On Sunday I went to Cha-an. In short: a cute japanese restaurant, good food, excellent desserts, and what seems to be the best Japanese Tea Ceremony in NY (ate there, but will have to do the ceremony some other day). Definitely to the “must” list.
On Wednesday I visited the studio of Madeline Weinrib on 5th Ave., New York.
Located on an impressive loft, her new studio (it used to be located at her apartment above a small museum in SoHo) is, as one would have imagined, full of decorative and inspirational elements, plus lots and lots of fabric samples, books and pictures.
In an informal conversation, Madeline explained her move from painter to fabric designer in 1997 (although she “forgot” to mention the connexion to her great-grandfather`s company), her world-wide network of artisans and suppliers, and her obvious historical design pattern “inspirations” (curious how she considers large manufacturers are “ripping her off” by copying “her patterns”, when her work is such an obvious “appropriation” from well known historical-cultural patterns such as the zig-zag or the muslim interlocks, as she describes it in this interview).
While generalizations are usually absurd and damaging (asking “What is it like to be in a relationship with someone who has Asperger`s?” is almost as ridiculous a generalization as asking “What is it like to be in a relationship with a blonde?”) it is true that in general, working with an autistic person may be hard, living with one could be unbearable, and being one is…
Some, let`s seek relief and help in knowledge.
The Japan Society invited me to L`Arc~en~Ciel concert at the Madison Square Garden last night, so there I went.
L`Arc~en~Ciel is a Japanese rock band formed in 1991 in Osaka. The group has sold over 13 million albums, and 16 million singles. Currently on a world tour (obviously last night in NY), their upcoming London and Jakarta concerts are already sold out, and their NY concert was bigger than expected.
Last night, after the MoMA party, I went to have dinner at Soba Totto.
It`s great that NY has so many excellent Japanese restaurants. This was no exception. Kotani sensei is a true master in the ancient art of soba making:
More videos here.
Last night I attended the members night party at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
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The “party” was, as most “parties” in the USA: drinks, and people. Thats basically it. The music was soft enough that it was barely perceivable (unlike the New Museums party, where DJs try to make it impossible to talk to the person next to you).
So, why all the fuss? Why go to a “party” that has basically nothing to offer in terms of “fun”?
This morning I have been at the NY Arts of Pacific Asia show on 7W 34th St. and 5th Ave.
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While not huge in size, and populated with many dealers selling mostly Chinese and Indian antiques (but also contemporary and from many other Asian countries, from Japanese to Vietnamese), there were some extremely interesting pieces that caught my eye, such as the Joseph G. Gerena collection of Ainu Art Special Exhibit (with particular emphasis on Ikupausy Ikupasuy prayer sticks), the paintings of Hong Viet Dung carried by Judith Day, the marvelous washi sheets in display by Hiro Odaira (Precious Pieces), the small bags of Mark Walberg Fine Art and Antiques, and above all, a pice of the wonderful yugen art that Shari Cavin from Cavin-Morris Gallery carefully explained to me: a Japanese ceramics professor puts discarded (outdated) physics university books in his kiln, at the right temperature, where the ink disappears, the pages curl, and the silices in the book cristalize, leaving a beautiful new object.
