Iceland

Photo by Claudio

Photo by David and Rachel Hoekman

 Tonight I'm going to see Jonsi in concert, who heralds from Iceland.  These photos, taken by my friends the Hoekmans, offer a small glimpse of that wonderland to the north.  Or perhaps they're from somewhere on Miles Island...

Photo by David and Rachel Hoekman

Photo by David and Rachel Hoekman

Photo by David and Rachel Hoekman

Music Tuesday: Black Dub

I first heard this song on my favorite streaming radio station KCRW and it reminded me of some of the Zero 7 songs that came out a few years ago.  This latest project is led by Daniel Lanois, who has produced albums for Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan, and lots of U2's best work alongside Brian Eno.  Black Dub is made up of Trixie Whitley on vocals, Daryl Johnson on bass, and one of my favorite jazz drummers, Brian Blade.  What an awesome name for a drummer!  I first saw him play with Joshua Redman, and he's a ton of fun to watch.  Black Dub's album drops today, listen to it free for a limited time only here or here and listen to their radio premiere and live interview/show here.

Alexander McQueen

 

 All photos by Christopher Moore, courtesy of Alexander McQueen, found on style.com

Many of you probably know that Alexander McQueen passed away this past year.  These are taken from his last fall/winter ready-to-wear collection, which was about 80% completed at the time of his death.  Apparently he had been looking to the Dark Ages for inspiration, and he found light and a creative beauty.  I love the romanticism of the collection; there is a textured richness that seems fitting for Miles Islanders, equally at home in the wilderness or in a palace.  The last look is incredible, the jacket being made entirely of golden feathers--even the model has to give a subtle smile.  

I Love Trees

 An oasis in Joshua Tree National Park

 A lone tree in the Scottish Highlands

 A seaside tree in Sardinia

 Nathanael in a tree in Sicily (a la Cosimo, perhaps?)

A lovely stand in Scotland

Studies on Presence by Julie Insun Youn

 cherries (no.1), oil on canvas, 2006

Julie Insun Youn is an up-and-coming artist from Seoul.  Her MA thesis exhibition "Studies on Presence" opens today at the Lucent Room Studio in Madison and runs until November 10th.  The opening reception is this Friday, November 5th, 6-9pm--wine, cheese, dessert, jazz, and fine art. 

Here is the artist's statement for the exhibition: 
I de-familliarize and rediscover the mundane, vulgar, and everyday by the aesthetics of "blur." Blur in my work tactically aims a partial loss of visual information while producing atmospheric phenomena. This loss is a dismissal of the unnecessary, transfiguration of the boredom, and half-forgetfulness of the abject, which ultimately work towards the disclosure of what has been hidden, the heightening of what is more important. Charged with the pain of "absence,” this show is intended to evoke this immaterial essence, or more precisely speaking, to invite the viewers to the practice of mourning for "presence."

 olive oil, oil on wood, 2010

 trowel, oil on wood, 2010

 yellow dust caution (no.2), oil on canvas, 2004

your paradise (no.1), oil on canvas, 2005

Just Dance

Urban Surfing

Yes Kyle, of course there's urban surfing on Miles Island--everywhere you look there's surfing!