Everyday Objects at Rare Device

My art show at Rare Device is practically upon us!

Above is the official flier!

Below is a photo from yesterday when I spent the afternoon framing the pictures.

Tomorrow and Thursday is the installation.

The show officially opens this Friday.

And the party is Friday the 26th -- if you're in the Bay Area I hope you can join us!

My excitement and nervousness about this endeavor can hardly be contained.

Books by Black Authors

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, here are a few of my favorite books by Black authors that I read last year.

Revelations: Art From the African American South

The show Revelations: Art from the African American South, up at the de Young Museum through April, is completely wonderful and, if you're in the Bay Area, absolutely not to be missed.

It starts off with a huge room full of Gee's Bend Quilts, which I'd never seen in person before, and which in the flesh were so emphatically, powerfully beautiful I could not wipe the grin off my face. Then it move on to several wonderful galleries of sculpture and painting. Here are some of my favorites.

Quilt above is by Jessie T. Pettway

Annie Mae Young

Annie Mae Young

Gearldine Westbrook

Plummer T. Pettway

Rosie Lee Tompkins, Willia Ette Graham, and Johnnie Wade

Willie Abrams

Mary Lee Bendolph

Deborah Pettway Young (this one is two-sided, here is one side)

Deborah Pettway Young (and here is the other side)

Annie Mae Young

Florine Smith

Leonardo Drew

Thornton Dial

Thornton Dial

Cornelia Parker

El Anatsui

El Anatsui (detail)

Lonnie Holley

Mose Tolliver

Purvis Young

Ronald Lockett

John Bankston

Joe Light

Color Poem #34

the sculpture is a
mass of pinky-red
wires that you wear
headphones and walk
around hearing feedback from

the two girls crawl
beneath it with the
big black headsets on

one wearing
pinky-red tights
and a pinky-red purse

the other one
my one
with big pinky-red
cabbage roses on her
brand new black sweater

The Holt Response

People in the publishing world are, naturally, following the case of Michael Wolff's book Fire and Fury even more closely than the general public, if such a thing is possible. I offer here attorney Elizabeth McNamera's letter of response to the Trump lawsuit, in its entirety. It is a thing of beauty. 

42nd Birthday

Sunday was my 42nd birthday. Whenever I express the notion that I feel neither old nor young, Mabel says reassuringly "that's ok! just remember: You're middle-aged!" But, unlike many, I actually greatly enjoy getting older and being middle-aged. It strikes me that youth is for bumbling around cluelessly, and only as you get older to you really get to be your very own self. Anyhow, in the spirit of "start as you mean to go on" I always like at the start of my new year (which conveniently lines up with the start of the new calendar year, and its spirit of new beginnings), with a visit the ocean. Indeed the year hardly seems to have started properly for me at all until I do so. Not because I want the year ahead to be full of trips to the beach - though, sure, that would be nice - but because I want to preserve, throughout the coming year, the deep feeling of peace, well-being, calm, and happiness that being next to the sea always gives me. I also like to kick off my year by eating way too many pop-overs at the Cliff House with my two loves, as shown below. Not for any symbolic reason but just because those warm pop-overs are freaking delicious. And speaking of delicious, Bill also made me a birthday coconut pie. It was a great day.

Pencils (and also: Art Show!)

You guys! I'm having an art show of my drawings! It's at Rare Device here in San Francisco and I hang it up next week! Holy moly. There's a party the night of Friday January 26th from 6-9 and I do hope all you Bay Area folks will be able to attend. This picture is from the show. More details soon!