Art, Fashion, & Food: 7 Ways to Enliven Your Saturday
In my recent move back to New York, I have been once again forced to reckon with how the change of pace and scenery changes my consumption of art. Of course, this list is not only a collection of works from artists I have worshipped over a period of time, but I evaluate this as what has been in my subconscious tastes and interests. Some are new, and some are pleasures of past lives, however, all have somehow been a part of my daily thought process as inspiration and research for my upcoming works. I see these curated picks of art, fashion, and food as ways to revitalize my day and pepper my routine with fascinating artistic products and regimens that care for my body and soul.
While this album recently celebrated its 27th birthday and has been a favorite of mine for many years, this body of work has increasingly frequented my playlists in the last weeks. I have rediscovered tracks such as “Heart Shaped Box” and “Dumb” but also have fallen in love with “Frances Farmer Will Have her Revenge on Seattle.” Overall, the album is a masterpiece that should be continually revisited throughout one’s life.
“Ballad of Sexual Dependency” by Nan Goldin
Recently one of my close friends purchased the Nan Goldin photography book titled “The Ballad of Sexual Dependency”, I have been familiar with her work for a while, however, lately it has caught my eye, both on Pinterest and on my friend’s coffee table. I think the fascination that exists in my mind is how Goldin constructs an images that intertwine grit and love. The images show a tale of love and passion, along with the downfalls of its own toxicity. They are both deeply relatable yet isolating at the same time.
Earl Grey Tea and Fresh Figs
While some may argue that food does not sit at the same level as In Utero, the combination of Earl Grey and Fresh Figs has been an integral part of my routine in creating work. In my last installments White Numb and Lumka 1.0 I was addicted to detox water (recipe in LUmkA 1.0) and Chamomile Tea. There is something really comforting in this combination that I have recently discovered. The color they present while sitting at my work station drip an intensified flavor that is reminiscent of my past work yet a pivot into the steps of redefining one’s self (a feeling I have felt as I am beginning to transition into new phases of work).
“Self Portrait As a Heel” by Jean Michel Basquiat
Basquiat has been one of my favorite artists for some time now, however, recently I have been playing with the idea of what it means to make a self-portrait in the context of an artist’s lens or style. His painting “Self Portrait as A Heel” deals with identity as an independent being that is not only centered in his roots but how that defines oneself. There are scattered colors, numbers, and symbols that emulate a sense of internal chaos. I find his own representation of self to be an interesting interpretation of what it means to make a self portrait- he grabs at the idea of energetic storytelling through the motifs and color play that i find absolutely fascinating.
At the beginning of September, Marc Jacobs launched the new Heaven collection, a “a polysexual line of clothing with pubescent dread phrases like “totally fucked up” and “more teen angst” (Vogue). The collection in itself includes a fantastic teen dream angst wonderland that has been artfully presented in the ideal Marc Jacobs bedroom located at the Madison Avenue location. It consists of not only clothing but twenty mollusk citizens (plushies) that were made in collaboration with artist NHOZAGRI along with a collection of specially curated vintage books and CDs.
When I first entered the showroom, I was filled to the brim with the notion I had fulfilled my childhood dream aesthetic- a place where colors clashed like the rebellious emotions of a 2000s teen flick. The collection seems to be rooted in cross-pollination between the e-boy/e-girl Tiktok aesthetic and 2000’s teen grunge. Marc Jacobs never ceases to amaze me, and I am so excited to see what comes for the brand further down the line.
Recently a friend introduced me to the musician Otto who coordinates noise music inspired tracks that for lack of better words, beep and bop themselves within their arrangement. A notable track “Dairy Adventure” (inspired by the artist’s experience eating dairy is amusing in its nature of the soft hues of the background lyrics that have been playfully overpowered by the strong base. His music sits perfectly in my friends and collaborators craft sessions or meetings as it enshrouds the room in a playfully pastel music hue.