out and about

It has been a busy week or so. I've settled into my routine at MTK and studying for the LSAT's but I've also managed to have a bit of fun...

Last weekend I went to the Candice Breitz opening at the Power Plant

A segment from Him, which I had actually seen before and hadn't realized. Paul and I saw Him and Her during our art blitz in Chelsea last spring. Very eyebrow raising that I took this picture, but David Chang and I were in there all alone.

Emily and David at the opening

I loved the look of the girl int he powder blue sweater, and it turned out she was a friend of D Chang's

Heading to another opening at OCAD

I made a grand entrance with Paul Kozak. i.e. we snuck in via the fire escape. What? The line-up was ridiculous.

Some of the OCAD crowd

One of the installations featured live grass and this dude doin' up some hot dogs, classy.

shots of the show.

headin' home

And then Saturday Justin and I went to the Queen Street Art Crawl to check out La Krause

Kurt modelling some La Krause

The lovely Lori-Anne genius behind La Krause headwear and vintage re-design.

Me modelling one of her awesome head pieces.

super cool broaches

and hats

After our perusal Justin and I took a short ride down Queen to check out the Blue's Society backyard BBQ and concert.

Alfie Smith

enjoying the Blonde

Natalie and Max had us over for dinner, after our awesome day.

homemade Indian feast

and after-dinner dirty scrabble

oh yea and the most delicious tarts. Also homemade, by Natalie.

Scrabble imitating life?

Upon my arrival home. No where to park, o well.

Sunday I stayed home and watched football.

Wow this is so illegal

Francesco's piece from the Power Plant show is on YouTube, check it out.





But isn't he a genius?

Why i love Francesco Vezzoli

http://www.artforum.com/diary/id=22033

Vezzoli's, seen in the above photo on the right with Miuccia Prada courtesy of art forum, has a new show. "Greed," which opened at Gogosian in Rome earlier this month, and sounds amazing from what The Diary says. The show opens with a commercial, that's right. Filmed by none other Roman Polanski and features Michelle Williams and Natalie Portman fighting over a perfume called, what else, Greed. Cathryn Drake who wrote the piece for art forum said that opinions about the commercial were mixed. And of course people compared it to Vezzoli's most famous work the trailer for Caligula, which I saw here in Toronto, at the Power Plant talk Vezzoli gave. Despite that, the show sounds right up my alley. And the after party sounded equally as amazing. Vezzoli has a great personal reputation, which I can personally confirm. He was a doll when Paul attacked him with star-studded awkwardness, by telling him that he could not miss Joan Crawford's bracelets on display at Yedessa's and then running off without another word. Anyway, I digress but I can only imagine he is as unassuming as always. The best part of the piece, and I bet, the party ,came at the end when Vezzoli handed out impromptu party gifts for the last revelers. The gift? A copy of the morning's International Herald Tribune covered in ad paper for Vezzoli's perfume Greed. OMG I need to see this commercial, and the prints.

Power Plant director Gregory Burke with Norah Stone.

Gregory Burke, perhaps Toronto's most important international art figure was in San Francisco over Pride weekend - well not San Francisco exactly but Calistoga, in the heart of Napa's wine region. Burke, who I admire from a far at many Power Plant openings but never have the nerve to speak to, was photographed for the Art Forum Diary with none other than Norah Stone. A San Francisco social/power broker, Norah is "Wiki fined" as a philanthropist, lawyer, art historian and collector. She was also named by San Francisco magazine as one of the city's best dressed citizens in 2007. She always reminded me of another San Francisco lady, Ms. Nan Kempner, although they look nothing alike - because they are both so fierce. Norah married Norman Stone and together they have amassed an impressive collection which is divided between their residences in San Francisco and the Napa Valley, and which features artists such as Jan de Cock, Robert Gober, Jeff Koons, Cady Noland, Richard Prince, Richard Serra, Keith Tyson, Christopher Wool, Andy Warhol, Marcel Duchamp, Hans Bellmer and Tony Conrad. And according to ArtForum a few Baldessari's here and there. To make the Stone's credentials even more impeccable their property in Calistoga is a respected vineyard. And their art cave, where most of their work is on display was custom designed by Bade Stageberg Cox. Below are Norman and Norah greeting their guests, and their sculpture by James Turrell called Stone Sky. Don't they look flawless? There is nothing I love more than art collectors with good taste, who throw dinner parties at their property. It is also nice to see a local Torontonian out and about in the international art world. Now if only I could get myself invited.

Check out the rest of ArtForum's article about dinner at the Stone's, the article is linked below.
http://www.artforum.com/diary/#entry20686