RIP The Wire

Several months ago, Joe found a good deal online for the entire series of The Wire, which aired on HBO from 2002-2008. We've been watching little by little and just finished the last episode on Sunday. I highly recommend the show for anyone that can handle a little violence and gore. I like that nothing is sugar coated but nothing is over-dramatized either. It is a funny, poignant, and thought-provoking show.

I found these clever illustrations from a quick google search. Check out the rest of them on the artist's website.

We're going to take a little break from excessive television and try to be productive members of society. When the novelty of that wears off, maybe we'll try Dexter. Any other suggestions?



all illustrations via blake hicks

Art Speak Ahead

This weekend Joe and I went to the Rodin Museum on kind of a whim. We were walking by and I had never actually been there. It was...enlightening. In regular art museums I tend to gloss over the sculpture offerings and head straight to the paintings, but as this museum is all sculpture, it forced me to really focus on the medium. The manipulation of scale is especially interesting. Some of his work is very haunting and other pieces are very romantic and soft. That juxtaposition made me want to find out more about the man behind the work. Read more about him here.
via rodin museum
via rodin museum
Speaking of artists and their backgrounds, I recommend reading Strapless, the story of John Singer Sargent and the subject of his most famous painting, Madame X. It's like a trashy chick lit novel, but instead of being set in Bergdorf Goodman in 2009, it's set in Paris and New Orleans in the 1890's. And instead of following a Park Avenue princess it follows a popular artist and a high society lady. Good read!

Have a great day!

Art inspiring Life

Is it just me or was Bjork's infamous swan get-up from the 2001 Academy Awards definitely inspired by Leda and the Swan, a painting hanging in the Perelman Building of the Philadelphia Museum of Art?
via philadelphia museum of art
via styleguru
I visited the museum recently and the first thing that popped into my head after seeing this painting was Bjork. Can you think of other examples of paintings inspiring real life? Immediate ones that come to mind are Yves Saint Laurent's Fall 1965 Mondrian Dress, inspired by the work of Piet Mondrian. I'm sure there are a million more examples.
via wikipedia

via metropolitan museum of art
Have a great weekend!

Bits and Pieces

I saw Away We Go last night. It wasn't as much of a goofy indie movie as I expected it to be and I really enjoyed it. There were a few little details that bugged me, but it made me think and it made me feel extra gooey for my favorite guy.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has some interesting exhibits now, both in the Main Building and the relatively new Perelman Building. I'm looking forward to taking a little field trip there soon.

Speaking of exhibits, Judith H. Dobrzynski of The WSJ just reviewed the new exhibit "Dove/O'Keeffe: Circles of Influence," on display in Williamstown, MA now through Sept. 7. I like the recent popularity of the type of exhibit that compares two or more artists, like "Cezanne and Beyond," which ended in May at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This compare/contrast style really gives viewers an art history lesson so everyone leaves a little smarter and more informed rather than being overwhelmed and intimidated by such outstanding work.

This is really cracking me up. This guy sends over the top made up replies to Craigslist ads and posts the absurd conversations on his website. What a jerk but pretty funny.

Mike Albo reviews the kitschy cheap-gift mecca Pylones in his latest Critical Shopper article for the New York Times. I love his wit and informative yet informal writing style.

Have a fantastic day!

Maria Kalman love

I'm really in love with Maira Kalman's New York Times blog And the Pursuit of Happiness. It is such a clever mix of deep thoughts and whimsy illustrated by sketches and paintings. The storytelling aspect makes it fun and readable while still being informative and creative.

via and the pursuit of happiness
This is my favorite tile. I'm not quite sure why I find it so amusing, but I really do. She should sell some of these babies as postcards.