Happy New Year...from Matt

If you haven't seen this video yet, it is a great one to start off the New Year...It is called Where the hell is Matt
and is about uplifting as it gets.
Happy New Year!

from Bill Viola..my favorite video artist

“I think that any time you are making something that touches the inner self of the human being, anything that emerges out of ourselves from a genuine, unguarded place is ultimately a sacred act, no matter whether you follow a religion or not. All of the things that surround us came out of the inspiration of transforming the material world into our inner vision..."

Random Acts of Kindness

so i drove into Chicago for a meeting yesterday.
i was running late and found a metered parking spot within a block of my destination on a very busy street (ontario street just east of michigan avenue).

only problem...no change.

there was a city employee who was emptying the change out of the meters.
i asked for change. he said he couldn't do that. i asked someone else on the street for change.
they didn't have it.
next thing i know, he reset the meter for 2 hours and said happy holidays!

random acts of kindness just blow me out of the water.

Tis The Season

Walking down the Magnificent Mile last Sunday I had a chance encounter with some hearty souls
(enduring the cold northerly blast of wind) who were administering FREE HUGS to whomever desired them.
Can you imagine?
It was so much fun to watch people's reactions. I mean really...who wouldn't want a hug in this economic and political climate?

Gregory Scott

Age Of Spontaneity by Gregory Scott

If you are not familiar with the work of Gregory Scott, you might want to be. I saw his new work at the Catherine Edelman Gallery in Miami and he has pushed photography to a new level.
Not only has he inserted his painted self into the frame, he has also added video seamlessly. You need to go to his website to play the video, well worth the visit. It is so amazing to see the creative mind at work.

Mr. Brainwash

One of the highlights of Art Basel Miami 2008 was learning about Mr. Brainwash.
Just outside of the Scope Art Fair was this fabulous mural of Obama. Mr. Brainwash's vision is to make the world a better place and he was creating a lot of free art (postcards, posters etc). It was a great counterpoint to all the art shows which were so much about ego and money. Check out his website here.

more on miami

two of my favorite men....
it seemed like Barack Obama was showing up everywhere at Art Basel Miami. Every time I saw images of him, my heart swooned.

Art Basel Miami 2008

I'm back...I have read reviews of the muted fair (due to the economy) but I had a fabulous time!
The weather was a welcome break from an early cold spell and snow storm in Chicago. I enjoyed the challenge of transforming a hotel room into a gallery...my DREAMSCAPE. So many of the works exhibited were born of dreams so I just extended the metaphor into an installation. The "Pool" images above the bed were printed on multiple layers of chiffon and floated as the mild breeze came in thru the window.

more on other aspects of the fair coming soon....