Scribbles and Photos

Richard Serra is back at the Gargosian with three massive sculptures of the forged steel slab variety.  These pieces were not on the same scale as those I saw back in 2014 ( Expedition Richard Serra ) but, just like that time, I found myself feeling pretty small and insignificant.  And I was reminded while revisiting my prior post that I really do want to see his work outside.  And, now that I've read the NYTimes review , I am a little bummed that I missed NJ-1, 2015.  That's the thing about NYC, if you blink, you can miss the art. If I had to explain what I like about Serra's work, it would probably boil down to the patina on the steel.  Let's just say, there is something about rust that I find extraordinarily appealing.  And much of his work could be categorized as rust on a grand scale.  

Among those that we lost on 911were five firefighters from the Ten House.  The house, located in the shadow of the World Trade Center, was the first to respond.  I took this photo last week as Tower Ladder Ten (ladder 10 was buried under some 40 feet of rubble on 9.11.01) was rolling out to respond to a fire (engine 10 was close behind).  The courage of first responders never ceases to amaze me. A small element of this picture is the beams that were salvaged from the ruins of the two towers and that stand now in the 911 museum (the right side of the museum window).  Etched on the side of one is the word save.  One day, I happened upon the museum when these same beams rose up inside the reflection of the Freedom Tower -- old scars surrounded by new skin. Individual Losses Last year, I visited the Memorial on the evening of 911 -- long after the names had been read.  The walls of the fountain were full of flowers, flags, and even the...

I wonder if being an actual wedding photographer is as stressful as public speaking?  I tend to think it would be -- after all, it's not like you get a do over of the wedding day if you mess up the photos.  I have been known to follow the occasional bride through Central Park (see Wedding Party , Instagram Intersections ).  The couple above didn't need to be stalked in Florence.  I am only sad that I did not catch their photographer. As for this bride, we had a small disagreement about whether this was a bride who had booked a destination wedding or a photo shoot (it was, after all,  Pitti Uomo week in Florence and even if that is about men's fashion, there were lots of fashionistas afoot).  My money was on the photo shoot since there was no discernible wedding planner hovering around -- just the guy with the black suitcase. Florence Bloom The setting for the photo shoot was a piece was called Florence Bloom which was a ...

Approaching David When in Florence, one goes to see David -- it's an obligatory stop.  And having braved the lines and the crowds the Accademia, you need to spend a bit of time studying him from every angle.  Or, about ten minutes because the press of the crowds is such that that is about all I could stand.   One tip is to go with a guide as they get you through the line more quickly. The Original Six Pack Those Calf Muscles, That Butt That Hand Scrum at the David

I've been visiting the Union Square Greenmarket on a weekly basis since first wandering down there on one of the hottest days of the summer to see my friend Kate and coming home with some Row by Row Farm tomatoes, Tonje's Farm cheese PLUS milk with cream on top, and Hodgson Farms  blueberries. I'm already mourning the end of summer and the waning days of the tomatoes.