where i've been

http://www.satwindersehmi.com/

http://www.saatchi.com/worldwide/index.asp

http://www.bartleboglehegarty.com/

http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1636_chinadesignnow/the-exhibition

other things

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/oct/23/advertising.genderissues

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aHbi8PdowGU&feature=related

hula hoops

Brittany, if you haven't already, check out the Sunday NYTimes Magazine article about painter Marlene Dumas. there's an interesting if shocking moment in there about whether charges of sexism/chauvanism can be relevant in the 21st century. there is also a ton of blog activity about this issue and Dumas, might be worth tracking that down and seeing what you think. but start here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/magazine/15dumas-t.html

our east Berlin neighborhood, Fredrichshain, appears to be unbelievably fertile. there are pregnant women and babies and toddlers everywhere, all of the women in the residency program have commented on it. I can't tell if the men noticed it before the women mentioned it. Tom and I are wondering if those families will stay here through junior high and high school and then the demographic will completely change---or maybe there's some mysterious urge to move on and their places will be filled with more fertile folk. I think of this because of that great comment you recorded by Kate Stanner.

Germany's current Chancellor is a woman, Angela Merkel, read some facts and ponder how few women still are involved in politics at a high level: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel

The Berlin Biennial had a number of interesting contemporary women artists as well as a small mini-exhibit of works by Polish artist Zofia Stryjeńska (1891-1974).
http://www.forum-polonia-houston.com/Art/Zstryj/zs.htm

I am working rather feverishly in the studio but I plan on providing links to all of the women artists I have seen. both here and in Prague the communist aesthetic meant that public sculpture presents Comrades working together, both men and women strong and powerful in these idealized moments. up above the woman with child on her back is from this wild block of communist era buildings here in east Berlin, the woman with the beehive is from a building in Prague.

on going out

our first outing was to a health concert at this strange pub off of old street. Old Blue Last. The music was deafening, but when we left to go downstairs, there was a full on dance party with DJs playing old American hits.

second thing was the run-riot performance art party. aside from the hula-hooping extravaganza there was dancing, and two girls that sparred on the dance floor all night. oh, and a man but a woman painted white in a bathrobe that exploded diet coke over everything. it was questionable.

we missed transcendental bingo.

spaces in transition

After being here a while, I've been taking not of how the city is changing. The second day we were here, we were given a tour showing architecture interacting with type. There is a lot of construction going on, completely transforming King's Cross Station. The old building is a formidable structure, a large singular shape, sort of fortress-like. They are totally changing the building making the back, the new front.

Across the street, is St. Pancras station, a highly ornamented building that recently went under as major renovation. The doorways in the building were originally built according to the size of a barrel of beer, because way back when all the breweries were in the country. The inside of the station in a portal for people in transit and is this sort of glass tunnel that exposes the original features of the building, and dead ends at the st. Pancras Hotel, another ornate red brick building. Under the largest clock in London, is a monstrous statue of a man and woman kissing, signifying that this is meeting place. pretty funny actually.

There is also a lot of construction going on outside my window, and a building draped with plastic.

at the RCA show, a sculpture student made this miniature clay environment that reflected mini construction areas all over the city. It's strange, as I walk along, I see construction men lined up, all sitting against the wooden partition-walls set up on construction sights, and they are sitting talking, smoking or eating sandwiches, but never doing anything. There are also these little construction sights, blocked of, framed with white and orange plastic fencing--inside are piles of dirt and heaved up pieces of road, sometimes tools, but they seem abandoned, they don't change and no one is ever there.

oh, and kings cross is how you get to Hogwarts.

Busty tells us aliens were here.
watch out for dippers and draggers.
today I ate a candy bar that was labeled "not for girls"

Back to architecture, I saw a show on the intersections of architecture. weaving, pleating, creating a form of cover/shelter, a set of clothing that turns a human into a Russian babuska doll, one layet at a time, bloating, distorting, suspending, camo, pattern all related to building and the body.

We also talked about design and music intersecting with Michael Johnson. how music gives designers opportunities fr expression and how the sound changed the aesthetic.

run-riot art/culture/best dance party I have ever been to

aliens may or may not have been iin involved

to be honest I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was beautiful, and the rain suited it.

I almost think its awkward.

Saatchi & Saatchi/Kate Stanners

Today we talked with Kate Stanners, creative director of Saatchi and Sastchi. I asked her to talk a bit about how being a women affected her career. She began by saying she gets asked that a lot (being the only woman creative director around) and that she thought it was a little boring, but she went on with a very animated description...

According to her (specific to advertising):
1.women are too intelligent and sensible for such things
2. 50 percent of students are women, 14 percent are working today
3.women have confidence issues
4. women are not confident in their abilities/personality to make other people laugh
5. women question their abilities and performance, and have a fear of rejection men don't go home at the end of the day and do the same
6. she doesn't use very skinny girls in her work, women don't want to see other women with all the piss taken out of them
7. women have babies and that's really fucking difficult