Methods of Procrastination

I watched Death at a Funeral (2007) last night, urged on by my roommates who insisted it would be good motivation to keep me working on my own black comedy screenplay. It's generally not difficult to convince a willing person to dodge their studies for a few moments (or hours) of relative relaxation, and so, I immediately acquiesced to their proposal.

In an effort to avoid reitterating what you could learn as easily (if not more so) at Rotten Tomatoes, which rated it 63% fresh, I will not bombard you with catchy phrases praising the slapstick black British comedy as insanely funny or outrageously silly. Instead, I will tell you that - back in the day - director Frank Oz (Little Shop of Horrors, What About Bob?) acted in the little acclaimed but greatly loved Labyrinth (1986) as the Wiseman, a character mostly seen sleeping with a very obnoxious bird on his head. Frank Oz is also the voice behind Miss Piggy, in addition to having the sweetest last name ever.

Time Warp and Other Happenings

cva gallery -
I'm Holding on for that Teenage Feeling
October 30 - November 22


I recently read a review of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist in the Mac Weekly - and though it failed to highlight the incredible waste of time that this movie was - it did ask the question, will we ever be sick of escaping to those teenage years of high school drama and adolescent confusion? Teen-centered stories saturate the movie industry, but within the all-imposing art world, it seems these stories take a back seat (or sit bitch) to "greater" conceptual ideas and aesthetic designs.

I'm Holding on for that Teenage Feeling delves into the "murkier, experimental aspects of adolescence" - which led a certain friend of mine to label the show as "emo" - but, I for one, could use a refreshing look at the fictionalized woes of my receding past. The show approaches the teenage years as a period of suspension between polar opposites - between "innocence and knowledge, inexperience and ability" - which begs the question, does this suspension end after high school graduation?

As someone on the tail-end of their college years, with similar feelings of uncertainty and suspension, I'm excited to take a look at this show, however emo it may turn out to be.

For more information on the show, click here.

Pictured above: My First through Fouth Grade Teachers by Scott Stulen, 2007, acryllic on canvas, 36" x 48".

groveland gallery -
Jerry Rudquist - In Retrospective
October 24 - November 29


Hailed as a master of color, and "known primarily for his forceful and seductive abstract paintings," this show should be an interesting look across four decades of work by a former Macalester professor and Midwest native.

For more information on the show, click here.

Pictured above: Descriptive Study/Nordic, by Jerry Rudquist, 1997, oil on gessoed ragboard, 40" x 30".

For Richer or Poorer : offering cheap solutions to today's toughest setbacks

FOR RICHER

Coldplay at the Xcel Energy Center, November 14th
It comes as no surprise that Coldplay finds itself at such a massive and disgusting venue now that they reign as rock gods supreme, but you'd think they could still pity us poor, untalented folk who are forced to scrounge for pennies between our grandmother's couch cushions in order to buy a cup of coffee. For a little more than $110, you can find yourself close enough to still make out the face of Chris, Jonny, Guy, and Will on the jumbo screen. Or you can buy over 1,000 packets of Ramen, which would feed you three-times a day for almost a year, provided you survive the bellyache and I did the math right.

FOR POORER

The Faint at First Avenue, November 14th
The Faint still retain some humility, probably because the geeks were right, and I appreciate their $19 ticket price. I feel their cheap tickets specifically target me, a coin-collecting, thrift-store wearing college student with a no feasible options for the future. I appreciate their interest. Also, at First Ave. there's the possibility of mosh-pitting, which adds adventure to the evening.

Your Old Bicycle, Once Mine

A rusted banana seat
Stained the crotch of your pants
As though a butterfly
Died between your cheeks.

Jayme

oil on canvas, 15" x 30", 2008

mother in green

acryllic on canvas, 2005, 20" x 16"

a tiger on my doorstep

watercolor, 2003, 3" x 3"