started singing an opera (Outpost director and Animal Lover Extraordinaire Ruth Kahn told me that Rocky learned to sing opera some years ago when she was participating in a children's theater production). The Parrotic Opera soothed us all.

This evening I took a little stroll through the sweet neighborhood of Ridgewood. On my way over to Myrtle street I was sprayed by a kid with a super soaker and got totally drenched. But he was cute and forgivable when he shouted a great big, "THORRY LADY!", and despite my soggy beginning, I had a wonderful walk.

Now I'm back in my lovely brick room in Outpost, and thinking fondly of dear friend and inspiration Brea Souders, who has just started a 6 week residency at Camac in France! I'm certain that she'll have a wonderful artistic journey while in residence, and I can't wait to hear every detail!

YOOHOO!

2011-05-02T17:30:00.007-07:00

My residency at Outpost is going swimmingly. Outposters Ruth and Elliot have been super warm and welcoming, and I've settled right in. I'm working with brilliant editor Daniel Vatsky, who is helping me make all of the doubled-Julia scenes in Antimatter Twin look perfect. We got so much done! And by that, I mean Dan did all sorts of incredible work while my head was spinning as I was trying to keep track of all of the magic he was performing in the editing lab. He is fantastic; I got exhausted just WATCHING him work today.

I am staying here on site in Ridgewood, and I have some interesting housemates. One is an African Grey Parrot who likes to sing a VERY strange version of the theme song of the original Star Trek, intercut with clicks, boops, sounds like droplets of water falling into a pool, and big loud YOOHOOs. He has a bird friend who is an Amazon Parrot, and another who is a sort of Conure. Of the bunch, somebody is quite adept at making sounds exactly like fire alarms and cell phone rings. All of these dear birdies get started right before sunrise.

Yes. Like, around this time:

Pre-Sunrise with Weird Birdsounds in Ridgewood

There are also kitties here. Three irresistible and sweet kitties. One is a giant hairy puff named Mushroom who follows me into the bathroom and makes funny grumbling sounds while I'm showering. Then when I get out, she covers my wet legs with all of the hair she is shedding.

The Way Things Go With 6X6: Special Collaborative Event with Athica

2011-05-01T18:09:00.001-07:00

Pull, 2005

PRESS RELEASE FROM 6X6:

Things will be going our way at 6X6 next Wednesday, May 4 from 7-8 pm at Ciné Lab when we team up with Athica to show a program of videos selected in collaboration with their current exhibit "The Way Things Work," a colorful and spectacular exhibit about our cultural systems, which features large-scale installation, indoor and outdoor sculpture, drawings, videos and sound art by 11 national and international artists.

Co-curated by exhibit curator Didi Dunphy and 6X6 coordinator Lauren Fancher, the video program includes works by Robert Ladislas Derr, Julia Oldham, Eve Bailey, Christian Croft and Andrew Schneider, Celeste Fichter, Maud Haya-Baviera, Gareth Hudson, Plan b, and Katharine Tolladay.

Faithful followers of 6X6 will enjoy this departure from form: no longer will we be constrained by 6 pieces, 6 minutes, or 6 anything (unless we feel like it). Come be a part of it; as always, 6X6 is fast, fun, and free.

About 6X6: A series of media arts events in Athens, Georgia open for submission to anyone from anywhere in the world. Video, film, sound, performance, or combination. http://hexadic.blogspot.com

About The Curators: Didi Dunphy, Lauren Fancher, Athica

Another nice write-up of The Way Things Work!

2011-04-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Take a look right here for a write-up of The Way Things Work at ATHICA in Flagpole!

Still from Mudeye, 2009

Back in NY.

2011-04-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

I really love my little Grey Lodge in Oregon--what a wonderful place to focus on work and get my head together, walk through beautiful forests, and go to strange Twin Peaksy bars with my zany Oregon pals and have weird and dreamy nighttime adventures in very dark places.

But I also LOVE getting back to the hustle and bustle of the city. Hello, New York! It was a trick getting here today--huge thunderstorms in the NYC area left me stuck in the airport in Philadelphia for 8 hours after a redeye flight from the west coast. When I thought it was hopeless, I retrieved my checked bag from the airplane that had been sadly sitting outside for hours and left security. Of course, 5 minutes after I left security, an announcement was made that my flight was taking off! Crud. But I had a pleasant ride to the city on the Septa/NJ Transit instead (aside from one embarrassing moment when the ass of my leggings got hooked on a ferocious vent and then stretched farther than leggings should EVER stretch when I tried to walk away). Well, I made it here in the end.

Tulips every 15 feet in huge planters on 34th St.

Antimatter Twin at Outpost Artist Resources.

2011-04-27T13:33:00.002-07:00

I'm heading to New York for a short residency at Outpost Artist Resources to tighten up effects in my new video Antimatter Twin with editor Daniel Vatsky. This video has given me all sorts of great opportunities for cooperation--I've been working with Baltimore-based musicians Lurch and Holler for the soundtrack, whose work I admire immensely and whose sounds have really brought the video to life in an amazing way. And of course this piece wouldn't be possible without the scientific input of my brilliant collaborator Eric Corwin.

Antimatter Twin will be on exhibit this summer at Bronx Calling at the Bronx Museum (June 26 through September 9, 2011). I hope you'll be able to swing by and see it.

Bzzz, click, snap.

2011-04-23T12:57:00.001-07:00

There is a nice write-up of "The Way Things Work" at ATHICA on Atlanta-based arts journal Burnaway today. Check it out here.

Most Dangerous Thing, 2007

Rotations 3, 2005

Sea Step, 2006

You brought it from Italy / What I was too afraid to say to you / Keepsakes from Loch Ness

2011-04-18T01:23:00.000-07:00

An unrealistic fantasy / The poor thing is broken / I wasted it

2011-04-17T01:54:00.000-07:00

They're each a little different / I'll always be second / Hard to say what's in there

2011-04-16T01:21:00.001-07:00

Staring into darkness / Looking for night birds / Dream

2011-04-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

Policy on that subject / Honey coat it / Swallow it

2011-04-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

Starting over / Stop saying that

2011-04-09T22:48:00.002-07:00

Remake: Sorry I freaked you out / In the orchid room / What's barely there

2011-04-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

Three-legged chair / Finding the right angle / Mind Games

2011-04-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Way Things Work, opening this Saturday in Athens, GA

2011-04-06T19:36:00.003-07:00

for more info go to the www.athica.org

I had almost given up / There are so many layers / Fragments of the whole

2011-04-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

Love at first sight.

2011-04-04T20:06:00.012-07:00

Holy shit, I'm endlessly in love with Big Freedia.
(Thanks E, you always know what I'll like. I just bought tickets for both of us for the April 8 show in Portland at Holocene. Remember to wear those tight-ass pants that barely fit you.)

UPDATE: What fun. Everyone looked spectacular, and Big Freedia put on a hell of a show. The concert in Portland wasn't quite this decadent, but it was close, and E's pants were REALLY tight:

Listening to the album you gave me, I wrote you a letter, Nothing but a charred spot

2011-04-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

Are you paying attention to me?, Skin off my hand, Stepping in sunshine

2011-04-02T18:54:00.000-07:00