Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
kimchi pancakes
Flour, egg, milk, kimchi. The chili from the kimchi dyes the batter a brilliant orange. Our friend Susana, who is Korean, often brings them to potlucks and serves them with soy sauce. Lately we've been eating them with crema and cilantro, but a honey-soy sauce syrup is good too.-Kenny
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
RATS
About a year ago, a political-protest tent city popped up at the foot of one of my favorite buildings. It came in response to the federal government "dissolving" the electricity union called Luz y Fuerza.
Among the banners and posters was this three-headed rat sculpture made of paper mache. I'm pretty sure the guy in the middle is supposed to represent the president of Mexico, Felipe Calderón.
Eight months later.
Present day. The rat sculpture and shit pile were replaced with real-life rats! SI SE PUEDE! SI SE PUEDE!-PJ
Monday, December 6, 2010
Xilitla: incidents of misalignment
Art Review:
Usually, the main reason to go see art around here is to get free drinks and then go to the after-party. Tequila and mezcal companies actually sponsor art events. So, I was a bit disappointed when there wasn't any booze left at the El Eco museum's latest opening. I went inside the main gallery space with no prior knowledge of the artists, no buzz, and no expectations.
The dark room was carpeted and there were rows of unique living-room chairs facing a free-standing, monolithic screen. The projected movie was shot on 35mm film with a vertical 9:16 aspect ratio.
The 24-minute piece portrays a rhythmic, non-narrative portrait of the surrealistic castle called Las Pozas in the jungle near San Luis PotosÃ, Mexico. The nonsensical temples and sculptures were conceived and built by British poet Edward James from 1949 until his death in 1984.
The film's continuing visual motif is a mirror passing through the frame carried by the castle's gardeners. This simple intervention allows us to see two points of view simultaneously. The effect is confusing but appropriate for this puzzling, surreal site.
I walked out of the museum wanting to know more about this mysterious castle, more about the filmmakers, and more about how this piece came to exist. Simply put, I was flattened. The film is able to document Las Pozas in a way that captures its spirit and spontaneity. And the installation of the piece activates the architecture of El Eco, putting these two buildings in conversation. Too many synapses!
Xilitla: incidents of misalignment was the result of a collaboration between artists Melanie Smith and Rafael Ortega. Now on view at El Eco.
-PJ
Usually, the main reason to go see art around here is to get free drinks and then go to the after-party. Tequila and mezcal companies actually sponsor art events. So, I was a bit disappointed when there wasn't any booze left at the El Eco museum's latest opening. I went inside the main gallery space with no prior knowledge of the artists, no buzz, and no expectations.
The dark room was carpeted and there were rows of unique living-room chairs facing a free-standing, monolithic screen. The projected movie was shot on 35mm film with a vertical 9:16 aspect ratio.
The 24-minute piece portrays a rhythmic, non-narrative portrait of the surrealistic castle called Las Pozas in the jungle near San Luis PotosÃ, Mexico. The nonsensical temples and sculptures were conceived and built by British poet Edward James from 1949 until his death in 1984.
The film's continuing visual motif is a mirror passing through the frame carried by the castle's gardeners. This simple intervention allows us to see two points of view simultaneously. The effect is confusing but appropriate for this puzzling, surreal site.I walked out of the museum wanting to know more about this mysterious castle, more about the filmmakers, and more about how this piece came to exist. Simply put, I was flattened. The film is able to document Las Pozas in a way that captures its spirit and spontaneity. And the installation of the piece activates the architecture of El Eco, putting these two buildings in conversation. Too many synapses!
Xilitla: incidents of misalignment was the result of a collaboration between artists Melanie Smith and Rafael Ortega. Now on view at El Eco.
-PJ
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Mystery Box
I found this disposable camera a few weeks ago on the center-divide of a highway. I walked past it at first and then stopped in my tracks to consider the possibilities. What if it contained evidence for a crime? What if it had something I really wouldn't want to see? And what type of image would that be? Will it give me bad luck? I had to know, so I scooped it into a plastic bag and brought it home. The camera sat in the studio for a while, and when the time felt right, I took it to the photo-lab. I thought it best to develop only the negatives and not make prints. I have a reputation to protect at LMI Foto!
I was pleasantly bored with the results. (Someone would probably have the same reaction looking at one of my rolls of film.) There were pictures of TVs, toilets, rooftops, and cake. My hypothesis is that Dalia was given this camera for her fifth birthday. No bad luck so far.-PJ
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
crackers
Crackers are incredibly easy to make. All you need is flour and water. This one is made from a multigrain flour mixture of blue corn, amaranth, barley, and wheat. Mixing it with my hands, I added enough water for it to come together in a ball. I also added sea salt, sesame seeds, chopped blue corn kernels, and a touch of olive oil. I rolled it out as thin as possible with a wine bottle on ungreased tinfoil (a makeshift baking pan). One large sheet of cracker took about twenty minutes in a 350 degree oven. They were toasty, crisp, and fresh tasting -- perfect supports for a hijiki-avocado salad.
-Kenny
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