Robert Taplin

Aaron and I hit up Chelsea last night for a long overdue evening of gallery hopping. Of the many galleries we visited, Winston Wachter's Robert Taplin show clearly stole the evening.

Taplin presented a crazy show based on Dante's Inferno in a series of nine dioramas, for lack of better terms, in a super-surreal, trippy perspective. He highlights Dante’s role in the narrative by portraying his figure in full color. The rest of the characters and figures, including Beatrice and Virgil, are cast in resin and appear to be glow-in-the-dark (I hope they really are, but I couldn't tell.)

A few noted changes in the gallery world post-recession:
1) More galleries offer free wine/beer at openings. To lure 'em in. It works.
2) The free wine/beer is gone faster at openings, as people are taking advantage of these free drinks. We arrived around 7 and only stupid Perrier was left. Not interested.
3) WAY more group shows... this is the gallery equivalent to a 'warehouse clearance sale.'
4) Safer shows, oftentimes more cynical shows (Taplin was of the later)
5) More people in attendance, but there to look, not to buy (like me.)
6) Doomsday tones. (Me: Love the show! How is everything in the new year!? Every galleriest in Chelsea: Well, I'd be lying if I said it was good.) Ugh.

There are also more people at Half King, which, lets be honest, is one of the best parts of gallery openings... the re-hash afterwards with whoever we find in the area... last night we ran into Sabrina, ALWAYS a blast. We argued about Doubt, about Slumdog, about art and life and relationships. We drank free beer on my trade account and made friends with our friends' friends. I love New York.

Vito Schnabel

I only read celeb gossip on airplanes about twice a year. This surprises most people, I don't know why. However... work today involved hassling the Schnabel fam, and I couldn't help but look this kid up. 23 year old Vito Schnabel is so cool that his website only says this.

He reps Ron Gorchov and is currently showing Terence Koh's Flowers for Baudelaire in (ready for some name dropping?) Richard Avedon's old studio. Anna Wintor, Simon dePury, Agathe Snow, Rita Ackerman, Mary Boone, and Thaddeaus Ropac were also in attendance. Damn.

He is projected to be one of the best art dealers of our time. AND he is (was?) dating Elle McPherson. So cool.

Is anyone wondering what the Schnabel Family did for Thanksgiving? I am!

This Thanksgiving, paterfamilias Julian Schnabel gathered the clan to his Montauk home for the feast. That would be his three children—Vito Maria, 20, Stella Madrid, 22, Lola Montes, 25—from his first marriage to clothing designer Jacqueline Beaurang, and his twin boys, Cy and Olmo, 13, from his current wife, Olatz Lopez Garmendia.

“My dad will cook a ham and Oltaz will make the chickens—this year, she also made some delicious risotto. My dad doesn’t eat birds,” said Vito Schnabel by phone on Dec. 11. The budding art dealer-curator was in Miami, where he had spent a week at Art Basel Miami Beach in search of the “next young artist.” “We enjoyed some wine and then jumped in the pool,” he said. “Later, we sat by the fire.”

“We talk about all kinds of things. Art, movies, people, family, everything …. I don’t know—what do you talk about with your family?” said the young Mr. Schnabel.

“There are a lot of strong personalities in the family,” he said. His sister Stella is a poet and an actress. Lola is a painter and filmmaker. The twins, well, they’re 13—but no harm in prospecting.

“My little brother Cy loves to paint. He did a great painting of his dogs that hangs about his bed,” said Vito. “Olmo is a film nut. We’ll be watching The Deer Hunter, and he’ll be able to recite the whole cast and knows the movie backwards and forwards.”

Some celebrities are interesting. I can't help it.

Frankie's

Go here. And get the antipasta plate and the $5 house red. Kim, Al, and I had a lovely late dinner at Frankie's in Brooklyn on Saturday. Its Alison's favorite and it absolutely lived up to her high praises. They have a second location on the Lower East Side, with four tables and a long wait, but we prefer the Brooklyn local for its humble sweetness. Its off the beaten path, somewhere in Carroll Gardens but not the cool part.

We had a blast eating olives off each other's plates, arguing about Philip Seymore Hoffman's level of attractiveness, and listening to Interpol on Kim's ipod until 12am. Late long dinners=my favorite thing.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Everyone has been telling me to see this movie, and the post-holiday-everything prevented me from going until now. I saw Benjamin Button in the village this afternoon and wowza, this film deserves merit. I fell in love with it.

Its a grand film, in line with Forest Gump, as they share writer Eric Roth. Roth adapted the tale from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of my very favorite writers. Its the most nourishing and satisfyingly long film that I've seen in a while. It had that grand swoop that kept us interested and climaxed just when we were ready. We left full and content, with the sweetest of tastes left lingering.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a film about time, a relatively neutral idea until thought about backwards. Its that very simple concept of time that kept our attention for the entire three hours as we understood that this was a movie about a lifetime... it wouldn't end prematurely.

We held our breath as Benjamin and Daisy grew closer in age, knowing what was coming. The meeting was nothing short of spectacular. I can say with complete sincerity that the love shared between these two characters for that brief span (of, what, fifteen years? ten?) was one of my favorite love stories. The shots were gorgeous and life filled and completely joyous. I realize that the brevity is what made it such and that's okay.

Sometimes the best love stories are those that remain rose-colored and cherished simply because both players know what's fleeting. A clarity of what's important, what matters, and what constitutes priority is much better understood with a deadline involved. Love can be acted out in its fullest because the maybes are removed. When we know it can never last, we want it that much more. However, because of the finality, because of the known end... they are the most heartbreaking as well.

The animation was incredible. I didn't know what to expect and was prepared to be weirded out by 80-70-60 year old Brad. But he played it well and the make-up/digital team deserves props. Brad successfully aged backwards not only because of the special effects but also because of his placement. He was placed in a fairy tale, not a gritty, uber realistic world. We believed it as we believe in Pinocchio or ET. Because its a mere story and why not just go with it.

Speaking of Brad... has anyone ever been that attractive?! I don't remember the last actor that mesmerized us in the way that 40-20 year old Brad Pitt did. We were anxiously waiting for him to reach the Brad we know and when he finally settled into self I GASPED. Even better looking we were anticipating. GORGEOUS human being. He was Robert Redford reincarnate but with more chiseled features and a saucier smile. YUM.

Cate Blanchett was also the textbook definition of beautiful, with her long red hair and graceful lines. She moved like a dancer and talked like a performer, and each age was captured with such dead-on gusto. 20-something New York Modernist Cate reminded me a little too much of myself with her naive passion and undeserved resolution. At the same time, 35-45 year old Cate was who I want to become... someone who understands what is important and what is deserving of her time and energy. I loved that they spent most of their time on that mattress... laughing, dancing, kissing, talking, reading, loving. The 'duplex years' was such a fantastic sequence.

The accident scene was also lovely, as it brought light to the idea of human connectedness. It demonstrates how every little thing we do does affect everything else... the It's A Wonderful Life theme on scary-true terms. Had the woman not forgotten her coat, the cab driver not stopped for coffee, the store clerk not broken up with her boyfriend, the gift had not been wrapped... Daisy would not have been hit by a car.

It isn't an extraordinary idea, its the most common truth of all. We know on some level that our lives are the result of others, we just aren't able to track it as Benjamin did for us. When we see each step that lead up to a pivotal moment, we understand that everything is an intersection of lives and incidents.

Benjamin and Daisy eventually did pass to a place where the love affair had to end. As I said before, we knew it would come and so did they. The story wrapped up quickly from there, aging Daisy and taking Benjamin far from his self and his mind. It definitely alluded that we enter and leave this world in the same state. They have seen everything, know everything, and have survived everything, yet all they want to talk about is the weather, observes Benjamin.

The film touched on very profound truths about life and death and endings and beginnings. This was only palpable as it was piggybacked by wonderfully light interludes like the man being struck seven times by lightning, and Benjamin's deadpan explanations of his condition. They say I will die soon... but maybe not.

Some will say that this film was too long, but I disagree. It needed the length for breathing room and fullness. My only real complaint is how they told the story... I don't think that Daisy in the deathbed during Katrina was necessary. I would have preferred an unseen narrator to the daughter's stale prose. I simply don't understand how those scenes added to the film or to the story. If only they asked me first... :)

Benjamin Button will stay with me for a long time. Everything from Queenie's heart and generosity to Daisy's self involved grace touched me to the core. I loved the themes of acceptance and longevity and connection. It was done very, very well. However, we are obviously left with the question of what we would do... could we love someone that we know would have to leave us? The answer is simple: If he looked anything like Brad Pitt, even a moment would sustain us for a lifetime. Amen.

This American Life

This American Life is truly one of my favorite things in the entire world. Its on the same list as the Brooklyn promenade, my sisters, and snow. Just to be clear, I am talking about the radio show, not the television show. No disrespect to the television show, but I've only seen it three times and each time it was the SAME episode. The one with Improv Everywhere and that weird bull with the hanging skin. You know what I'm talking about.

The radio show is many, many kinds of brilliant. Its a very simple concept. As stated at the start of each episode, each week they chose a theme, and tell a variety of stories on that theme. Its a pointed look at the everyday and not-so-everyday people and places and things observed by smart minded people. Its an escape to a different way of looking and thinking, and we are better for it.

If you don't listen to This American Life, its probably because you don't think you like radio. I suppose there is a giant leap that goes into listening to radio for the first time (although its also a podcast) and if you aren't an NPR fan (you should be!) you don't understand how fantastic it is. Most New Yorkers claim that they don't listen to radio because they don't drive. Well, you can get all of the episodes online and listen on your ipod on the train-- best thing EVER. Not only is it escapist, but its a completely zen experience.

Radio allows a state of relaxation by combining the best aspects of reading and watching. It encourages imagination by not giving us any visuals, yet doesn't ask us to put in any effort during the process. In that way it is a completely indulgent and decedent experience. Have you ever sat across from someone on the subway smiling and laughing to herself with an unfixed gaze? She is absolutely listening to This American Life.

Start listening to the radio, America. You will be better for it. Below is my list of the best episodes, although its much more extensive than this. Start and the top and work your way down because I have thought about the list a lot and its the way to go. Like I said, its one of my very favorite things in this world. And, like every other liberal-arts-influenced-twenty-something-female in North America, I have a huge crush on Ira Glass.

Best of This American Life

Kid Logic- I think about this episode a lot in terms of how our brains function and how absurd it is to think that we, as humans, believe that we have it all figured out. That we can have it all figured out. The tooth fairy story is amazing. It is the first This American Life story I came across on NPR and was thrilled beyond belief that I had discovered a radio show that told stories. This is where it all started for me.

Break-up- The Phil Collins story is my FAVORITE ever to be told on This American Life. Its so funny and sadly quite autobiographical in my life. But Starlee Jones helps me take myself less seriously and her song really does heal. The story of the young girl asking the mayor for advice is also heartbreakingly raw and real. This is a great episode.

Switched at Birth- SHOCKING. Its just how it sounds, this episode tells the story of two girls actually switched at birth who find out as adults. Everything about this episode is crazy-interesting, I think about it often.

What I Learned from TV- Sarah Vowell has a fantastic essay on Thanksgiving episodes of sitcoms, and Ira Glass talks about The O.C. and makes me MELT. The story on the guy who doesn't watch TV and laughs hysterically at America's Funniest Home Videos is hilarious. This is one of the all-around best episodes... every story is amazing.

Notes on Sleep- This is where I first heard Mike Birbiglia. SO FUNNY. The last story about understanding death through sleep also unfortunately rang true for me. I had no idea that other people had experienced this before, its super interesting and incredibly scary.

A Little Bit of Knowledge- Fascinating look at how our minds and worlds are formed and what happens if something is randomly missed. Like a normal, smart, educated twenty five year old asks one day at a party if unicorns are extinct or endangered. The story of the gay couple raising the young boy is also crazy-interesting.

Allure of the Mean Friend- We've all had one. This episode offers an inquiry as to why this bizarre phenomenon is so common.

Notes on Camp- This is Lauren Hoffman's favorite episode. You can always trust her taste.

Dreamhouse- The story of the father who decides to build his house stuck with me for a long time. It is told in a similar tone of The Glass Castle, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Its about trust and dreams and how far both can stretch and how far both should stretch.

Going Big- Touches on big social ideas like bettering entire communities in Harlem through babies and tells the story of a daughter going to prison to be with her mom. Heartbreaking and beautiful.

How to Talk to Kids- Similar to Kid Logic, but told in a more serious, anthropological tone.

Act V- Inmates at a high-security prison rehearse and stage a production of the last act -- Act V -- of "Hamlet." It's a play about murder and its consequences, performed by murderers living out the consequences. (I stole that description from itunes, but its wording was much better than mine.)

The Ghost of Bobby Dunbar- I wonder if The Changling with Angelina was based on this story. Its a similar idea, and equally terrifying and unbelievable.

Ruining it for the Rest of Us- Mike Birbiglia is back for this episode- YAY. He tells the story of why comedy is bad for cancer benefits. Cracks me up.

There are many, many more but thats a start. I love you, Ira.

Freemans

Go here. My favorite New York restaurant. Katie, Kim, Al, and I had a fantastic meal at Freeman's this evening. Our conversation was admired by many and absolutely proved why reality television exists... Good, juicy, conversation has the ability to hold interest no matter the relevance. And the banana's foster was amazing.

I wish he were my boyfriend.

I can't figure out how to add video, but just click here, it will take you to YouTube. Nothing else to say other than I wish Josh Lyman were my boyfriend.