new/work(web design): fotogirl 4.0!
Let me just start off by saying…YAY! I am pleased to announce the relaunch of my portfolio site, fotogirl.net. Why the new site? Well, it was just time for a change. I loved my old site, but over the years I’ve learned, I’ve grown, and I’ve discovered new features. I felt it was time for my site to reflect all of that. The site now has links to this blog, as well as my new mixtape page (see next post), and it features a new shop section that will be up and running soon.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. I wanted to launch LAST year! That obviously didn’t happen 
. The up and downside to being able to design my own website is that I can do whatever I want. It is very satisfying, yet extremely overwhelming. I tried hard to come up with an idea I liked, and for a while I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I eventually came to the realization that it would come to me when it was supposed to. Sure enough, a few months ago, the idea popped into my head while I was taking a nap. I woke up and fleshed it out, and then I finally had something that I was excited about. Flash forward to today, and I am finally able to write a blog post about my new site! 
You have no idea how happy I am to have it up. It’s been in my head for the last year, so now I can start thinking about something else! Anyways, please check it out and let me know what you think. I hope you like it!
It is safe to say that no matter how I’m feeling, bubbles always make me happy. Blowing bubbles is a simple pleasure that, over the years, has become my favorite summertime tradition. As soon as the weather hits 70 degrees , I head to the store to purchase a 99 cent bottle of instant euphoria.
Imagine my giddiness when I found out about a “Bubble Battle” taking place during the Summer Solstice. I didn’t think I’d ever find a place where I could openly share my love for the soapy goodness, but I was wrong. At precisely 6:21pm, in the heart of Times Square, hundreds of people gathered together armed with bottles, bubble guns, bubble machines, and one machine powered by a sock monkey. I overheard a person proclaim it to be “Bubblepalooza”, and I deemed it very appropriate.
The event lasted around an hour, and it drew a ton of confused and curious onlookers. I had a few people approach me and ask why we were doing it, and all I could tell them was that we were doing it for the love of bubbles. And that is what made the event so awesome. There was no ulterior motive, no cause we were celebrating or protesting. A bunch of random people gathered together simply to have -and create- an enjoyable, whimsical moment in the midst of a chaotic city. It felt partly like a hippie love fest and partly like an art happening, but whatever you want to call it, it was one of the most touching, surreal moments I’ve had, and I was happy to be a part of it.
In fact, the whole day was a testament to the beauty of New York in the summertime. I had wandered the streets for most of the day ,since it was so gorgeous out, and stumbled upon a few other events in my neighborhood. When I had ventured out to Times Square earlier in the day in the vain attempt to find a bubble gun (Toys R Us let me down), I got to witness a giant yoga class taking place. Much like the bubble battle, it was interesting to see people participating in something that is so peaceful, in a place that is anything but.
Later on, I ran into a small block party on 48th street. It had a very homey, neighborhood feel to it. There was a cool old-school rock band playing, and people were just hanging out on their stoops enjoying the music and weather. Toward the end of the block was a dunk tank and other games, so I watched the poor woman get constantly hurtled into the water by various players with good aim.
Aside from the bubble battle, the highlight of my day was befriending an older gentleman who was chillin on his stoop. He seemed so happy and serene, that I felt compelled to wave at him as I passed by. There are times when potential photos just pop into my head, and the minute I saw him, he looked like a classic black and white image. However, I sometimes don’t like photographing random people on the street because I feel like I’m invading their privacy. As I continued on, the image in my head kept nagging at me, so I finally decided to turn back and approach the man. I told him that he looked really cool sitting there and asked if I could take his picture. He was very sweet and said, “Of course”, and then posed for me. He was totally accommodating while i snapped a few shots, and I thanked him profusely when I was done. That brief encounter with a kind soul helped make my summer solstice a memorable one.
I’d been slacking on my museum attendance, so I finally got a chance to catch up on a few shows. The first exhibition I went to see was the Whitney Biennial. I was none too thrilled with the last biennial, so I didn’t have high hopes for this one. Secretly, I wanted to be proven wrong, but alas, that was not the case. I’m certainly not trying to bash anyone. At the end of the day, those artists have their work in the Whitney and I don’t! With that being said, I had to search long and hard to find anything inspiring. Some of the pieces begged to be seen as cutting-edge art, but really just came off as contrived or old. (Blank canvases?? Really??) A few people expressed that they liked this exhibition better than the previous one, but I have to disagree. I found a lot more interesting pieces the last time around. I just hope the Whitney will step its game up for the next one.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed the Takashi Murakami exhibit @ the Bklyn Museum. I’m a sucker for Japanese pop art anyway, so this was right up my alley. It’s a great retrospective of his work, and I’m happy I had a chance to see it.
I love the fact that he doesn’t just straddle the line between fine art and commercialism, he blurs it. To drive that point home, the museum set up a small Louis Vuitton shop right in the middle of the exhibit. (For those who don’t know, he designed some limited-edition bags for Louis Vuitton). It was also cool to see two of his sculptures that I had only seen in art class. It’s only up until June, so I’d definitely go check it out.
As an added bonus, I also checked out the work of Ghada Amer while I was there. I’d heard about her from another blog, so I made sure I didn’t miss her show. She uses embroidery(and other mediums) to challenge ideas of gender roles, sexuality, love and war. Her pieces are very layered, raw, and beautiful. It’s been a while since I’ve discovered an artist I really like, but Ghada Amer’s work is very evocative , thought provoking, and inspiring. 
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