| Writings on the Condition of one R. Lance Hunter |
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| Do any of you actually know who Asher Roth is? |
[28 May 2009|03:57pm] |
Not much to talk about today, so I thought I'd share this awesome little Ill Doctrine video. (The only thing I don't like about it is how he digs into Vice for the ironic racism thing, since Vice hasn't really done that in years, but even though they've stopped it the imitators still do it, so they catch the heat.)
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| Fashion! |
[23 Feb 2009|11:55am] |
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"Is This What You Wanted?" - Leonard Cohen |
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Okay guys, here we go. New York Fashion Week just ended, and now I'll post my favorite collections. I'm going to try and make this a semi-annual occurrence (here's the entry with my very brief take on the collections from the last fashion week). This is my chance to flex my fashion nerd muscles and trying to better understand the art that is high fashion.
( I'll put all this under a cut, to save your friend's page from the chaos. )
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| Fantasy |
[21 Jan 2009|09:38am] |
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"Cross the Dancefloor (Lifelife Remix)" - Treasure Fingers |
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I don't know how this started, but a while back I started a list. It's a list of the art I would buy for my personal collection, if I were to ever to become obscenely wealthy enough to afford a "private collection". (I mean, I have a collection of art now, but not of the scale of monetary value that could merit the label "private collection").
So, here it is. If my art ever starts selling beyond the point where its just paying for itself, I will begin working to snap up these:
1. Van Gohn's Peasant Woman Against a Background of Wheat - This was the first piece of art I saw that changed me. I had some small appreciation of art before that, but it wasn't until I saw this piece up close that I understood just how powerful art could be. It was on display at the Bellagio's art gallery in the summer of 1999 (which at the time was basically just Stephen Wynn's collection on display). I remember looking at it and thinking "there is no way a print could capture this". This piece showed me that art, even painting, can be more than just the flat image. Current status: This piece is currently part of the private collection of the hedge fund manager and art collector Steven A. Cohen. He paid $100 million to get this piece and one other from Wynn, and given his investment-minded nature, I would likely have to pay more than that to get it from him (or be able to offer a very compelling swap, or just hope that he is completely ruined by the current financial crisis).
2. Gustave Doré's The Black Eagle of Prussia - I saw this piece at the Blanton, in July of 2007. It was part of a touring exhibition on the art of the European academies. I was amazed at the scale of the piece, and its wonderful use of color. (Naturally, the version of the image you see online is practically worthless and doesn't capture this.) There's a lot of history and politics in the image, a lot that can be investigated intellectually. Honestly, I didn't see it in that way. Instead, I just so struck by the image. I must have spent half an hour staring at it in the Blanton's exhibit hall. Moving from up close to far away, simply amazed. Current status: The piece part of the collection of the Dahesh Museum of Art in Greenwich, Connecticut. No idea what it would take to separate them from the piece, but I know a trade of some sort would be out of the picture; they are exclusively concerned with the art of the 18th and 19th century European academies.
3. Elaine de Kooning's Bull (1958) - I saw this in January of 2007 at the Austin Museum of Art's "Radical NY!" show. Once again, the scale of this piece is impressive, and I was really struck by the way it snuck up on me. I remember looking at it for a long time before I actually realized that there was a bull. I did a lot of googling to find out what was up with the piece, and interestingly enough it seems that the painting is a bit controversial (or at least, the opinion on it is mixed). Personally, I was blown away. Current status: The piece is currently part of the collection at NYU's Grey Art Gallery. Perhaps the mixed opinion about the piece, along with some cutbacks in educational funding, could let me get this one at a deal.
4. Tseng Kwong Chi's Puck Ball (The Gang’s All Here) - I've written about this one quite a bit already, but let me just say that you haven't really seen the piece until you've seen the 36x36 vintage gelatin silver print. Current status: The rights to the photograph (as well as the print I fell in love with, and the negatives to make a new print) are held by Muna Tseng Dance Projects, Inc. It's the dance company formed by Tseng Kwong Chi's sister. Of all of the pieces listed here, this is the one I think I have the best shot at. One day I would like to contact Muna Tseng and express my interest in acquiring a new gelatin silver print of this piece.
So there you have it: my art fantasy list. Fortunately, though the list is only a fantasy, I have a fantastic reality where I'm surrounded by excellent artists whose art I can make part of my personal collection, a collection that continues to grow with wonderful work. Who knows, perhaps one day some piece I received in trade from a friend will be on someone else's art fantasy list.
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[07 Jan 2009|03:21pm] |
Jesus Tittyfucking Christ.
Transit cops in Oakland freak out and murder a man in cold blood. (EDIT: Okay, bad choice of words here. Given the stress of the situation this likely wasn't in cold blood. They did murder a defenseless man, though.)
Watch the video. It happens at around 1:27.
This is fucking Rodney King, 2009.
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| The Big Fitness Post of 2009 |
[02 Jan 2009|11:57am] |
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"The Whole Wide World" - The Mountain Goats |
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You know, I was going to try to write a big entry on fitness today. The new year has just begun, and a lot of people are resolved to get themselves in shape. I could give a lot of information on workout techniques, diet ideas, methods of recovery to maximize the workout's effectiveness, and how different workouts target different areas (and the ones that work to best achieve your goals).
I think I'm going to skip all that for now. (Feel free to ask me if you have any specific questions or want my advice about any of those things, though.)
Instead, I want to talk a bit about the general idea of fitness and improving ones body.
Occasionally, I run across something on the internet about how diets don't work, how something like 70% of all people who lose weight through a diet gain it back within 3 years. The subtext of those posts is that we are stuck with the bodies we are in and they cannot really be changed. This isn't true, and I am living proof of that. Diet and exercise work. In fact, they are 100% effective when you use them correctly. The issue is that so few people use diet and exercise correctly.
There are a lot of reasons that diet and exercise aren't done properly by so many people. I believe that one of the primary reasons is the crazy diet industry that have have in this country. The dirty little secret is that you don't need to pay a single penny to lose weight, so the diet industry basically has to spend all their time selling you something you don't need. To do that, they lie. They lie a lot. In fact, they lie so much that the entire concept of diet and what it means has been subverted in our culture to equate to some kind of lose-weight-quick scheme.
The most important thing to remember, the thing that really lets all the other puzzle pieces of fitness fall into place, is that the body is always reaching for homeostasis. The body is always settling in to the balance for all of the things it experiences through the day. All the energy expended, all the nutrients consumed, the amount of strain on various parts of the body, the body adjusts to find the best balance between all of them. The body you have is a result of the actions you take over the day, the month, the year, all averaged out.
This is why there is no short-term solution for getting fit. The 70% (or whatever it is) of people who gain weight back 3 years after finishing a diet gain the weight back because they finished the diet. Their body reached homeostasis for the conditions (calories eaten, calories expended) of the diet, and then went to homeostasis for the conditions of the lifestyle the individual had after the diet was over.
To really change your body, you have to change your lifestyle. The way you live every day, and the way you will continue to live for the rest of your life. Your diet has to be your diet, in its original meaning, as the sum of food consumed by an organism. When you begin exercising you have to push and strain yourself to achieve your goals, but once you have reached your goals you have to maintain the level of physical activity to stay there. (When athletics and training for competition are involved it gets a bit more complicated than that, but that's a discussion for another time.)
Real progress in fitness is the progress that happens slowly. You shouldn't think you've hit a plateau when the initial burst of weight loss or fitness gains end (this usually occurs around the 4-week mark). Sustainable weight loss and fitness gains occur over months and years. If you find yourself going an entire month without any progress, then you can look into changing your routine (usually by increasing the intensity), but don't stop. If you stop, then you definitely won't see any progress and will begin to undo the progress that was already made.
Now, some of the people who complain about diet and exercise not really working also scoff when people suggest that "lifestyle changes" are what is really important. They say the phrase "lifestyle changes" is just a code-word for diet and exercise. Well, it is and it isn't. Diet and exercise are the important things that cause your body to change, but it takes lifestyle changes to incorporate the diet and exercise. If you begin working on your body and stick to it, you'll find that your lifestyle does change.
Once you've been eating healthier for about six months will see that you are visiting different restaurants, the makeup of your grocery cart will have changed, and you'll probably have learned to cook some new meals. Once you've been exercising regularly for about six months, you'll find that the structure of your day will be different (to make time for the workout). You'll probably have some new friends from your gym (or at least acquaintances you see regularly). You'll probably find yourself doing more physical activities outside of your regular workouts, as they will be easier to do.
In the end, your body reflects your actions and activities. If you are proud of what you do, then you should be proud of your body.
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[05 Nov 2008|08:40am] |
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"Someday We'll Know" - New Radicals |
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So, I'm not quite able to do the proper post-election write-up today. So, I'm snatching a meme from Nobody.
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Here's how it works: You leave an anonymous comment here about what you would like to do to me if you could do anything at all to me. All anonymous comments will be unscreened. No non-anonymous comments will be unscreened.
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Interesting that it says "do to me" rather than "do with me", but whatever. I'll accept both.
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[04 Nov 2008|10:11pm] |
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Yes.
We.
Did.
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| So happy |
[25 Oct 2008|01:39pm] |
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"Handle Me With Care" - Jenny Lewis |
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Reputation's changeable
Situation's tolerable
Baby, you're adorable
Handle me with care
I fell face-first into the pavement while doing my lunchtime jog. Scraped up my palms pretty bad, but fortunately I came out unscathed otherwise. I have a feeling it was a slightly comical scene for the people sitting in their cars on Airport Blvd, with this big guy jogging down the street and suddenly falling flat, the hopping back up immediately and continuing at pace.
Also, I'm not terribly surprised to find that I am now really grooving on this Jenny Lewis album. It took about three listens to get its groove, but once I got over the hill I've found that I love the hell out of it.
Now, some randomness of the mind:
In times like this, I feel especially fragile. As though I could be shattered if I were dropped to the floor. As though the slightest scrape will leave me scratched and damaged.
On the other hand, I feel as though I can overcome that damage quickly. That I can heal from anything, even being completely shattered. That the scratches will go away in time, as though they were never there.
Is there a name for this kind of state? Feeling fragile yet enduring, sensitive yet robust, easy-to-harm yet impossible-to-stop? If there is, that's where I am right now.
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[03 Oct 2008|09:19pm] |
Currently backstage at the burlesque show.
I must have done something very good in a previous life.
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[22 Sep 2008|10:51am] |
Tonight is the final episode of Power of Art. It's also my favorite. Rothko.
This episode, more than any other, really opened my eyes to the wide range of possibilities available with art. I had appreciated abstract expressionism before, but now I feel that I understand it as well.
Same Art Time, Same Art Location. Be there.
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[18 Sep 2008|02:18pm] |
Okay, I'm down with the new trend all the kids seem to be taking up...
take a picture of yourself right now.
don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair...just take a picture.
post that picture with NO editing.
post these instructions with your picture.
(Yea, I need to shave badly.)
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| NY Fashion Week |
[09 Sep 2008|09:42am] |
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"Heaven" - Moby |
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So, New York Fashion Week recently ended, and I'm getting to flex my (budding) fashion nerd muscles a bit.
Paper Magazine has a best of runway feature, that shows over a dozen of the collections that debuted at fashion week. Of course, in the print version of the magazine they'll have even more collections, but this is a pretty good sampling of what's happening out there.
Here are some links to collections I liked this year, with my brief notes:
Verrier
I enjoy the use of pink, and how even the non-pink pieces in the collection still seem to be informed by that color. I don't enjoy the return of high waists, but I already know that's a losing battle.
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Liz McClean
If the DPW chicks went all haute-couture on us, this is what they'd look like.
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Vena Cava
The lines on this collection seem pretty standard based on what's out this year, but the color and texture are awesome. If I saw some of this stuff in person I don't think I'd be able to resist touching it.
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Charlotte Ronson
I hate to say it, but I mostly like this collection based on what they did with the models' hair.
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Manuel
Okay, this is a perfect example of how much better women have it this year. They get this awesome art deco "super-high society in the jazz age" look, while the guys end up looking like total douchenozzels. (At least it isn't the travesty of the Duckie Brown men's collection.)
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Sue Stemp
I like how clean this collection comes off, how even the headbands get used to contribute to the overall shape of the ensemble. That said, I think this collection is a good example of how derivative things were this year.
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Erin Wasson x RVCA
This wins for "most bone-able collection". I predict that this is what all the hipsters will be looking like in the spring as this stuff trickles its way down through knock-offs and the off-the-rack stuff. I highly approve.
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[01 Sep 2008|04:24pm] |
Alive. In Reno. Flying in to Austin late tomorrow.
I survived Burning Man 2008.
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| War |
[11 Aug 2008|02:30pm] |
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"If You Find Yourself Caught In Love" - Belle & Sebastian |
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So, do you want to get boned up on the war in South Ossetia fast, and be just a little frightened at how cynical people can be about these kinds of things? Then I recommend The War Nerd's take on the conflict, "The War of My Dreams".
Now, if getting the hyped-up nerd version of things has dulled your empathy, here are some images to put things back on a human scale.
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| Wild sage growing |
[11 Aug 2008|09:51am] |
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"Wild Sage" - The Mountain Goats |
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Tonight! Power of Art! Same art-time, same art-channel! (Okay, we might be starting a bit early today, since I've got to hit a special late-night workout.)
This week we get to check out Simon Schama's take on Jacques-Louis David. This episode brings up an interesting question: Is it possible to appreciate a piece of art when you not only find the artist who created it despicable, but also find the message it conveys somewhat evil?
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I think I hear angels in my ears.
Life is damned good right now. I was tremendously exhausted this weekend, but had a very good time.
I'm going to have to do more writing later. Perhaps after sleeping.
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| I'm where I need to be. |
[04 Aug 2008|10:01am] |
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"The Arrivals Gate" - Ani Difranco |
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First thing's first:
Power of Art tonight! We're back to the proper time, doors at around 7:30 and show at 8:30. (I might be running a touch late, but I'll be there for most of it.)
This episode is on Rembrandt. Come see how someone who is truly revolutionary changes the game completely.
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This weekend was insanely great. Thank you to all of the bright souls that showed up at the Erotica 2008 opening. I was overwhelmed with the turnout and the support all of you showed. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I am blessed to have you in my life.
There was other greatness during the weekend, but I'll get into that later. Suffice it to say that things are very good in the land of Lance.
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| You're a good kisser, and I'm a fast learner. |
[01 Aug 2008|10:41am] |
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"Rock Paper Scissors" - Ani DiFranco |
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This is going to be a big weekend. My toenails have been painted pink in preparation.
I can get into the greater awesomeness of the weekend in a later entry. For now, here is another reminder I've been sending around about the Erotica 2008 opening tomorrow at Gallery Lombardi...
So, what's the first party you'll be attending this Saturday?
The opening of Erotica 2008 at Gallery Lombardi, of course. This exhibit will feature work by over 50 artists, including a piece by local burners Lance Hunter, Ryan Hayes, Casey Burke, and Ava Thomas. Opening night will feature performance artists doing what they do, free beer, as well as a chance to meet and greet many of the artists involved.
So when is it happening? Tomorrow, Saturday August 2nd. from 7:00 pm 'till 11:00 pm.
It's the perfect pre-party to get your Saturday night started right.
To check out the show's web site and get a taste for some of the pieces that will be there, click this (NWS) link.
Want to see the (slightly NWS) flyer for the show? Click this link
For those who don't know, Gallery Lombardi is located at 602 W 7th Street, just a block north of Katz's. Click here for the Google map.
See you there!
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[28 Jul 2008|10:20am] |
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"Step In The Club" - Gangstagrass |
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Could this weekend have been any better? Possibly, but it would have to include space travel and a troupe of dancing monkeys.
What was it like? Imagine a bomb that explodes into thousands of flapping butterflies, the sudden blinding brilliance of so many brightly colored wings encompassing your entire field of vision.
I could go on, but I'll leave it at that. Instead, the rest of this post is going to be about underwear slogans. In a little while I'm going to be getting a large amount of colored American Apparel briefs (in a variety of colors), and want to screen print slogans over the front of the crotch area. I'd like to try and do this before heading out to Burning Man, so I can gift them to people, but we'll see what happens.
In the meantime, I'm trying to think of all the different slogans I'll put on them. I'd like to have about 10, but it all depends on how many good ideas I have. Here's what I've got so far. Let me know if you have any good ideas.
"Please Enjoy"
"Another Boring Bisexual"
"I wanna fuck you, too."
"Fire Inside"
"One Man Show"
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A reminder. Tonight we'll be watching the second episode of Power of Art. This is one of my favorites, on Bernini. We'll be starting a bit earlier this time, arriving around 7:30 and starting the episode at 8:00 (so people can make it to the Lovers show after). Come get your art-appreciation on.
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