Works In Progress

I am spending almost all of my time in therapy right now working on how to earn some money from my artwork or from other creative pursuits. I am, in a sense, gambling on whether or not this current therapeutic focus is going to pay off. Literally.

I was watching this cool documentary on Andy Warhol the other night. What a creative genius. I loved this one thing he said-- when his early Brillo Boxes and Campbell's Soup Boxes were first exhibited, many people didn't get them and some longtime collectors of his work backed away. Apparently he said, "Don't sit around and worry if people like or don't like your art. Just keep on making more art." Obviously he had the last laugh-- those Brillo boxes are worth a fortune today.

He was a sad figure though; another story.

His interviews crack me up. If only all celebrities took some cues from him and just spoke as little as possible when asked inane questions, instead of giving inane answers.

I think I'm rambling. I'm supposed to be working on some color charts for my painting class, ugh!

Actors and their Roles

My name badge for Rigoletto rehearsals. Somehow, it just seems fitting.

Impressionism Madness

When I went out as Madame G. on Wednesday, I rode the #5 Fulton to the Tenderloin. On the way, these two tourist ladies got on the bus near the new de Young Museum and started chatting me up; one of them (who must not have been wearing her glasses!) thought at first that I was Dame Edna, slumming it on the bus. RealityCheck Michael, who does a serious Dame Edna impersonation for pay, would not have been amused!

Anyway, another woman, who had sat down next to me, turned out to be a staff curatorial person at the de Young-- she responded to the conversation I was having with the tourist ladies by unexpectedly handing me two VIP tickets to see this exhibit "Monet in Normandy" which is showing at the Legion of Honor for one last weekend. Madame Glinka was happy!

So I hauled my butt to see the show on Friday, knowing the crowds would be difficult. The painting above was one of my favorites in the show-- it reminds me of the views from Sutro Heights, right above my apartment building. The original is obviously prettier than this little .jpg, though if you can imagine thousands of little sparkling colors in the brushstokes, you'll get the *impression*.

I had to fight the hordes of people to see the paintings, I was always either blocking someone's view or having my view blocked by someone else. Stressful! These big crowded Impressionism shows-- I'm not sure if they are worth the trouble. But I did get to see some lovely colors and brushstrokes, which hopefully will inspire my new oil-painting experiences.

"The most expensive mistress in the world is Art." ~Diaghilev (at least, according to a film about Nijinksy I once saw)

Madame Glinka stepped out the other night, to see the latest effort by the Boxcar Theatre Company, which is part of this year's San Francisco Fringe Festival. Their play 21/One, which is a "re-imagined" reprise of the show they presented at last year's Fringe Festival, is a partly improvisational, partly scripted Bachelorette Party that takes place on a chartered bus which roams around the city streets for an hour. Meanwhile, various short dream-like vignettes take place at locations that the bus passes by. It was an interesting theatrical experience...My favorite moment: a vision of a young female jogger, played by my "daughter" in ZEN, Dana Lau, jogging around a grassy circle while eating a slice of pizza from a big pizza carton. Absurdly surreal!

Donning my Madame G. personna takes a lot of psychic energy, as many of you know-- this time I didn't decide until 3pm that day to shave off my goatee and go for it-- which meant I had two hours to get it together, paint my nails, make a quick bite to eat and feed the kitties before running out the door and trying not to trip down the hallway staircase in my evening gown! Luckily I can practically throw on my drag blindfolded (Do the results show???).

The Exit Theatre, where the festival is based, is located at the edge of the lovely Tenderloin neighborhood, and I was fairly worried about the local denizens of that part of town harrassing me. But they turned out to be quite charming, coming up to say hi and complimenting me. I think they can generally relate to Madame G. because she looks like she too has rolled around a gutter or two in her time.

I think that the best line of the night was from this rather odd fellow who approached me on the bus ride home: He asked, "Are you a nice clown or a mean clown?" I replied, "It depends on the situation."

I Heart Matthew Barney & Björk!

A film still from the (too long, but still fascinating) art film "Drawing Restraint 9" that is being shown in conjunction with a large exhibit of Barney's sculptures, videos, and drawings at SFMoMA.

It took me two museum visits plus one $1.95 Museum Cafe oatmeal raisin cookie to fully take in the exhibit and film.

Meditations on Japanese whaling ships and vaseline and Shinto wedding rituals and fossil fuel...

Esoterotic, pretentious, seductive and boring...

All the things I love best in works of art!