Susan Kirschbaum has written features - covering trends, fashion, and art -- for various publications including Harper's Bazaar, London Times, New York Observer, and New York Times since the late Nineties. She has worked as a web editor for both fashion and art concerns and as a founding editor to Fashion Wire Daily, when it served as a wire service to the Associated Press. She has written both synopsis and forwards to photography books by Steidl Dangin. Currently, she is a contributing editor to Whitewall - a seasonal art magazine - that sets new visual and story telling standards to cover the art world. She also writes for Purple, the French fashion magazine.
Her first novel, WHO TOWN, a dark social satire is now being reviewed by several publishers through rock star agent Robert Guinsler at Sterling Lord Literistic.
(All photos on this blog are taken by Susan Kirschbaum on her Canon SD850 digital point and shoot, unless otherwise noted - please credit all photos accordingly)
Chuck Close, Yoko Ono... Yeah, Free Arts and More! It Was A Week for Men, plus Guys Trapped in Women's Bodies
Chuck Close's self portrait went for $65,000
New York this week brimmed with many men about town or at least testosterone radiating from female bodies.
Madonna debuted at Roseland with Justin Timberlake, showing crowds (and Verizon webcam watchers), at almost fifty, she's got balls. She once told the media, "I am a gay man trapped in a woman's body." Let's call her club queen style. Slick suit wearing Timberlake, her current accomplice and good boy pop prince, represents clean style.
Meanwhile, downtown, Valentino dined with several boys at the Waverly Inn. V is pure velvet style. And the Verve played Madison Square Garden, thus the resurrection of Richard Ashcroft, whose Seventies shag and round glasses have inspired guy style.
The chicest men of the week, in terms of giving, were represented at Free Arts. Tally for Tuesday's auction capped at $800,000 beating the previous year. Top contender for live auction went to Chuck Close, sixty-five thousand, seen above in split profile. Photorealist and painter Close, a quadrapelegic, paints with a brush between his teeth. He been confined to a wheelchair for many years, but he's still one bad ass dude.
The silent auction winner, Yoko Ono -- with " I Love U," (seen below) for eighteen thousand-- I also consider a dude. She's like a warrior prince caught in a woman's body. The woman makes no apologies for what she considers art. She once sat on a stage and had audience members cut off her dress with a scissors. Her latest work, an exhibit called Touch Me, is now up at the Le Long gallery in Chelsea.
This says... white on white.. "I LOVE U" by Yoko, $18,000 for Free Arts
CLICK BLUE LINE BELOW FOR MORE ON YOKO'S CHELSEA SHOW, NOW UP!
From "Touch Me" Exhibit, Le Long Gallery, Chelsea
The show encourages participation, one of Ono's trademarks. For instance, a main wall canvas is exposed in areas, specifically so that people can insert body parts through openings. It is based on the theme of women's plight today, attributes like "vulnerability and defensiveness."
The release lists another piece: "The work will be Vertical Memory, in which a composite of a male face—combining Ono’s father, husband and son—is contrasted with the artist’s succinct and moving texts describing her passage from birth to death." Whatever you call it, the lady's got visual cojones!
Yoko Ono, "Touch Me," Le Long Gallery, until May 31st, 528 W. 26th Street, NY NYC.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono, collaborative art piece to protest war/GuardianUK
Close
Madonna by Stephen Klein
John Lennon and Yoko
Yoko Ono piece from "Touch Me" exhibit LeLong Gallery
John Lennon died less than a month after I was born, but he's still one of my heroes. He was never afraid to be himself, regardless of lesser minds who couldn't keep up with his ideas. It's no wonder that he married a conceptual artist -- he was one himself! They were a great, two-person team that just had to happen. Where would we all be if it didn't?
Thanks Lollie! Do keep reading and spreading the word on the page. Re: the hats, Philip Treacy's creations are like luscious cherries on gorgeous cakes. Each one, one of a kind.
Glenn O'Brien, new co-Editorial Director of Interview is exceptionally talented. I have a lot of faith in his vision and looking forward to checking out the new issue in September.
Do I care about Madonna, how could you not! While I'm no slave to her rhythm she is a remarkable woman breaking all former generations rules for what a woman of 50 should act and look like. That being said, how much longer does she have to be our pop princess? Is it still cool to be wearing bodysuits with tights when you're 60??http://media.uber .com/images/60x45 .jpg
Merci Lucille! Je comprende. Tu t'en fou de la vie ici' mais quand meme, tu lis le page. Souvent je m'en fou de la vie ici' aussi. Beaucoup de la betisse! xo!
keep up the good work <" To be a star you must shine your own light, follow your own path and not be afraid of the darkness, for that is when stars shine brightest."> peace 2008
susan, did you ever get my message or are my messages broken too? cause If I wrote hundreds of personal messages to people for nothing I'm going to cry
Certainly a different side to Gwenyth...but I like the unscripted element- I didn't know she had this in her! Great blog- always love reading your posts!
Thanks! I think you're spot on about creativity and madness, and how a lot of it has to do with personal choices. I try to focus on the positive as much as I can, and look for ways to work through things using the creativity that I have. I heard that's what J.K. Rowling did. :-)
Hey, Susan K! I just wanted to thank you once again for taking the time to write that wonderful comment on my blog. Every time I look at it, it really lifts me up and inspires me to keep doing all this stuff that my mother doesn't understand, lol. You have a generous heart and for that you definitely deserve credit.
Hey Susan, if all goes to plan i think will be in NYC around 10th April.I Am shooting a job for a Japanese jewellery company and there talking about shooting it there at the moment rather than coming all they to London or me going all the way to Japan, which i would really love! Should know in the next week whats going on but would be great to get over to NYC as i have not shot there for about a year i guess, and its a good place to be in the spring.
