Surreal Things

Saw the new Surrealism exhibit at the AGO tonight. Turns out it costs $7, and I proceeded to spend my remaining $13 on a couple of cards in the gift shop. Only the main gallery is free on Wednesday nights. All of this is to say that it's definitely worth going to, and is easily the best exhibition the AGO has had since the Warhol show in 2006. Many have critiqued the AGO's new exhibition techniques; however, the architecture, unlike the ROM addition, has, overall, been well-received. I'm still on the fence: If Toronto wants to be a forerunner in new art gallery methods, however, I'd say we can't complain...

Anyway, Surreal Things explores the relationship between the Surrealism movement and Design/Commercialization. Many Surrealist painters, especially Magritte and Dali, accepted the mass production of their images. Some artists in the movement, including, I believe, Breton, thought that this industrialization was completely counter to the main tenets of Surrealism; however, I think that this a much more Dada frame of mind. Just a thought. The exhibition is not especially large, but quite cohesive. It has all the big stars and related artists -- Duchamp, Cornell, Magritte, Dali, Masson, and even a couple of films. Un Chien Andalou, not shown in Surreal Things, is short, funny and very entertaining. A good introduction to the wacky world of Surrealist Art and Film.

Surreal Things
AGO
May 9 - August 30

Kanye West, Jared Leto, Chase Crawford & Patrick Wilson
Calvin Klein Menswear Fall 2009 Fashion Show

Woah Mama.

The Cost of Drinking

I lost my beautiful Valentino Sunglasses on Monday night. Yes, that's right, I LOSE my sunglasses at night. I even returned to the Victory -- where they were last seen/remembered -- no such luck. Should I buy the same ones again? Oh, the tough questions in life.

1982

The Message

"It's like a jungle sometimes. Definitely. Great narrative and funky beat. And you can dance to it. I'd give it a ten! Wish I had speakers in the classroom to share it. Oh yeah, I DO." -my mom

The Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors, Even

Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968)
The Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors, Even (The Large Glass)
1923

Making sense of Marcel Duchamp.

Apparently Duchamp probably made his famous Fountain. An American Art Historian her concluded in her PhD thesis that no such urinal was ever made, after searching in vain through literally thousands of toliet catologues for the model Duchamp signed and submitted to the Society of Independent Artists show in 1917. He also wrote about in the Dada NY "zine" The Blind Man.

"The only works of art America has given are her
plumbing and her bridges." - Marcel Duchamp

Sylvia

The wedding scene in Sylvia (2003) has since made me fantasize at length about getting married alone in a Gothic Cathedral.

(Yes that is Daniel Craig.)

Fancy Funeral

Some think a fancy funeral
will be worth every cent
for every dime and nickel
is money better spent
better spent on groceries
covering the bills
instead of little luxuries
unnecessary frills
lovely yellow daffodils
and lacey filigrees
pretty little angels
for everyone to see
lilly of the valley
long black limousenes
three or four months salary
just to pay for all those things

So don't buy a fancy funeral
it's not worth it in the end
goodbyes can still be beautiful
with all the money that you'll spend
theres no amount of riches
bring back what you lost
to satisfy your wishes
you'll never justify the cost.

Look at This Fucking Hipster has been getting all the attention now that the 45 year olds at the Globe and Mail have figured out why the kids they see on the TTC dress so strangely, but I humbly posit its brethren Hipster or Gay is way more newsworthy/deserving of bookmarking. The guys featured on Hipster or Gay are bangin' like 75% of the time, if you're into plaid shirt Macbook white boys and I very much am. Perhaps LATFH and HOG serve different browsing purposes- chuckles and scorn vs orgasms and scorn, but I much prefer the possibility my attractive masturbation fodder is a fellow man-lover to flashy misses on mostly ugly people. (s'alright, i hope.)

-Amber C., of Ottawa

Georgia, Oh Georgia

...The Georgia state senate, by a 43-1 vote, has passed a resolution that mixes three parts inanity and one part prospective treason into a Kompletely Krazy Kocktail of militia-minded moonshine and wacko white lightning—a resolution that not only endorses defiance of federal law but also threatens anarchy and revolution...

Read more here.

I've long wanted to go Georgia. I've travelled through most of the American South, but have yet to visit the home of both Flannery O'Connor and Martin Luther King Jr., the adopted home of Elton John, a few distant cousins, and the state Matt spent his childhood summers in. Savannah is the city that most entises me, with its Civil War-era architecture, multiple graveyards, and the thick sweet air of...mystery? Whatever it is that draws me there, I hope to go soon. Driving there seems like the only way, so it may be a while before I find myself there.

Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer

A little political commentary to start your Friday.

Fever

Truth be told, I think John Travolta is a pretty terrible actor. Saturday Night Fever, however, is one of my favourite films.  That era of 1970s American Film is gold: it holds its own with some of my favouites, including The Deer Hunter, One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest, Taxi Driver... and on and on.

SCANWICHES

Apparently this is a food day.
Possibly a side effect of the new 100% natural metabolism speeder-upper I'm trying.
Probably a side effect of drinking at 1pm.

Mmmm Scanwiches!
(Thanks Maria Sword)

HOBBIES GIRLS THINK THEY SHOULD NOT MENTION ON A FIRST DATE

BLACK Widow, I think we should start our own burger of the month club.

The Year of Magical Thinking

I've been wanting to read Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking since it came out in 2005. I saw her give a reading from it the year it came out with my parents and roommate at the time. We were all in tears by the end. The Year of Magical Thinking chronicles the year following the death of Joan's husband, writer John Gregory Dunne. They were together for 40 years, rarely apart. Shortly after the publication of the book, Joan and John's one and only daughter, Quintana, died as well.

One of the anecdotes from the book Joan shares with Charlie Rose is that while she never spoke about death, John, a true Irishman, was obsessed with it. He was constantly rewriting his list of friends to speak at his funeral, to reflect who he was currently on good terms with.

While fear of death is common, I would argue that this fear is particularly common among only children. Something about Joan's plight seems particularly possible in my own life, and thus I'm hesitant to start reading it, despite knowing how much I'll enjoy it. I highly recommend Slouching Towards Bethlehem, an early collection of essays.

Abracadabrah

Apparently this is what my dad does at work...watch mediocre magic videos.


Thanks Dad.

Bobama

PETA asked the Pet Shop Boys to change their name to the Rescue Shelter Boys. Not surprisingly, they graciously declined; however, they encouraged their fans to make the right decision and adopt animals from shelters.

Bo Obama, a Portuguese Water Dog, was a gift from Ted Kennedy to the Obamas. He finally found away to get another Kennedy into the White House! Bo has a "playdate" with my friend Kelly's boyfriend's aunt's dog. I hope they become best friends!

Wedding Dress

Atsuko Tanaka (1932- )
Electric Dress
1956

You Need Me: May 4th, 2009

“Beach House” may be one of the worst band names ever, relative to the quality of their music anyway. While I have no problem with beach houses per say, it doesn’t really conjure up anything significant in my brain in regards to music. Perhaps this is because of never been to a beach house before. In Ontario we go to cottages, which may or may not be on the beach. I think it’s mostly an American east coast thing. Beach houses are probably nice places, but they seem to have nothing to do with the somber, airy pop of either of these albums. I’ve included both albums of their catalogue for this entry because they sound very similar, and I just put them both in a playlist which totals about 80 minutes in length. I think this is pretty good winter music; I distinctly remember riding the bus to Buffalo during a terrible blizzard in February of 2008 listening to their first LP. And yet, it also works very well for Spring, particularly Canadian spring, which is kind of like defrosting your dinner in the fridge rather than the sink: it’s more drawn out, colder for longer, pretty wet, and yet you appreciate the final results all the more (perhaps).
Some people maybe find the vaguely romantic lyrics and general tone depressing. I don’t, but people are strangely sensitive about this kind of thing. I wonder what it is says about people who don’t listen to any mellow music because it sounds too sad. My friend Greg avoids anything sad-bastard, and it suits his character in my opinion. What’s that line from High Fidelity, “Was I listening to pop music because I was sad, or was I sad because I was listening to pop music?”
In any case, I don’t think this stuff is really much of a bummer. I find it very pleasant and maybe even romantic in a way. I can picture girls in particular liking this stuff, but my dad didn’t complain when it came on while a mix CD played as we drove, and if anyone is a man in this world, it’s dad (unless you live an Almodovar film).

Buy it here and here.
Download it here and here.

That Mountain Air

Mourning Werewolf is proud to welcome it's newest contributor, Dust Bunny. DB is working as a maid at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge for the summer and will be keeping a condom count going for MW...any guesses on a summer total?