Two Artists Come to New York

Paul, Emma, Matt, Nancy

I crashed into the Redfords at Zabar's on Broadway. Nothing wrong with that except they live in LA and we hadn't yet arranged where and when we would meet up this evening on this island of millions. They were getting bread and cheese to take with on the way to the Central Park Zoo. I was getting brown rice sushi and skim milk. This has nothing to do with anything, but I thought you should just know.

Nancy reminded me that we crashed into each other some time after the turn of the century at the Trader Joes on 3rd and La Brea after what must have been years. I think I was buying those steam-a-bag Brussels sprouts. And she had a cart of stuff. Perhaps some polenta and a pork loin. It seems we have a geo-gastro relationship. Must investigate.
Paul, Emma, Matt, Nancy and Me
(The behind the scenes shot for the photo above it. Emma holds Patrick the Dog and wishes all else would get out of frame while people seemingly fuss over the reclusive Matt)

And I don't say this just because they may read this (who EVER really EVER knows the truth when someone writes that?!), but they are just a super family. I was at Nancy and Paul's wedding and knew Emma and Matt when they were wee. Nancy and I used to work together and she helped me in a big way at a baaaaaad time in my life. And this was all in California and here we are in the third or fourth season of our relationship so we take the show to New York City to increase flagging ratings! How much fun they are taking their kids here and I get to see them.

We went to Good Enough to Eat on Amsterdam and 83rd. The name of this restaurant I don't think is the best especially in these hard economic times as many things are going to be good enough to eat soon. Like the squirrels in the park a few blocks over. But it was quite cozy and a wonderful spot to catch up.

This being the city of power, art and short attention spans, I want to cut this entry short to show you some work by Emma and Matt Redford, two budding photogs whose work I admire:

PINING FOR FREEDOM by Matt Redford
Matt's bold statement about nature and commerce. I can just feel the buds trying to escape their cellophane prisons in the distance and the mighty pines felled and shrieking silently as they are tagged and beribbboned. Matt gets that this could easily have been an abattoir, but instead gets playful with the colors and the season to be less "on the nose' and thus much more profoundly shocking and nouveau ironic. Quite brilliant.


ISOLATION ALLEY by Emma Redford
Emma chose me as her muse to express the disenfranchisement we can all feel with the holidays. A subltle nod to our powerlessness in this economy is the headless Big Brother watching in left foreground. Arms crossed in judgement and authority with no hand out in aid. The distant glowing streetlight clearly represents the north star being dwarfed of its meaning and thus the diminshment of the true meaning of Christmas. And the lonely traffic cone just SCREAMS "Caution!!" yet the subject is unwitting. This photo's stark beauty always blows me away. How does she see this stuff?!


ZEBRAS GO TO SLEEP by Emma Redford
From a series of Emma's night street scenes titled "Zebras." Semmingly simple children's fairy story allusions played out on the mean streets. She really stunned the art world with this series. And quite right.