Tipsy

Philip Taaffe

by Kels

On a fairly recent visit to the city I hit some Chelsea Galleries and there was one artist in particular who caught my attention and has stuck with me ever since. Philip Taaffe. I saw his exhibition at the Gagosian gallery.

The online pictures don’t do the paintings justice. They are much more dimensional and a little less psychedelic up close and personal. The paintings are playfully architectural and graphic. They have layers upon layers of imagery and pattern that changed depending on the distance you were viewing them from. From a distance they are these beautiful abstract images that dance from across the room. As you view them closely they come alive with line and form, subtle color combinations and some recognizable images i.e. a few had oak tree seeds. (I used to call them helicopters when I was a kid because if you threw them up in the air they would spiral down like a helicopter blade.)

Taaffe combines abstract and simple, recognizable images harmoniously as they mingle and converse along the surface of the paper. They are really lovely images and technically amazing.
Taaffe creates these beautiful paintings using a paste paper technique that I was familiar with from my work as a book and paper conservator. You appreciate his work immensely if you’ve ever tried to make paste papers. It’s easy to muck them up. But Taaffe’s images are flooded with color and the artist keeps the colors clean and distinctive. I looked up more of his work online and appreciate him even more once seeing his work retrospectively on his website. http://www.philiptaaffe.info/index.php

Paste papers are made by taking cornstarch, wheatstarch or flour, mixing it with water to make a slurry and then cooking it until it becomes the thickness of a custard. You make different colors by adding pigment such as acrylics or watercolors. Once you make the pastes in a variety of colors you apply the paste to paper using brushes, combs, toothbrushes, anything that will create a pattern or texture. You overlap colors and patterns until you come up with something you like. I’ve made them for some book arts and rehousing projects I’ve worked on. You can make a bunch and have them on hand for whatever you want to use them for, books, wrapping paper, cards, etc.

I hadn’t made past papers in ages so I looked up some recipes online and of course Martha Stewart has one on her website. But I have to mention that in the article it says the person that gave the demo “developed a unique technique for decoration paper called paste papermaking.” I found this odd since bookbinders have been using paste paper making techniques since the 1600’s. I’ve been lucky enough to see some of these early ones first hand and they are truly incredible works. Traditionally they were usually used as the paste down and fly sheets in the front and back of the books. They have a very different character than marbled papers that you also see used in the same manner.

Anyway, I had to include the Martha link just for fun. The artist, Sage, looks like a pretty interesting “guy”.

Here is a link to a more simple and honest recipe if anyone ever wants to try to make paste papers.

They are great fun to make, especially outside on a warm sunny day while having a chilled cocktail. Cheers!

Crystal Head

By Kels

For all of you in the Hudson Valley Area:

Meet Dan Aykroyd for a personal bottle signing.
Viscount Liquor & Wines
1173 Route 9
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010. 1pm - 3pm

And if you have 8 minutes to watch a surreal video of Mr. Aykroyd talk about the conception of this vodka then click here.

I’ve been Bitch slapped!

by Kels

I stop off at my local discount wine and liquor store “Viscount” to pick up some wine. Being on a very tight budget and also in a bad mood, I walk in and immediately see a bottle of wine "entitled" Bitch, a 2008, South Australian Grenache. I turn the bottle around to see the description and it simply says Bitch repeated over and over. At the bottom of the label it says 15.5% and it’s on sale for $9.99. Hmmm, seems to fit the bill. And I am feeling a bit bitchy so I purchase the green bottle with the bubble gum pink label.

I get home, open the bottle and pour a glass. A lovely cranberry color in the center with a pinker cast along the edges, light and fruity scent with slight hint of spice. Hmmm, I think again, only this time a little suspiciously, as the thought of Kool-Aid popped into my head. I go for it and take a swig – Whoa!!! I am totally B-I-T-C-H slapped by sugar and alcohol and think yes Kool-Aid flavored alcohol. I knew Grenache wines could be a bit sweet but it had been awhile since I had one and didn't remember it being this sweet and strong. It reminded me of a slightly watered down port.

Since I stick to the principal of never wasting alcohol, I force myself to slowly polish off the glass. The great thing about a bad tasting, highly alcoholic wine is that it starts to taste better and better as you reach the bottom of the glass. I must say I am quite warm, cozy and totally relaxed after one glass. In the end, one glass is enough though. It is way too sweet for me to drink more.

I am not looking forward to the first few sips of the glass that I will no doubt have tomorrow night, but know that half way through the glass it will be just fine. I won’t buy this wine again but I think I may have to try their Bitch Bubbly only because I love the name.

Later that night:

Ok so maybe it's not THAT bad. It's starting to grow on me and tasting less sweet. Note to self: do not write review while drinking. Am now having an additional 1/2 glass of this wine as I'm editing. I will certainly regret this I'm sure.

Saturday the 13th...

 

by Kels

It was Saturday, the 13^th and feeling much like Friday the 13^th, as I was filled with the foreboding thought of the two tough days to come. My birthday falls the day after Valentine’s Day.  Just being recently at odds in my love life, and having the double whammy of Valentine’s Day AND my 39^th birthday back to back, I needed to get my mind off of this and just go have some fun. So, I of course turned to good friends. 

I hopped on a train and went down to NYC for the day. I first went to visit my dear lovie Joseph on the Upper East Side. On my way to his place, I picked up the most delicious scones from Corner Cafe & Bakery 3rd Avenue at 93^rd St. I bought one Cranberry and one Apricot Walnut and then popped across the street to buy some gorgeous yellow tulips. The scones were heavenly, melt in your mouth goodness topped with a pat of butter. The tulips were fresh and a vibrant, make-you-feel-good kind of yellow.

After spending a few hours hanging out and catching up with Joey and his pussycats, I went on to the second part of my day with my close friend and confidant Renee. We hooked up in Chelsea for some long overdue art viewing. It was really cold out, which made it physically shocking to pop in and out of the warm galleries. After a couple of hours, we were ready to find somewhere warm to hunker down and have a long chat so we wandered off to look for food and drink. And, like often happens when wandering in NYC, we stumbled across the perfect little place, Pepe Giallo, on 10^th Ave and 25^th Street, a very quaint and cozy Italian restaurant with loads of ambiance.

The front room is warm and filled with an amber glow from lights covered in paper bags. The large wooden bar in the back has a huge clear cylindrical glass vase of fragrant flowering branches that are probably 4 feet tall. It is strikingly beautiful. Although the back room has lovely garden seating, we chose to stay up front where is much cozier. On the front page of the menu was printed "no diet coke - no skim milk - no decaf coffee", so we knew we were in the right place.

We ordered a bottle of wine to start. Valpolicella Superiore - Zenato (Veneto) 2007. It’s a dry & robust Italian with a velvety texture and current, black cherry, & spicy aromas. It immediately warmed my insides. For dinner, I began with a salad of yummy goat cheese, apple and tomato over organic greens. Next was a heaping bowl of Pappardelle with sausage in spicy tomato sauce. Sorry, all you herbivores, but I like-a de good-a sausage and have no regrets. It was fantastic! The pasta was very fresh pasta and homemade sauce with exactly the right amount of spice so it didn’t burn my taste buds off. Service was mellow; slow, but just right if you want to enjoy your wine and company without feeling rushed. The waiter was very handsome, friendly and quite helpful. Pepe is the perfect haven after braving the elements of the city in February.

After finishing every last bite, we  rolled down the street to find a place for another drinkie poo or two (or maybe 3) and came across Le Zie. Yes, another Italian place. It is also a restaurant but has a separate lounge. A long couch sits against the main wall in front of a bar, buzzing with people coming and going. It is quintessentially New York. We were chatting up a friggin’ storm about loves gone wrong as we indulged in our vino. I have no idea what we were drinking, just knew it was warm and rich and felt good going down in the company of a good friend.