2 Things @ Once

Keep an Eye Out for Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman

Photographer Julius Shulman (if you don't know the name, you probably know the image) died earlier this year. There's a documentary about him currently making the film festival circuit, which combines two of my interests, photography and architecture, and judging from the trailer, it's a must-add to my Netflix queue. (While I know it's showing here at the Chicago International Film Festival, my days of fighting the crowds and paying big ticket prices at the local fest are long over.)

Must Sleep Now

I'm absolutely dead tired and should be asleep now, but must post to the blog before the midnight hour to get this day's post in. Just a quick blast of randomness before I got to sleep:

• We new it was a risk when we bought Cubs' tickets back in May for games in late August and September. At least, I said to myself, even if they're out of contention (which they very much are right now) it's pleasant to be outside enjoying a game on a lovely summer night at Wrigley Field. That was before the Ice Age summer struck. This evening it was long sleeves and layers as I watched a losing game in 50-degree temps. I expect that in April, not August.
• Got a good news/bad news scenario from the vet today. The good news: my cat Maisy's thyroid condition is treatable with a one-time treatment, which has a high rate of success. The bad news: $$$.
• Kirsty, frequent commenter to this blog, will be in Trafalgar square in a few hours to cheer her husband on as he takes to the 4th Plinth. You can catch his hour on the plinth live (3-4p.m. London time, 9a.m. central time) or catch it in rerun at the One & Other site. Break a leg Mark!

Halfway Through One & Other -- Highlights From the Fourth Plinth

Photo by FrankLong on Flickr.

One and Other, the living art project going on in Trafalgar Square this summer, is over half-way through its 100 day run and it's just as entertaining now as it was that first week. I continue to spread the news about the Plinth to all who will listen and figure I'm long overdue with another list of my favorite plinthers thus far. So here goes:

Week 2 --

• GeraldC -- Godzilla destroys London.
• Bushewacker -- Made a 360-degree drawing of Trafalgar Square while standing inside a box with the clear plastic pallet all around him.
• Volorose -- There have been a number of stationary cyclists on the plinth but this guy gave it an utterly unique spin with his Pee-Wee Herman bike and a thwarted if not noble attempt to use his own spinning to power his finale.
• MiniBeastGirl -- A charming, dancing butterfly helps to raise awareness for cultivating urban wild spaces.
• Shells -- Wearing a house dress and kerchief, she used her early morning spot to give the plinth a good scrubbing.

Week 3 --

• Neil -- Another stationary cyclist; this one donned a skeleton suit encircled by flags to raise awareness of bicycle deaths on London roadways.
• Allenby -- Dressed as Buzz Lightyear and led a spirited aerobics work out for his hour. He was great fun and really had the crowd going.

Week 4 --

• Lilacbonzai -- The infamous first naked plinther who caused a controversy, not because he appeard "with his kit off" but because the cops told him to put it back on.

Week 5 --

• The Balloonatic -- A veteran street performer plies his trade on the plinth, bouncing around on--and inside of--a giant red balloon.
• Chris_L -- A touch of the absurd at the end of a fishing pole mixed in with infectious energetic solo dancing to his iPod. Bonus: I discovered a new group, The Wedding Present. Dial them up on MySpace and dance along.

More to come.

Standing in a Rainbow

Here I am at the MCA yesterday, standing in the misty water color rainbow in Olafur Eliasson's Take Your Time.

It's Sad When There Are More People in the Apple Store Than at the MCA

Popped into the Apple store on Michigan Avenue this afternoon and you'd have thought they were giving away free iPods from the crowd of people there. A good portion of them were hunkered over laptops, staring intently at the screens as if they were extras in a NASA control center. The place was mobbed, upstairs and down. Just another day at Chicago's Mac central.

Two blocks away, in the Museum of Contemporary Art, a much smaller number of people were marveling at the Olafur Eliasson exhibit Take Your Time, a fantastic collection of pieces by the Danish artist. An immersion of light, color, photography, wire, stone, moss, shadow, prism, paint, glass, and water.

Carl recommended this to me, knowing I would enjoy it. The less I knew ahead of time the better, he said, and he was right. Best to be surprised--and there's a lot to be surprised by. Go--you have until September 13th to be surprised yourself. (Tuesdays are free!)

Interesting fact I just learned: Eliasson was the artist responsible for the waterfalls in New York last summer which I loved (though, unfortunately I never actually saw them.) I hadn't realized it was the same guy 'til now.

Pinhole Photography From the Fourth Plinth

This is an interesting twist on the boring old shoot some photographs from atop the Fourth Plinth. (found on Anne C M's Flickr photostream.)

Small World, Big Plinth

I received a very exciting email from my blog pal Kristy (Boblog) telling me that her husband has been chosen to be a plinther! Woo-hoo! I'll actually "know" someone on the Fourth Plinth! I think that's pretty cool.

Crane Shots From Trump Tower

Occasionally the Tribune's Twitter feed pops up with something interesting, like this link to a set of photos taken by a crane operator from atop the Trump Tower during construction. There are some pretty fantastic shots.

Sunrise on the Fourth Plinth #oneandother

The sun comes up on Trafalgar Square, the site of One & Other.

One & Other: Fourth Plinth Highlights From Week #1 (#oneandother)

The first week of live art on the plinth is history, fourteen more to go. Throughout the week and during many a late night when I should have been in bed (like right now) I've been watching the live feed for One & Other, streaming 24/7 from Trafalgar Square.

Here are my favorites from the first week. All past "performances" are archived on the One & Other website and you can follow any of the links to catch the rerun. (Though there's nothing quite like watching it live.)

Amanda (Day 4) -- Used her hour to construct a sculpture of Antony Gormley out of bread. 

Mimiloo (Day 5) -- Donned wings and threw fairy cakes down to the crowd below. They were eating it up.

Dianne (Day 5) -- I've never been a fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show but this woman had the largest crowd I've seen yet joining her in doing "The Time Warp." Sound system, head mic, and much enthusiasm--an A for effort. A band of Friday night partiers dressed in sarapis and Mexican hats wandered in, reminding us all that for the next three months, the plinth will be ground zero for drunken revelry in London.

Sina (Day 7) -- The first of three great hours in a row began with this woman garbed in a black drape that completely covered the plinth (like a dementor, some commented.) A striking visual made even more so as the sun went down on the square.

Quangocrat (Day 7) -- Who knew doing your expense report for work could be so entertaining.

Battychess (Day 7) -- Chess as social history lesson. This guy, a kids' chess coach, captivated the live and online audience with personable banter, chess instruction, and the history behind the game while he first played a grandmaster on the phone and then a member of the audience in the square. Great fun.