Dream Roomspiration: Home is where the art is

Home is where the art is...or rather where we hang it.  Barbie often collects and receives art. Sometimes she finds that it’s not the right fit for her collection so she gives it away.... for art beautifies any room and must be shared not hoarded away.

Dream Roomspiration: Home is where the art is

Do you have art in your home?

Barbie hopes so.

Enjoy!

Kisses, m.

Doug Aitken's Mirage House

Life’s grand or nothing impressive. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. Barbie often suggests to her favorite Ken that not everything he thinks or sees is what is actually happening but rather it’s the mirror of himself he perceives... she prefer he focus on the more positive outcomes of life and find gratitude in the challenges but it’s not her life or her business so... she enjoys looking at the mirrors in architecture. 

Doug Aitken's Mirage House 

As part of the exhibit, Desert X, artist Doug Aitken created Mirage: a mirror-covered ranch-style house inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and the American West. The home is situated at the junction of the San Jacinto Mountains and the Coachella Valley. The home, Mirage acts as a kaleidoscope that reflects and distorts the beauty of the landscape that surrounds it.

Would you love to look in this mirror house?

Barbie would!

Enjoy!

Kisses, m.

Style Icons: Pool and Marianela presents Plastic Religion

Style Icons: Pool and Marianela presents Plastic Religion  

Everyone knows that Barbie loves to try on different hats and be extraordinary. Thanks to artists Pool and Marianela, Barbie can be a religious icon as well. Their series features 33 different Kens and Barbies depicting religious figures and has been recently exhibited in LosAngeles at La Luz De Jesus Gallery.

What do you think of their series? 

Enjoy!

Kisses, m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be true

"To thine own self be true."

Polonius tells Hamlet this. I can't help think this is hardest for people to figure out. What's true to themselves? Well copying others won't help you figure it out if you're not doing it with the right intention. Yup I just said copying others is ok. Well how else are you going to know what you like unless you try what others like? Exactly. 

So right now, I'm a blonde. Sometimes I wish Mr Nagel had made more women with different shades of hair colors because I identify with their strength and beauty. But he did not. I still find all his women beautiful because they are all races and strong. So my hair? At one point I imagine I was enamored by a blonde friend's hair and thought: I'm going to try that. And now of course you realize I love changing my hair to all sorts of shades. It's not the first time I've been blonde or likely the last time. 

It doesn't change my inner beauty nor should it change yours to modify your exterior. There's no types in life, friendship or love. Be yourself and others who appreciate you will find you. Maybe they're trying out your interests and will move on? Maybe they stay? Who knows! Personally I've learned that I don't have types when it comes to friends or paramours and I'm always interested in getting to know who a person is not what they are. I don't like labels because they cause unnecessary separation among people. Life is amazing when you're open & grateful to all the experience that it has to offer. 

My experience tells me that people that know themselves are comfortable with all types of people. And the universe will always guide those types to my path. Do I worry about my favorite dolls or Kens? I'm confident they are exactly in the position on their paths that the universe intends for them.

Here's an older story about being true to yourself & knowing what you want.

Enjoy!

Kisses, m.

 

Discipline

(2-11-2011)

Dylan Montgomery never got what he wanted in life. This was mostly because he didn’t know how to get it. Always afraid of what might happen if he were to be denied so he never asked. Dylan wasn’t a bad looking fellow; in fact most women would find him attractive and quite charming. He had always been sweet and pleasant. But Dylan often found himself overlooked. Because there are men who go after what they want with a fervent desire rather than stand aside in fear, and he wasn’t one of them.

Until he met her.

May.

The introduction was quite brief but his attraction to her couldn’t be missed. The new friend of an old friend that insisted her hand forward and tried to get him to talk. Instantly he could feel her attraction for him and felt himself step back inside. Dylan had never been shy or what some might call introverted but he couldn’t help catching his own tongue when he they met. It sounded like a dream when she said his name. In response he couldn’t help but say hers. She’d smiled back widely when he said her name, May.

Although he didn’t know why she picked him, Dylan knew from the first time he laid eyes on her that she could give him what he wanted. She was exactly the kind of girl that would do it. A little bit of sweet with a lot of daring. If only he could bring himself to ask her to…

“Spank me!” His screams beg for it as the leather strap cracks before laying into his bare ass. “Darling, give it to me. I need to be punished. SPANK ME!”

Dylan wasn’t like the other boys growing up. He hadn’t any desire to misbehave. Only a desire for what came after the trouble. The reprimand. The harsh swift paddle against his bare skin meant business and he couldn’t resist. This urge developed into an insistent predilection. But whenever it came time in a relationship to tell a woman what he wanted he shied away from the very notion and walked the other way. Except when it came to May.

May wasn’t persistent like other women he’d pursued, but she always made sure that Dylan knew of her complete adoration at every chance. It was often a mere touch of the arm, a wink or a smile but he knew that she would do whatever he wanted if only he could bring himself to ask it. Dylan could only think of the others who spurned and rejected his vulnerabilities before he could ever let them in. And he always let them leave.

For weeks Dylan avoided her direct gaze in their common haunts. Embarrassed by what he secretly wanted in private. Amidst a sea of their closest friends he would find himself staring at May through the cracks and nooks but unable to face her. The very thought of what he wanted from her tormented him inside. Between two friends or more he would not allow for their closeness or flirtation. Often May would smile to encourage him further. But Dylan couldn’t manage to react fully to her encouragement. The moment would quickly pass with his tongue tied in knots.

“Give me more.” May loosens up the leather strap and waits for him to insist once again before giving a little more. And he does. “More!”

When the cat and mouse of things had become quite hard for him to bear, Dylan decided that he needed to take an action. An action that seemed too bold but completely necessary. Dylan extended an evening invitation to May who agreed. And things proceeded smoothly until he began to think of what he really wanted to do and say. With those thoughts their intimacy had quickly become a moment that flushed his face leaving him to catch his tongue once again.

Dylan knew May to be armed with an interesting knack for sensing a person’s tension. It wasn’t a shock that she continued to remain close to him. Dylan understood that it was her only desire to encourage him further. It couldn’t be denied that she truly enjoyed Dylan thoroughly.

Her remaining closeness kept his heart racing. And the racing of his heart sent his pulse into a frenzy. At last he decided to react instead of ducking behind anything to avoid the obvious. With a swift and direct hand he raises and smacks her across her backside before telling May exactly what he wants. The firm hand of discipline that only she could give him. With a slight twist in her smile and lean of her head, May leans into his right ear with a whisper that tells Dylan she’d have no problem giving him what he wanted.

“More? I’ve been very bad, May. I think I need more. Give me more. MORE!” Lashing after lashing continues by the course of her extended hand.

May tells him “let me” before tying Dylan’s hands far above his head. Both his legs spread and waiting for the sting upon his bare skin. Dylan feels overjoyed as their moment is brought to realization by the swift sharp slap of her hand.

Dylan Montgomery was getting exactly what he wanted for the first time in his life and all he had to do was ask for it.

Time Travel with Andy Warhol: So What

Last night tonight: Took the time machine. I was going to The Factory. To see Andy Warhol performing a trick at 10pm teaching people to say “So What”

As I arrive early at 9pm I find Andy quite relaxed before the performance where he explained his trick to me…

“Mony, you have to understand that sometimes people let the same problem make them miserable for years when they could just say, ‘So what.’

‘My mother didn’t love me.’ So what.

‘My husband won’t ball me.’ So what.

‘I’m a success but I’m still alone.’ So what.

Honestly Mony, I don’t know how I made it through all the years before I learned how to do that trick. It took a long time for me to learn it, but once you do, you never forget…”

(12-28-2012)

Time Travel With Andy Warhol: Make Art

Last Night: Took the time machine to see Andy Warhol at The Factory.

Andy was amid a fabulously grand display while everyone looked on in anticipation.

Pausing to catch a breathe he ponders loudly.

“Where has Ms Monica been lately? In my dreams? No. But here she is drinking my champagne and yawning like the others.”

Quietly he looks up with an expectation of an answer. Before I speak he starts again.

“Could she have fallen madly badly in love? Where are your bruises & broken bones, Mony?

With a smile I shake my head and reply,

“I've been thinking about & trying to make art. And well you know how it is to love people.”

“Mony, you don't try to make art! Have another champagne!”

He waves someone to grab me another drink before continuing.

“Look Mony, don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art. But for now just enjoy your drink!”

Backflash

Backflash... Lately, I've been thinking about all the shows I've gotten to see over the years. Mostly because I'm trying to go see a photography show in the next week. If you know me pretty well then you know I've loved art, design, & music for a long time; Graffiti, Photography, Paintings, Sculpture, Tattoo and more. I used to hit up a lot of shows in my downtime which is hard now that I write, photograph and work a day job. With the poaching of my photo clientele/friends I haven't shot much but after wrapping up of a new book of stories and a new series of dresses sketched/painted/sculpted I now have time to adventure again. Yes I'm publishing another short ebook soon! I will tell you more in a later post! 

Here's a couple of shows I was able to see a few years back...

Enjoy!

Kisses, m.

Where oh where? 

5-3-2011

Where oh where could I find myself this week?

Sunday mornings are typically for brunches and discussion. After the morning chitter-chatter of Saturday Night’s events you’ll find yourself running into a person or two from the previous engagement between heading to meet up with the remaining usual characters for some mandatory window shopping before you finally end up visiting the family. However, this Sunday I found myself trekking down the state toward the lovely Los Angeles skyline to see… what else? Art. 

Two galleries in a matter of hours…

Art in the Streets. 

Graffiti in the Streets Gallery. LA. 2011.

Where can you find Keith Haring, Retna, Lee Quinones, Spike Jonze, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, in one place? At the MOCA. Primarily at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. Los Angeles’s version of the Modern Art museum is currently housing an exhibition that pays tribute for the rise of graffiti as an art form. This exhibition began its run April 17th and will continue until August 8th. I was informed that this is the first major historical exhibit encompassing street art and graffiti to be held in an American Museum. The focus here is on the origins of the style and how it has changed, evolved and merged with other cultures across the world over the course of time.

The exhibit is astounding and quite breathtaking to any admirer of the art in the street. Not only does the art demonstrate its significance in trends it shows how it has united itself in music, film, television, dance and culture. The overall exhibit remains a bit traditional in the sense of a museum. There are two floors that allow you to take in both the sheer scope of work on a ground level and an above deck level. Beneath the roof there are mock-ups from artists across the globe that chronicles the early beginnings of street art to the where it is now. Amid the visual encompassment of the street art you find yourself among film screenings, lectures, artist discussions related to the main event. 

Upon entrance you find yourself looking directly at two vehicles covered from hood to trunk in painted paraphernalia. They lay straight in the middle of the exhibit. Along corridors you have paintings, sketches, and murals telling the story of their world. There is more to the look by the art of the street and there is so much more to be told from it. The significant story that can be seen by these varying styles is UNITY. Rarely do we see a united cause across any culture except in art. 

Among the maze of rooms and hallways you find yourself immersed in sound as well as visual cues. Along a hallway a bank of mirrors are lined up with sprayed on messages. Upstairs photographic essays tell the tales of the earlier days of streets art. As art goers make their way through the maze of street arts best and brightest they are welcomed to a visual buffet. Some portions are complete homage to the street scene including alley ways, shop windows with complete interiors and replicas of vandals in action standing upon cars and ducking beneath trees. You can turn a corner to find yourself in a dark alley tagged complete with false front buildings, sleeping homeless man and flickering lights. Several artists came together to create scenes that are spread throughout the gallery. 

Banksy. LA. 2011.

One might ask of the draw or appeal to visit such an exhibition. For me it was simple, I’ve been a strong admirer of street art and graffiti for nearly a decade. Upon hearing that Banksy was a part of this exhibition it became clear that I must attend. Personally I’ve never come face to face with his work and had always wanted to. After missing a gallery in the UK two years ago I’d always pressed that I might someday make the endeavor to see his work in some capacity. The MOCA showing gave me the opportunity to do so. 

For others it almost seems educational if not mandatory that they visit a museum. Our perception of art is based in the knowledge that we have already created everything by traditional means and that is that. This idea seems restrictive. To embrace the beginnings of something new and undisciplined to our mind is to encourage our creative capacity to grow. It might seem biased to say that people neglect to realize how influenced our culture is by something such as graffiti. But they do. It is through our understanding of new art forms that will allow us to grow culturally as a combined people. 

If it’s not your cup of tea to look at the influence of street art on our culture, I encourage you to at least step into a museum to understand the origins of art. Art affects politics, music, dance, television, film and life in more ways than seem relevant to mention. Art is a reflection of the times we live in. 

Life is Not a Fairytale. 

Where can you enjoy a glass of Unicorn tears, play ping pong ala Man Who Fell to Earth with a spaceman, and get a glitter kiss blown to you from a girl trapped across the void of the photographic frame? At the gallery of celebrity photographer Tyler Shields.

Quite frankly, life isn’t a fairytale. And this is the last place you should expect to find one. But don't be surprised if you find so much more than that. 

Life is Not a Fairytale. Tyler Shields. LA. 2011.

The man behind the camera has garnered a reputation for the eccentric with his avant-garde work that borrows influence substantially from pop culture. Much like Willy Wonka opening the gates to his factory, Shields opened the doors on his work and made it public for one day, May 8th minus the need for golden tickets. And much to my own admission I was intrigued and equally excited when the announcement for a public gallery came up as I’ve been an admirer of Shields work for a few years now.

Like many photographers and artists, [among my favorites Avedon, Warhol, LaChapelle] the need to see the work up close is very necessary. You can visit the artist’s website at anytime, www.tylershields.com but to be honest that never comes close to what it’s like to look at the photography in person. However on this particular instance it happened to be more than simply photography on display. Videos, artwork, a bit of performance art, and a blood creation comprised the gallery. 

Entrance is greeted by a spaceman dancing through street along with his own space theme. Once inside you’re looking to the left at a cow in a stall mooing with words EAT ME painted on. Standing next door in another stall is a pile of bright yellow barrels painted with toxic waste symbols. Look head on and lift your eyes to find yourself staring at a giant teddy bear hanging and holding a whip while three lovely masked nudes look down from the wall. The sheer scope and size of the photograph murals are jaw dropping in person. Among the smaller pieces there are a dozen or more large mural sized pieces that fully grab your attention. And of course free with entry limited edition poster prints are handed out like a door prize that you might receive at the Fillmore West after a concert. An idea that is indeed very rockstar as opposed to photographer which speaks for itself.

The Blood Painting. Tyler Shields. LA. 2011.

Move a little more into the scene and you’re greeted by the Pièce de résistance: The Blood Painting. I’ve mentally realized that its a tribute to the artist' friends while watching the “making of” video. It’s truly a love letter to those who donated as it could not be created without their gift of blood. The donators look a bit squeamish as they are drained for art in the video but the piece is given life through their small sacrifice. Although I’m uncertain of the artist’s plans for the piece, it would be nice to see its proceeds go towards a charitable cause.

Should you find yourself thirsty while visiting the factory there are water dispensers complete with bottles of refreshments. One contains Unicorn tears and the other Vampire tears. Have a drink? Pick your poison. Although I doubt either is poison.

As you find yourself winding around the mayhem of imagery there is a ping pong table along with spaceman playing, a room of videos streaming and music that seems as though it never stops. The artist’s taste in music is demonstrated in his video portraits, which on display they run silently with the eeriness of an old film against a metallic wall. The videos are predominantly unreleased material weaved with the usual suspects. Anyone thinking they’ve seen it all. Think again. When you almost want it to end the reel keeps going. I spent in excess of 25 minutes waiting for it to restart. It did not. 

Shields photography is a cohesive collection that is uniformly spread in large across two rooms at the gallery. There are mostly individual pieces on display. The “never before seen” imagery rests alongside the general standards that Shields belts out on his website regularly. However there are a few collections that fit together nicely. Aside from the B/W masked nudes one includes a bizarre Batman, Superman, Catwoman threesome that looks like fun for some on a Saturday night. Another includes a vampire Lindsay Lohan complete with victim and fellow vampire Michael Trevino hanging on the wall above a red lined wooden coffin. Among the pieces that stand out for myself… Zachary Quinto being dragged through the dirt, Lyndsy Fonseca dancing amid a wind farm, the trio of B/W masked ladies (large), Stop Wasting Time (large) and of course Life is Not a Fairytale (large)…  just to name a few.

Overall Shields has created a world that steps beyond the ordinary in his first public gallery. None of which could be possible without the hard work the artist dedicates and the commitment of the people in his photos. A few pieces ask you to entertain the notion that the images can reach out and pull you in. And for the moment you do. You let them tell you their story while you stand in awe. One of my favorite quotes of Shields, “your imagination can only run wild if you let it” and in this instance I think that’s exactly what the artist has done to the best end result.

As an artist slash photographer Shields has definitely made his own mark in the visual world and will now continue to push the envelope with work in television and film. It will be impressive to see what comes next from Tyler Shields. 

My advice? Next time you find the factory open without a golden ticket, go and see for yourself. It won’t be a waste of time. And as long as you aren’t expecting to find a fairytale there you won’t be disappointed.

Needless to say LA was lovely and Sunday was a fun-fun day, in a manner of speaking. My eyebrows are raised thinking… Where oh where will I be next?

kisses.

 m.

Flashback Friday! Style Icon: Patrick Nagel

Flashback Friday! Patrick Nagel always photographed & drew the classiest ladies never called them the trashiest ladies. He appreciated and respected all the women he worked with. Because he loved what he did... it showed! Kisses, xx, to patrick nagel for being a true gentleman & all your beautiful artwork of women! 

Enjoi!

Kisses, xx, 

m

Sculpture

“Dancing is creating a sculpture that is visible only for a moment.”

-Erol Ozan

Richard Mackenzie-Childs Wonderland inspired Dreamhouse

Barbie loves getting lost but she also knows that things only happen when you truly know what you want to do in life.... It's about knowing where you want to go and letting the journey guide you down the rabbit hole of life to get there.

A nice dream house is a fun place to start for this doll!

In order to revamp an abandoned farmhouse in the Finger Lakes region of New York, artist Richard Mackenzie-Childs decided to travel down the rabbit hole and channel Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Built in the 1790s, the home was missing a front door and in desperate need of some tender loving care. Undaunted by the home’s disrepair and charmed by its history, Mackenzie-Childs transformed it into an Alice-inspired home for himself and his family, and the result was recently featured on SpacesTV. Click into our gallery to go on a fanciful journey through this truly unique abode.

Lighten

Anyone can wear a mask but it takes the real Bruce Wayne not someone playing Batman to kiss Wonder Woman...

“I thought you were going to lighten up, Bruce. ”

- Wonder Woman

Dream Roomspiration: Sexy and Architecturally Unique Staircases

Who says your staircase can't be sexy? You can sex up your dream home any way you want dolls & kens! Just enjoy it!

Dream Roomspiration: Sexy and Architecturally Unique Staircases

Would you sex up your house with one of these staircases?

Barbie would and she thinks you might too!

Enjoy!

Kisses, m.