Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Amazing sight at the DGA this evening. Tons of people packed the lobby and it felt like it was opening night one more time, but this time Sunday at 6:30pm, when then became 7pm and then maybe 7:20 by the time the film began. Kissing Cousins a film by Amyn Kaderali was the special feature film that's put in the middle. They call it a center piece film when it's not an opener or a closer to get that...
Amazing sight at the DGA this evening. Tons of people packed the lobby and it felt like it was opening night one more time, but this time Sunday at 6:30pm, when then became 7pm and then maybe 7:20 by the time the film began. Kissing Cousins a film by Amyn Kaderali was the special feature film that’s put in the middle. They call it a center piece film when it’s not an opener or a closer to get that extra special showing in there. Did you know that? I’ve only recently learned about the centerpiece spot in a festival. What did I think about the film? Honestly, it was a great first feature. Kaderali masterfully weaves a ton of characters to make a fun family comedy. I guess you can say romantic comedy featuring an Indian lead dude who’s just a dude and not an Ethnic portrayal. It’s funny, and he gets away with a lot of scenes that could have easily gone south. Impressive. I felt it wasn’t lit right, might be my only criticism. Maybe it was the projection. Either way, it’s worthy of support. Kissing Cousins site. This has to be temporary since it’s it’s an ip address. I ate one too many samosas beforehand, which were really good. I’m sure they were out there for Kaderali and his friends, but I munched as many as I could anyway. Having that festival badge helps. Kaderali was still being interviewed. He’s a tall dude picking his eye. The weird thing is, life’s grand during the festivals, but if you don’t have “big” (as in Hollywood) interest, it’s a big up that crests at the festival and then turns back into regular life soon after. But I think the highs are fun for that minute.
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Takashi Murakami's show Davy Jones' Tear opening took place at Blum and Poe. I'm sure everyone wants to know how much everything is. I never bothered to find out, but they weren't free or cheap. They probably hit the 7 figures+ and I heard they were all sold. From one of his past associates, I found out it's not uncommon for an artist to follow up a big ass show in the same city with another...
Takashi Murakami’s show Davy Jones’ Tear opening took place at Blum and Poe. I’m sure everyone wants to know how much everything is. I never bothered to find out, but they weren’t free or cheap. They probably hit the 7 figures+ and I heard they were all sold. From one of his past associates, I found out it’s not uncommon for an artist to follow up a big ass show in the same city with another exhibition to make some sales, pretty much as I thought. The art continues to be great, in a sort of continuation from the latest works at MOCA. These really need to be seen in person to get the idea of what they’re like. From an image alone, you don’t get the idea. These works follow up on the second floor of the MOCA exhibition. I heard that these works were entirely silkscreened. Many colors no doubt and huge and meticulous. I think it’s the first time he produced work in this manner. These works are actually amazing and will continue his tradition of art. The piece above has a little bit of old school and new. The latest flower style which you see on his mugs, and his newest style of his backgrounds. A lot of folks steamed up the rooms. I’m sure it’s not so great for the works, but for a night, it’s all cool. Seonna Hong, who I’ll be seeing in Tokyo next week. She’ll be there tomorrow. Takashi Murakami and Mark Ryden Kurobuta and baby bok choy and tomato at Wilson Food and Wine. Kobe style beef on an eggplant slice, asparagus, and flat bread and guacamole. Tim Blum makes a quick speech. Tim Blum and Jeff Poe have done a lot for art in LA and maybe the US. Granted, it’s mostly high art, and it definitely caters to the heavy hitters, their clientele, the work by Murakami has transcended to the masses. They also handle Yoshitomo Nara as well. It’s work that’s infiltrated popular culture and brought a style of Japanese art to the US and they were into it before it was cool or hot. I’m sure they’re doing quite well as a result of their vision, and look at how many people they can host to a nice meal. Tim Blum, a woman (I found out! It’s Tim’s wife), me and Chiho…
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So after our safari, we headed down to Cape Town for a few days. Although this was my 5th trip to South Africa, I had never been there before. One thing that was apparent immediately getting off the plane was the mix of cultures. The places I’d been before we’re pretty much white and black but in Cape Town, there is a large population of what they call Malays, people who were brought over by the Dutch from places in South East Asia, like Indonesia and Malaysia, to work as cheap labor, some claim as slaves. So because of the origins of the Malays, the Muslim culture is also very prevalent here. On our first day, we took a Cape Point tour. Which included a stop at the Cape of Good Hope. Now if you all remember your grade school geography this is the southern most point of the African continent.If you jump in the water and swim, you might make it to Antartica from here. It’s also the point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. The Cape is extremely beautiful terrain, with crazy rocky flat topped mountains to one side and the ocean at the other. A key feature of the Cape of Good Hope are the penguins. Thousands of them everywhere. I’m not really sure why they congregate here because it’s not very cold but I guess if they want cooler weather they just take the swim to Antarctica. They are very cute but very smelly also.There are also Baboons everywhere as well. An unlikely place for them to live but they seem to do well. They seem survive mostly by stealing food from the tourists. We were constantly warned not to carry anything edible on our bodies otherwise we might get jacked by one. Our guide had to chase after a baboon once who stole a woman’s purse with her passport, credit cards and plane tickets inside.On our second day, we did a cultural tour of Cape Town itself. Cape Town looks and feels like a combination of San Francisco(4 seasons in one day weather) and Barcelona( beach city)but it has a vastly different history than either. We checked out the Malay Quarter first, the colorful part of town that the Malays settled. .The amazing thing about Cape Town is that no matter where you are you can see the famous Table Mountain. Named because of it’s flat top, the mountain looks different at all times of the day. Sometimes it is covered with a cascading blanket of fog, known as the table cloth, or sometimes it’s totally clear. At sunset, it reflects the rays of the setting sun and it becomes this glowing orange color.We also went to District Six, which was a Malay and Coloured part of town that got wiped out so the Whites could take over during the 60′s, one of the most ruthless times of the Apartheid era. It was during the 60′s that Cape Town was being developed as a...
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