Day of the Dead

Glen and altar. Photo: Becket Logan.

Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations occur November 1 and 2 in connection with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. The weeks leading up to the holiday, a time to remember and honor loved ones that have died, are particularly busy for one New York City couple—Glen and John. For nearly twenty years, they have literally opened the door of their Village apartment to locals, providing an altar to which every guest can contribute in celebration of Dia de Muertos.*

I met Glen in 2005 and visited his home with John the following year. Some particularly memorable aspects of the occasion include a wall of small Richteresque paintings, each depicting their alters over the years; a room in which I wrote the names of deceased relatives on small pieces of paper and pinned them to a hanging sheet alongside countless others; religious relics from Mexico, Haiti, Spain and other locations that were mounted in every nook and cranny of the apartment; and a potluck table bearing a random assortment of rotisserie chicken, coconut balls and cookies. I stood next to Glen as he was approached by a young man that grew up in the building, celebrating Dia de Muertos at Glen and John’s year after year. He casually revealed that he was home on temporary leave from the War in Iraq and just had to come.

Glen and John will celebrate Dia de Muertos in Mexico City this year. I can hardly wait for their 2009 installation when I will sit down with the artists for an in-depth interview. (I’ve been promised a Mexican bakery tour to boot.) For now, Glen answers a few questions about how they began.

*At the request of the artists, references to their specific location have been changed.

Glen (seated) and John (standing).

Contemporary Confections: Why did you and John decide to open your home to your neighbors for Dia de Muertos? Did you instantly know that this would become an annual event?

Glen: Opening our home is something that happened organically. We did not know when we started celebrating Dia de Muertos that we would still be doing it 20 years later. It started as a way for John and I to honor our friends who had recently died of AIDS. John and I met in 1985 just as the crisis was affecting everyone. We lost several very close friends and were looking for some way to make sense of it all. Our first altar was small and we had a few friends over to tell stories about those people who died. Each year more and more people came. It grew from there.

CC: Has the personal significance of Dia de Muertos changed for you over time? If so, how?

Glen: As I stated earlier, the holiday started as a personal ritual. The first time we were asked to put an altar in a curated show it was strange. We had never thought of our installations as "art" in that way. It’s silly, I know, [because] when we are creating an altar it’s all about composition, balance, color, texture and since John and I both come from a theater background, [it's also about] the viewer experience while seeing the altar.

CC: Your Village neighborhood is quite different from what is was when you began. Do you worry that the culture and history of Dia de Muertos is lost on your new neighbors (which assumes they have become your audience)?

Glen.

Glen: John and I are very concerned about the gentrification of Manhattan. We have both lived here since the seventies and know life in the city is all about change. However, it seems like gentrification is all about making everything the same—neighborhoods and people. New York has always been special, because it offered so many different points of view. I hope we can hold on to that. The really funny thing in all of this is that Day of the Dead is not in any danger of being lost. When John and I started making our altars for Dia de Muertos there were very few Mexicans in New York so people here did not celebrate or even know about the holiday unlike cities in the West with lots of Mexicans. In the last 15 years, many Mexicans have moved to the East coast bringing the tradition of Dia de Muertos with them. Because of AIDS there is a greater awareness of our own mortality, especially in the gay community. Dia de Muertos is a beautiful ritual that reminds us of death while connecting us to those who have passed on. In reality Day of the Dead is a joyful celebration of life.

CC: Tell me about these skulls that are made of sugar? What's the significance of the materials?

Glen: The skulls in the photos are not made of sugar like the traditional Mexican sugar skulls. The ones we make are of plaster bandage decorated with paper, cloth and paint. We make a skull for each of our friends or relatives who have died and decorate each one to look like, or remind us of that person. There was a sweet man in our neighborhood who owned an old school Cantonese chow mein joint. Two years ago he was hit by a car while making a delivery. We made his skull of plaster and decorated it with pieces of the restaurant menu.

Photo: Becket Logan.

CC: Over the past few years, our conversations about art have overlapped with talk of ice cream and chocolate. So, let’s talk sweet treats.

Glen: Michel Cluizel Chocolate is something I discovered when they opened a shop in the ABC Carpet & Home building a few years ago; a temple of chocolate where I worshipped. His chocolate is out of this world, as good to my simple taste buds as La Maison du Chocolat and Jacque Torres. For quite awhile it seemed whenever I went out I would end up wandering past ABC Carpet & Home and I just had to stop in to get something "for the road." With all the gentrification in the neighborhood you would think that an expensive chocolate shop would do well. Unfortunately, sometime last year, Michel Cluizel decided to give up the store in New York. Another company called Dessert Studio took over. They still sell Michel Cluizel chocolates, but not as many kinds, and the house brand is not so good. I love Michel Cluizel’s quote that appears on the web page for the Paris location: "To arouse pleasure, chocolate must delight the palate like no other exquisite sweet." I quite agree.

A week later Glen added: “When I walked into ABC Carpet & Home last week, the not so good chocolate shop that took over was gone; they went out of business last month. Now where you used to be able to eat delicious Michel Cluizel Chocolate there are only fancy fabrics and expensive pillows for sale.”

Looks Good (10.25.08)

Will Cotton on YouTube: Cotton is included in the exhibition Wall Rockets (see below) with a small oil painting on stretched linen that reads "INSATIABLE" in candy cane font. This video, added to YouTube just 5 days ago, gives an overview of his candy land oeuvre. The artist's work will be on view at Mary Boone Gallery in February 2009.

Political Food for Thought: In the LA Times, writer Jenn Garbee considers the American dinner table as metaphor for the national electoral process. Garbee writes, "For a dessert to satisfy that sweet tooth and also give a nod to Obama's paternal heritage, [Gale Gand, cookbook author and executive pastry chef at Chicago's Tru restaurant], would make deep-fried calas, a sweet Creole rice fritter with ties to African akara (bean fritters)." Gand is directly quoted saying, "These little cakes were an important part of American history, which feels appropriate for Barack . . . only I'd have to do a pumpkin version as I've heard he's a pumpkin fan." Add calas to your election party menu.

Ed Ruscha, "WALL ROCKETS", 2000. Oil on canvas, 64" x 72 1/2". Image courtesy of the artist and Gagosian Gallery.

Wall Rockets: Contemporary Artists and Ed Ruscha: This multimedia exhibition aims to illuminate the effect of Ruscha’s legacy on both his peers, as well as a younger generation of contemporary artists. The only unfortunate thing about this show is that few people will be able to see it, as the Flag Art Foundation is only open Fridays from 11am to 3pm. There are some real gems on view (actually the whole exhibition is a sparkler) by Mark Bradford, Ken Solomon, Roni Horn, Charles Ray, Tom Sachs, and Robert Therrien.

Interview Magazine: M.IA. and Kehinde Wiley converse in the current issue.

Critical Studio: Dialogue with South Asian Artists: An exhibition that addresses the politics of national, social, religious, and gender identities, as well as the politics of producing and teaching art within the contemporary cultures of South Asia. On view in the Macy Gallery at Teachers College, Columbia University through November 1.

NeoHooDoo: Art for a Forgotten Faith at P.S.1: I'll be taking a little break from posting while I write a review of the exhibition for ...might be good. In the meantime, the homemade macaroons in the museum's cafe are pretty good; a lightly toasted shell with a soft center. They're a little sweet, which coming from me means they might be too intense for the average sweet tooth. If you have time, take the train a few stops to Jackson Heights to sample Indian sweets (made with a base of butter and sugar, and may include milk, flour, nuts, or paneer/cottage cheese). The family behind the neighborhood landmark Shaheen Sweets was recently profiled in New York Magazine. Read the article here.

On Apples

Corin Hewitt, Photograph from Seed Stage, 2008.

This season, the Whitney Museum's free art series "Multiple Edition" takes a cue from blog culture and considers the theme of oversharing—what information do we give away; how do we share our thoughts, process, or materials; what would constitute too much for an artist? Each artist in the series is commissioned to create 200 multiples that are given away—free of charge—during their program.

Last week, I attended the Corin Hewitt program to learn more about the ideas behind his installation Seed Stage: a still life/lab/cannery/art studio/object on view in the Whit's Lobby Gallery. Hewitt, who will occupy the space three days per week through January 4, said "I see this piece as an image in motion." He was joined by digital artist Siebren Versteeg who gave a slightly dizzying explanation of pixels, looms and weaving in relationship to their collaborative project and multiple OUiKiLTiT. This digital program essentially allows one to create plaid based on the color-scheme of any image and then manipulate the pattern's thread count. It took me a while to figure out how to alter one of the provided templates with the little eye-dropper that is both the program's manipulation tool and mouse icon. Once I got that down, I tried to load a rather arbitrary image into the program and wallah! A mouth watering picture of baked apples from The Alternative Homemaker...

...turns into Baked Apple Plaid.

As cool as this is, I can't see myself using it again (not even to make place mats), but that's also what I said about my apple corer/wedger and now slicing with a knife seems arduous. Apparently, PC and MAC versions of OUiKiLTiT will be available for download from the Whitney's website soon.

It actually wasn't Hewitt's talk (in which I would have liked to hear more about his actual process of cooking, eating and canning) that prompted this post, but a gift from a friend before the event began: apples from Masker Orchards in Warwick, New York.

If I had to guess (and I do) which 5 fruits have been depicted most in the history of art, apples would be in my top two. You can find apples rendered throughout time and across cultures, from the works of Albrecht Durer, and Cezanne, to the candied sculptures of New York street artist Celso.

Albrecht Dürer, "Adam and Eve", 1507.

Claes Oldenburg And Coosje Van Bruggen, "Apple Core" (1990) at the Israel Museum of Art, Jerusalem.

Celso's apples on Fifth Ave. Photograph by C-Monster.

A little research in my books Nature and Its Symbols (yawn), and Schott's Food and Drink Miscellany (a less academic and more engaging book) provides random tidbits of information about apples. Schott goes a step beyond to include perhaps the most prominent apple today:

"Turing's Apples relate to Alan M. Turing (1912-54)--a pioneer of early computing who was awarded one the OBE for his work on the Enigma code. In June 1954, having been exposed as a homosexual, Turing committed suicide apparently by eating an apple that he had impregnated with cyanide. It has been suggested that Apple Macintosh computers were so named in tribute to Turing."

Other random (and less somber) apple facts:

October is National Apple Month; Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie; 100 varieties of apples are grown commercially in the United States; Apple trees take 4 or 5 years to produce their first fruit; Most apples are still picked by hand in the Fall; The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and the Black Sea; Apples are a member of the rose family; It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple; World's top apple producers are China, United States, Turkey, Poland and Italy; A bushel of apples weights about 42 pounds and will yield 20-24 quarts of applesauce; Almost one out of every four apples harvested in the United States is exported; and apples were supposedly the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans.

Artist unkown. Herculeswith the apple of Hesperides. Gilded bronze, Roman artwork, 2nd century BC.

Going back to my apples from Masker Orchard: According to their ripening schedule, mid to late October is peak season for Ida Reds, Golden Delicious, Romes and Mutsu. Some are suggested for cooking while others for eating raw. I have no idea which species I have/had, but I baked a few, planning to fill the cores with yogurt, walnuts and honey. I imagined they would look something like the golden beauties above, but I left mine in the oven too long and they exploded. The result was the best applesauce I've ever had. Get the recipe here.

Looks Good (10.16.08)

Signs of Change at Exit Art: An international survey of social activism ephemera made since the 1960s. The installation CHANGE by Juana Gallo and Francois Zillif is mounted in the windows facing 10th Avenue. Closes Dec. 6, 2008.

"Chocolate News" with David Alan Grier: It's been nearly 15 years since the word "breastesess" entered my vocabulary. Tiny, aka Mr. MacAfee, aka Antoine Merriweather, returns. Three snaps in Z formation. Listen to an interview with the actor/comedian on NPR.

The New York Art Book Fair at Phillips de Pury & Company: Runs Oct. 24 through Oct. 26. The website lists several nearby eateries, including The Half King. I've heard great things about this place, so I'm looking forward to the Thin Mint cocktail and Chocolate & Banana Bread Pudding when I finally visit.

Edible Manhattan: Edible, a quarterly publication, recently added Manhattan to its long list of cities and boroughs. NYC's Balthazar and Bouchon go toe-to-toe for the Sticky Bun heavyweight title in the current issue. Their photo editor, Michael Harlan Turkell is included in the new publication 25 Under 25: Up-and-Coming American Photographers.

"The Flag in Contemporary Art" on Modern Art Notes: Tyler Green asks curators to pick a favorite flag in contemporary art. My pick is Nayland Blake's Triple Surrender, a triptych of all white confederate flags hung in descending sizes. The piece is a rereading of Jasper Johns’s flag paintings, infused with notions of race and surrender.

David LaChapelle at Tony Shafrazi Gallery: C-prints and pop-up installations abound with fruit, cakes, candy, color, glamour, intelligence, and the other bells and whistles that make LaChapelle LaChapelle. Closes October 24.

Archeology of Wonder at Real Art Ways: An exhibition about the way we use objects to approach and create memory. Artists include Heather Hart, Elia Alba, Julia Brown, Tom Bogaert, Yuko Suzuki, and others. Click here for directions to this Hartford, CT space. On view through January 4, 2009.

Untethered at Eyebeam: A sculpture garden of everyday objects deprogrammed of their original function and transformed into readymades. Includes a photocopier that reads the night sky; a PDA turned guitar; and a piano that plays the Internet. Read the review by we-make-money-not-art.com. A closing reception and discussion will be held on October 25.

Chocolate Mocha Mousse-Filled Cupcakes: I came across this amazing recipe on the food blog Janet is Hungry. In another calorie-laden post "Daring Bakers," she features a Milk Chocolate and Caramel Tart. Janet might be my new crush.

The Art World "Power 100": While it doesn't make me salivate the way cupcakes do, this list always peaks my interest. Though, I'll admit, I had to google half of these people to find out what they do. I guess they're just too high up on the food chain. On that note...

Sarah Thornton's Seven Days in the Art World: Dr. Sarah Thornton, having once conducted a sociological study of club and rave subcultures, ventures into the art world, a group that she characterizes as “a loose network of overlapping subcultures held together by a belief in art.” Seven familiar events (and blog topics) were the basis of her research and new book: a Christie’s auction in New York; a graduate students’ seminar at the California Institute for the Arts; the Art Basel fair; the 2006 Turner Prize; the New York magazine Artforum; the studio/factory of Japanese artist Murakami; and the Venice Biennale. Available for pre-order on Amazon.

Sweet Soup: Annysa Ng

Just last week, I was lead to the work of New York-based artist Annysa Ng by way of an open studio announcement. Named "one to watch" by The London Times, the Hong Kong-born artist studied fine art at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenen Künste in Stuttgart, Germany and the School of Visual Arts in New York. Her work was included in the 2008 group exhibition Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win: Young Chinese Art at Deutsche Bank's 60 Wall Street Gallery, and is currently on view at Holser Projects in London. Below, the artist talks about her work in silhouette, just one form in her multimedia practice.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Contemporary Confections: When did you start working with the silhouette and what did you set out to achieve with this form?

Annysa Ng: My first silhouette drawing was done in 2004 when I was studying in Germany. The drawing is a silhouette of a woman from Vermeer's famous painting Woman with a Pearl Necklace. Instead of wearing a pearl necklace, mine wore dentures around her neck. The original conveys the idea of youth, but my work hints at its temporality. I borrowed Vermeer's image, because it is well-known and thus recognizable even in black. I chose the silhouette over painting the figure in full color, because I wanted the dentures to stand out even though they are rendered quite small. That drawing is now in the collection of the State Library of Stuttgart.

I did not continue to work with silhouettes after that. However, people saw my portfolio and really liked that drawing. When I was an artist-in-residence in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic (2007), the director of Egon Schiele Art Centrum asked me to make one for the museum's show following the residency. I created the silhouette as a wall mural and wove the history of the [location] through the piece. Cesky Krumlov was ruled by three main dynasties. In the mural, a woman is knitting lace, which is patterned with [their individual] coats of arms.

When I came back to New York in May 2007, I started to work on more silhouette drawings and started the "Tea Silk and Porcelain" series, which is about my heritage. I was born in Hong Kong, which is a former British colony. In this series, I combine concepts of Queen Elizabeth's ruffle collar with traditional Chinese costume.

CC: What materials were you working with prior?

AN: I am interested in different mediums. I'm still making installation and assemblage with found objects and fabric alongside my work with the silhouette. It's good to work in both 3-D and 2-D, as it satisfies my artistic appetite. For the silhouette works, I work with ink on paper first, as not to be confined by [canvas] size. I developed a way to create a movable mural, which is ink on paper mounted on PVC. Each image is a cut-out, so it can be moved and the composition changed according to the site. Though, recently, I also transferred the silhouette images onto canvas.

CC: Are you generally inspired by fashion and attire?

AN: As I mentioned, the East-West fusion in my work is related to Hong Kong's cultural history. We absorbed the influences of foreign cultures, yet the one and one-half century absence from China did not efface our heritage and links with the mother culture. The fusion has developed into the indigenous. I use costume to represent this idea. I like fashion; it may not show the full inner workings of a person, but attire, especially uniforms, [to some degree] suggest a person's qualities. A policeman's or fire fighter's uniform, for instance, suggests heroism. Fashion also tells time. In Chinese history, each dynasty had different fashions and make-up. Modern trends also change almost annually, so every season I window shop for inspiration.

CC: Let's end with dessert. What do you like? What would you recommend?

AN: I used to like dessert a lot, but for a healthier diet, I cut it down a little bit. As Thanksgiving is coming, I'd recommend the Three Berry Pie from Dessert Delivery in midtown. Bouchon Bakery in Columbus Circle has great macaroons, cakes and breads. However, I cannot find a good sweet soup place in Chinatown. Sweet soup is a Chinese dessert; it's a soothing and comforting food for me. There are many varieties, such as sweet red bean soup, sweet potato in syrup, and soft bean curd in syrup.

Annysa Ng's work will be on view at Vanina Holasek Gallery on Nov. 10, 2008 as part of Passport to the Arts.

Images appear in the following order: "Tea Silk and Porcelain (Ancestor Painting III)", detail, 2008; "A Woman with a Pearl Necklace", 2004; "Vitava", 2007. Acrylic wall mural, 84 x 28 inches; "Tea Silk and Porcelain Mural", 2007. Ink on paper mounted on PVC, 90 x 90 inches; "Tea Silk and Porcelain (Ancestor Painting III)", 2008. Ink on paper, dimensions unknown; "Tea and Porcelain", 2007. Ink on paper, 30 x 22 inches; All images courtesy of the artist. Interview conducted via e-mail.

Monday Morning Mix

What to do with the canned pumpkin left over from last week' s post? I found this recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes at Suite 101, a web site for healthy cooking.

Ingredients:
One egg
One cup skim milk
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cooked pumpkin
1 tablespoon Splenda No-Calorie Sweetener
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg

Directions: Stir all ingredients until well blended. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto a heated griddle (a frying pan works too). When edges begin to bubble, flip the pancake over. Can be served with syrup and/or whipped cream and powdered sugar. (I went with banana slices and a sugar-free syrup.)

Note: I'm a terrible photographer; the kind that repeatedly swears there's something wrong with the camera only to realize that my finger is resting on the lens. And I have shaky hands. Having said that, in spite of these pics, the pancakes really were tasty, though a little dry. Next time, I'll add more milk or a dollop of yogurt and perhaps top them with a grilled banana compote.

The Worst In "Street Art"

I was catching up on Hrag Vartanian's blog and came across his post "My Hell on Earth," an amusing response to this image, which was recently posted by C-Monster. (The latter blog offers a funny missive too). And just a few days ago, these "throw ups" (and I mean that in every sense of the phrase) appeared in my inbox:

Three words: Broken Window theory. Where's an Anti-Graffiti Task Force when you actually need one?

Burnt Cream Fit for a King

UnBeige reports that the Met's Trustees Dining Room will honor departing director Philippe de Montebello with a "French Classics" tasting menu offered each weekend in October. The four-course menu includes black angus steak tartare, pan-seared dorado...fast forward to dessert: creme brulee.

The earliest known reference to creme brulee was in François Massialot's 1691 cookbook, Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois (later editions known as Le Nouveau Cuisinier...). In his time, Massialot served as executive chef to some high-profile folks, namely, Philippe I, Duke of Orleans and his son Philippe II. Hence, the brulee is a dish well--and I'm sure deliberately-- chosen for so-called "King Phillipe."

I'm a firm believer in museum accessibility on all levels, even down to food and dining. Unfortunately, no Met membership = no brulee. Make your own with Marc Bauer of the French Culinary Institute (above). Or try these CB recipes: Lemon Thyme; Pumpkin Coconut; Almond Chocolate; Pear Rosemary; Butternut Squash; Lavender; Ginger and Vanilla Bean.

Looks Good (10.7.08)

Brendan Fernandes at Nuit Blanche: Toronto knows how to party. This sunset to sunrise exhibition/event already took place, but Fernandes' monumental piece Future (· · · - - - · · ·) Perfect deserves a post-post. A series of stacked shipping containers, the outdoor installation pulsed with a dramatic lighting score that indicated S-O-S in morse code. Meant to address the trauma of migration, displacement and change, the work also evoked Moshe Safdie’s utopic Habitat housing scheme, produced for the 1967 Montreal Exposition. While Safdie's ideology included all people regardless of class, race or gender, Fernandes’ structure signals its failure and "the susceptibility of these social projects to capitalist forces." See more pictures of the installation on the artist's website. Fernandes will participate in the 2008-2009 AIM program at the Bronx Museum.

Street Art, Street Life at the Bronx Museum: I'll have to make one of my bi-annual trips to the Bronx for this; I hear it's worth every minute of the long haul from Brooklyn. Beginning October 15, you can also see Fatimah Tugger's project Transient Transfer along the Grand Concourse. The project is presented in association with the Public Art Fund. Bronx Museum assistant curator, Erin Riley-Lopez, recommends stopping in the borough's Little Italy (Arthur Avenue) where they "have all kinds of delectable treats." According to the NYT," the baked-good-to-resident ratio is one of the highest in the city."

I Kiffe NY: A salute to the city by French artists whose identities are deeply anchored in urban life. Pronounced “keef” and borrowed from the Arabic language, this French slang word means to adore, to be absolutely crazy about something or someone. The festivities run through October 28.

Chocolate Scones: I kiffe chocolate. This recipe--with white and dark chocolate chunk filling--provides an interesting link to the history of scones, including the etymology: "Some say the name comes from where the Kings of Scotland were crowned, the Stone (Scone) of Destiny. Others believe the name is derived from the Dutch word "schoonbrot" meaning fine white bread or from the German word "sconbrot" meaning 'fine or beautiful bread'. Still others say it comes from the Gaelic 'sgonn' a shapeless mass or large mouthful." Read more.

Open Studios at 146 11th Avenue in Chelsea: Recognized as "one of the last standing relics of old New York," the building hosts studios of more than 10 artists who will open their doors from 6-9pm this Friday, October 10. Artists: Andrew Poneros, Annysa Ng, Midori Harima, Thomas Beale, Vadis Turner, Daphane Park, Graham Gillmore, Anthony Graviano, Marcus Leatherdale, Margaret Roleke, John Wells, and more.

Dan Asher at White Columns: If you ask me, the photographs are the highlight of the show. The video too is quite lovely (Roberta Smith seems to agree). On view through October 25.

The Secret Life of Bees: A new movie starring Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys. Honey, if it weren't for Dakota Fanning and this trailer I'd think it was Dreamgirls 2. Speaking of bees--they're disappearing. Häagen-Dazs is trying to raise awareness of Colony Collapse Disorder, the mysterious condition that has caused a dramatic increase in honeybee colony losses. See the documentary.

Toscanini’s Ice Cream: Boston is a frightening place. Something about the graves of America's founding fathers freaks me out (more so than any other burial site). But I recently learned that "Bostonians eat more ice cream than anyone else in the country" and the city boasts "the best ice cream in the world." Serious Eats put it to a taste test, but this picture has already convinced me to give the city another chance. The ICA Boston appears to have some good stuff too.

Pumpkin Picking at the Museum

From the October 13 issue of The New Yorker:

With the price of gas being what it is, a quick trip to the country for, say, a Halloween pumpkin and some fresh air requires much consideration. So what’s an urbanite to do? Head to the Queens County Farm Museum, the oldest patch of continuously farmed land in New York State, where visitors can pick their own pumpkins. Wandering the field is free; the pumpkins’ prices are determined by weight.

The Queens County Farm Museum dates back to 1697; it occupies New York City's largest remaining tract of undisturbed farmland, and is the only working historical farm in the city. The 47-acre parcel encompasses a historic farm buildings, a greenhouse complex, livestock, farm vehicles and implements, planting fields, an orchard, and an herb garden. Read more.

Until last year, I looked at pumpkin with disgust followed by an audible "ick!" The orange-brown mush summoned memories of bland pies and soups that lacked the kick of comparable sweet potato recipes. This Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread completely changed my perspective. If you're going to use a fresh pumpkin in this recipe and the Queens Country Farm Museum is out of the way, visit Pumpkin Patches and More for a global list of pumpkin patches, corn mazes and other farms.

Illustration above by Daniela Schütt Pozzo for "The New Yorker."

When Rubbing Two Pennies Together

The Art Newspaper's recent article "Sign of Things to Come? New York Art Market Shows Evidence of Weakness" comes as no surprise given the proliferation of "Wall Street Crisis" headlines (now coupled with bailout plans), rising unemployment statistics, and other financial adversities. Though writer Melanie Gerlis recognizes a historically “loose correlation between the wider economy and the art market,” she goes on to propose that today "...the art market can no longer withstand the pressure of the surrounding economic turmoil." Philip Hoffman, founder of the UK's Fine Art Fund, is quoted saying "There will be a tightening of belts." Almost a year ago, an article in The Economist, titled “What Crisis?” disclosed a collective figure of $641 million in contemporary art sales by Sotheby's and Christie's in New York. Concluding on a pessimistic note, however, the article read “…triumphalism obscures the simple truth about markets, which is that what goes up also comes down.”

When forced to tighten my financial belt, I try to reduce my food expenses by eating out less and using the items in my cabinet that have begun to collect dust: currently a very mature can of puréed pumpkin, instant cocoa mix, brown sugar, and instant oatmeal. Of course, these are the things that sound somewhat complimentary. Never mind the canned tuna, vegetarian baked beans and garlic croutons. I turn to my fridge: Greek yogurt, organic fat free milk, Fuji apples, frozen bananas up the wazoo, and some really fuzzy blueberries.

I google “ingredients” and find AllRecipes.com, one of several sites that allows you to enter a list of food items that you wish to use--in this case, pumpkin, yogurt, and bananas--alongside a list of ingredients that you don’t want to use or just don't have around. I click "GO" and the site returns a recipe for an Apple Pie Smoothie:

Makes 2 servings:

2 (6 ounce) containers vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup pumpkin pie filling
1 banana, broken into chunks
2 cups apple juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 dash ground nutmeg

Sounds like something to try for breakfast, but I have to do a bit of substitution.

Makes about 1.5 servings:
1 (6 ounce) non-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup pumpkin pie filling
1 frozen banana
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*
1 cup organic fat-free milk

1 scoop Gold Standard 100% Whey French Vanilla Crème protein powder**

Just blend and pour. Oh, if everything could be as good as this smoothie (which oddly still tastes like apples). Artnet Magazine reports that 16 Abstract Expressionist drawings owned by the head of Lehman Brothers, carrying a total presale estimate of $15 million-$20 million, will be auctioned on Nov. 12 at Christie’s New York; the Contemporary Art Museum in Honolulu has laid off a large number of staff due to "the drop in market value of the museum’s endowment"; and there are still effects that remain to be seen in both the for- and non-profit sectors.

*Spices can be pricey. Many 99 cent stores in NY sell jars big enough to last an entire recession.

** Consumed post-workout.

Pictured on top: Visit the online store of Global Exchange for a fair trade version of these chocolate coins.

What Would Sarah Palin Say About Gilbert & George?

As many began to settle into bars stools and living room couches to watch the Biden/Palin debate, I took a seat in the auditorium of the Brooklyn Museum and waited for the British duo Gilbert & George to take the stage.

During the 35-minute discussion with director Arnold Lehman, the audience repeatedly erupted in laughter as G&G spoke frankly of, among other things, their well-tailored suits, shit, cum, and George's desire to be a "super tramp." In contrast, I returned home to hear Palin say "Americans are cravin' that straight talk..." Of course, the context in which she spoke was completely different, but at the moment I couldn’t help but wonder how she would approach a work by Gilbert & George. The answer seems pretty obvious (I'm certain that G&G don't come any where near her idea of things straight), but I would still love to hear it.



Perhaps the fathers of irreverent British art, when asked about their relationship to the Young British Artists, G&G responded enthusiastically: "There are not enough artists in the world," said George. He went on to talk about a time when most people only knew of Leonardo da Vinci and perhaps one other guy long dead; today, there is greater awareness of artists. George continued, "You don't need to know just the names of famous politicians, murderers or sports people."

Thereafter, a member of the audience asked about their relationship to Andy Warhol and Pop Art. George again replied: "Andy Warhol and Pop Art celebrated consumerism. We want to celebrate humanism."

Gilbert & George is on view at the Brooklyn Museum through January 11, 2009. (Above: G&G sign exhibition catalogs in the Museum lobby.)

A Quarreling Pair at BAM

A Quarreling Pair, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music through October 4, is without a doubt the best Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company production that I've had the opportunity to see in person. Based on Jane Bowles' 1945 puppet play about two sisters--Miss Rhoda and Miss Harriet--Jones sets out to explore the "dualities between any two people and the struggle to co-habitate and live together against all odds."

While new media and design elements often compete with dancers for viewer's attention, Janet Wong’s video projections and Bjorn G. Amelan’s set are truly complimentary; these elegant layers heighten the emotional and psychological reach of the performance. Yesterday's New York Times review, noted another success of the show: "bandleader" Christopher William Antonio Lancaster. Claudia La Roca wrote, "A relatively new addition, and an exciting one, [Lancaster] offers up rich stews of original and appropriated music. He is joined by Wynne Bennett and George Lewis Jr., who serves as an M.C. of sorts and whom Mr. Jones should sign to a lengthy contract." The dancers were, as usual, enviously tight, toned and fierce.

Jones will lead a discussion about the piece with members of his company following tonight's show.

The Chocolate Room on 5th Ave is a great place to chat about the show afterward. I recommend the Brownie Sundae with Banana Ice Cream (though the latter is not always on the menu). Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge at just 63 calories a piece is also an option.