This Weekend: An Opening, and Two Talks

Image courtesy of OKOK gallery.

Dutch artist Ron van der Ende, who was born in Delft (home of the famous blue porcelain dishware), here makes his U.S. debut. “Motor Memory”� renders manufactured machines as oversized, hand-wrought bas-relief figures. Those on display include a Boeing 727, the S.S. Roosevelt (the schooner used for Robert Peary’s historic but ill-fated North Pole expedition), and two Citroën DS automobiles (those iconic, beautifully streamlined French sedans with their adjustable hydraulic suspension). The title of this show refers both to the motor-powered objects being modeled and van der Ende’s time-intensive manual recreations of same. His fragile reproductions of vintage vehicles are made of balsa and scrap wood.
OKOK Gallery, 5107 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-6242. Free. Mon.-Sun. Ends June 10.

Also this weekend:
A brunch-time campfire artist's talk with Susan Robb at Lawrimore Project, with beverages, and biscuits and gravy (Saturday, noon).

And, most notably, a rare talk by Chuck Close, with buddy and collaborator Bob Holman at the Tacoma Art Museum (Sunday, 2 p.m.).

Topics: Visual Art

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Just What Has Brodeur Just Done?

Behold this headshot of picket line-crossing Times' columnist Nicole Brodeur, which runs with her every scribble. Unlike other headshots, this one has an air of fashion to it — a far cry from the sit and pose stylings of most daily newspaper columnists. Here, it actually looks like Brodeur has just done something. But just what has 'ol Nic just done? Has she just put away the groceries? Just finished mowing the lawn? Just watched Shakes the Clown's DVD extras? Just gotten home from a paintballing excursion with the Blethen clan? Just finished banging out a column about herself? Just been fucked? Just what? Pray tell.

Topics: Aquatic Fashion

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For the Dogs

Stein and his family dog, Comet. (Photo by Frank Huster)

After Oprah, having a display at Starbucks may be the most effective way to launch a book. The coffee giant has previously selected Mitch Albom (ugh), Ishmael Beah (hooray!), and David Sheff (meth!) for its book program; now Mount Baker resident Garth Stein is getting the same treatment for his novel The Art of Racing in the Rain (Harper, $23.95), about car racing, dogs, reincarnation, and an ugly child-custody battle. He told me about it over coffee recently (I won’t say where, though no green mermaids were in sight). His former New York agent rejected Stein’s third novel, saying, “we couldn’t sell it because it’s narrated by a dog,”� apparently oblivious to the fact that most author photos include a golden retriever. His new agent got a feeler from a scout from Starbucks Entertainment, and soon Art of Racing “is gonna be in 7,000 Starbucks.”� He launches a national tour Tues. May 13 at the Starbucks in Madison Park, with more Seattle readings later this summer (see the book’s Web site for schedule). The novel is based in part on Stein’s amateur racing with an old junker Miata after the Shoreline native returned home in 2001 following 18 years in New York. At Pacific Raceways (formerly SIR), “I reached the limit of what I could do without being independently wealthy. You see these guys out there with their quarter-million dollar cars.”� (So that’s why we need to upgrade to Vista”�to pay for those Redmond Ferraris.) “It all came to an end in a terrible crash, of course. I hit the concrete barrier. I was going over 100 mph. I had a concussion. My wife said, ‘And the good news is, you’re retired.’”� Their third child displaced Stein from his old home office; now he writes at a rented desk over a pizzeria. But he and his 74-year-old father still go to the track for fun, non-competitive laps and “this whole Zen of racecars, the balance and anticipation and being in the moment.”� Which Art of Racing’s protagonist (the dog’s owner) needs during a family crisis. Stein will again take the wheel for a local driving tour of smaller Northwestern bookstores late this summer”�wearing his seatbelt and obeying the speed limit, no doubt.

Starbucks, 4000 E. Madison St., 329-3736, www.starbucks.com. Free. 7 p.m. Tues., May 13. Also: Barnes & Noble (University Village), 517-4107, www.barnesandnoble.com. Free. 7:30 p.m. Wed. May 14.

Topics: books

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Keeping Up With the Johnses

Known mainly for her NC-17 sense of humor and showing up for work in sweatsuits, it appears as though SW production manager Claudia Johns can paint as well. And she paints quite well. Check it out.

Topics: Visual Art

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Tonight: Second Thursday

Saul Becker, Untitled, 2008, 22.75" x 18", ink and gouache on paper
Image: Platform.com

Just a few of the events I'll be trying to pack into my art-looking evening:

Cornish's BFA Shows, opening 5-9 p.m.
Always packed with wall-to-wall bodies, proud grandmas, and promising —sometimes fantastic— art.

Platform's opening, 5:30-8 p.m.
They're talking landscape art, but not of the pretty fields variety.
See images here.

And, if I can make it across the water (oh, I wish it were not such a big if).

Heads (dis)Embodied at the Kirkland Art Center, curated by Jim McDonald, with work by Claire Cowie, Scott Fife, Sherry Markovitz, Shawn Nordfors, and Dan Webb, among others. Opening 6-8 p.m.

Also across the water (though not for tonight) the (already-opened) Mandy Greer installation at BAM. A glimpse here.

Want more? Look here.

Topics: Visual Art

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ANTM Distaff: Big Fun at the Finish Line

The most heinous contestant (Dominique) in the history of America's Next Target Model finally got the boot last night, which leaves us with three flawed (they're always flawed on this show) but evenly-matched fillies vying for the jewel of the Thread Count crown at the top of the stretch. Here's our predicted order of finish on May 14:

Show: Anya Kop. A classic rabbit, this skinny, luminous bottle blonde would definitely be the safest pick if Tyra's panel wants to ensure their champ actually finds work in the modeling industry after the show's over. But that's rarely what ANTM, a show that inspires such passion as to lead to mortal combat, has aspired to, and Anya doesn't do herself any favors when she opens her mouth and spews forth that grating, one-of-a-kind Hawiiarican (even though she's white) accent. She'll be the first one lopped off come Wednesday.

Place: Fatima Siad. She's made a game charge from the back of the pack and has the handicapable card to play with that mutilated vadge, but ultimately, two things are going to prevent her from entering the winner's circle: (1) the shoot she missed as a result of her visa snafu, as the finalists' entire body of work is inevitably taken into account at this stage of the game, and (2) simple demographics: While ANTM has plucked minorities aplenty to wear its crown, it's never plucked a plus-sizer, which leads us to our champ...

Win: Whitney Thompson. With her Dallas Cowboy cheerleader looks and curvy frame, this powerful filly — our pick from the start (or close to it) — will never be "couture" or "high fashion." She may not even be "commercial." But she'll win here, both because she's far and away the best-looking plus (read: normal) size model ever to appear on the show, and because she seems to have a pretty good head on her shoulders. Hence, she'll be cast as a "role model" in her post-ANTM career. And she may even get to scamper down the Mall of Americas runway in a dress with a giant red dot on it at some point, too, because that's what America's Next Target Model is all about.

Topics: Top Model

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Photo of the Day: Rocking Out With Dad

One of the many little ones in the crowd at the Ben Folds' show at the University of Puget Sound on April 27th jams with dad.
Photo by Joshua Lynch

Topics: Photo of the Day

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Separated at Fremont

Area waitress Antonia Greco, who, as noted in this week's cover story, has a knack for sharing intimate moments with international celebrities like Gary Busey and James Blunt. Here, in a Thread Count exclusive, she recounts an intimate moment shared with a local celebrity: the Fremont Bridge. Writes Greco:

Two years ago, for no good or apparent reason, I moved to Seattle from a small town in New York. Since then, I have lived happily ever after in the Emerald City. I have always been a runner, so no matter where I am in the world, I am always in search of good running routes.

When I lived downtown, my running route used to be along the piers on the waterfront; a lovely run, might I add. About a year ago though, I moved into the Queen Anne area, so naturally, my running route would have to change. Being new to the hood, my friend, who happened to live in Queen Anne, suggested that I run along Lake Union or to head over the Fremont Bridge and pick up the Burke-Gliman trail.

Even after living in Seattle for over a year, I would still confuse all of the bridges. There was the Aurora Bridge, the Fremont Bridge, the Ballard Bridge, the I-5 Bridge, etc. I didn’t have a car. I never drove in Seattle. Why the hell would I care which bridge was which. Heck, I’ve still never even been to Northgate!

Anyway, I decided to take the advice of my friend and head into Fremont and run on whatever this Burke-Gilman trail was all about. Apparently, this involved crossing the Fremont Bridge.

Continue reading "Separated at Fremont"

Topics: Exotic Locales

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Following in Perley King's Footsteps

One Saturday morning in the year 2000, South Tacoma eight-year-old Perley King woke up to find that there were no Cheerios in the cupboard. Cheerios were his favorite cereal, so he did what any bold and resourceful eight-year-old would do: he got the family dog, stole the keys to his sister's car, and attempted to drive to the grocery store, alternately pressing the gas and lifting himself to see over the dashboard.

I've always admired Perley King for his take-charge approach, and even suggested to my girlfriend the possibility of naming future offspring after him. The idea was quickly vetoed.

The legend and his partner in crime pose for the press in 2000

Well, it appears that Perley has been upstaged. Seven-year-old Latarian Milton of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida joyrode his grandmother's Dodge Durango because he was mad at his mom. Check out the video. How many seven-year-olds get to give their defiant "I'm not sorry" speech on television. He provides some great quotes.

Thanks to Jeff for the tip.

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How Gay is Tori Spelling?

(Image courtesy of Regent Releasing)

Are the old gay icons (Liza, Lauren Bacall, etc.) slowly dying off? Or do you have to be dead to be a gay icon (e.g. Bette, Callas, and company)? One candidate for entry into the new young sisterhood of apprentice divahood is
Tori Spelling, who will appear in the SIFF "Gay-la" comedy Kiss the Bride on Thurs., May 29. (She's pictured with co-stars Matt Phillip Karner, at left, and James O’Shea.) She's about to marry one handsome fellow, you see, when his handsome best pal from high school returns to confess some new feelings... Uh-oh, will Tori's big day be spoiled?

The screening is followed by a party, of course. Would it be too much to hope that Tori will be in attendance? (Wasn't she supposedly disinherited by her mother? How much can her airline tickets and per diem cost?) Obviously SIFF revelers would welcome bare-chested hunks Karner and O’Shea, but what about Spelling? Is she worthy of entry into the canon? Perhaps that's up to you, the reader/commentator, to decide.

Topics: Film and SIFF 2008

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