Beach House at the El Rey

Live music, when done right, is an immersive experience for the audience. The sound washes over you, filling the entire concert hall and bringing all who listen into a unified resonant frequency. Such was my experience at last night's performance by Beach House at the El Rey Theater.



Words can't describe exactly how a certain combination of sounds and rhythms result in virtuosity, but when you hear it you know it.

I have to make a confession. I had no idea that the voice singing those hauntingly beautiful songs by Beach House were a woman's. Does it matter? Sort of...



Here's a set they recorded for NPR in December 2010.


A bonus was hearing a set by Wild Nothing, a solo project of the incredibly talented Jack Tatum. The songs were poppy, danceable yet full of emotion.

Frohawk Two Feathers: We Buy Gold, We Buy Everything, We Sell Souls, at MCA Denver

Frohawk Two Feathers
The Battle of Tallow (Blood) River Or The Bear and The Wolf destroy the King of Gold and The Two Hells for enemies and traitors are opened. 1794, 2012
Graphite, and acrylic on elk hide, bison rawhide, and nails.
70" x 50"

I'm in Denver this week preparing for the opening of Frohawk Two Feathers's first solo museum exhibition at MCA Denver. The show, entitled We Buy Gold, We Buy Everything, We Sell Souls, opens this Thursday. Here's a preview of the installation.

Taylor De Cordoba is thrilled to announce that MCA Denver will present the first solo museum exhibition dedicated to the work of Frohawk Two Feathers, the pseudonym for L.A.-based artist Umar Rashid. The exhibition, entitled Frohawk Two Feathers: We Buy Gold, We Buy Everything, We Sell Souls, will be on view from June 21, 2012 through September 9, 2012, and feature more than 20 paintings, works on paper and sculpture. 

Over the course of his career, Frohawk Two Feathers has created works that provide a magnificent re-imagining of history, narrating the story of Frengland, his fictionalized empire of a combined France and England. His drawings are detailed accounts of the traditions and rituals associated with the Frenglish leaders and culture, confronting issues of racism, power, greed, and ideological opposition within an invented period during the eighteenth century. By re-imagining colonial history, his work shows the subjective nature of historical recollection. 

Co-curated by Nora Burnett Abrams and Tricia Robson, the presentation at MCA Denver focuses on key characters and battles from the initial formation and early expansion of Frengland, as well as subsequent imperial conquests and campaigns against the crown. Rooted in this early history, the artist produced new works for this exhibition that further develop the complex narrative of the Frenglish empire, expanding the scope of his earlier work to North America and linking the narrative of Frengland to Colorado.

If you're in Denver be sure to check out the show.

Portraits in the garden

Last night, I cooked salmon for a group of lovely ladies. The light was perfect so I talked them into some snapshots.


Beatrice


Jeana


Megan

The Hunger: Diana Nyad and the pursuit of an "Xtreme Dream"

In August of last year, I received a phone call that changed my life. I had just married the woman of my dreams, our art gallery was beginning to recover from the recession and I was in the early stages of launching a web development and social media consultancy business.

When I answered the phone, the voice of a close friend said to me "Alex, I have a job for you." Diana Nyad, the world champion long distance swimmer needed my help. Her attempt to swim across the Florida Straits from Cuba to Florida ended after 26 hours in the water. But she was not finished. In fact, she would be leaving for Cuba in a couple weeks to try it again, a dream that would not die, so difficult some would call it impossible, but in her mind it was a forgone conclusion that she would walk on the Florida shore 60 hours after jumping into the harbor in Havana.

I joined Diana's team as her webmaster, tasked with a similarly impossible task of keeping her website from crashing when 1 million people stopped by to get hourly updates on her progress. The blog posts I  transcribed arrived to me via a sat phone on ship to a scribe in New York and then on to me, to post on the website and spread the word on Twitter and Facebook. At all hours, I would await a phone call with the latest news to share. Being the #1 trending topic on Twitter was a heavy cross to bear! Luckily, I had many friends supporting me in this herculean effort.

Alas, Diana was stung twice by deadly box jellyfish and yet continued to swim towards her dream, until the poison forced her to abandon the swim. But quit is a word not in Diana's vocabulary. In about a month, Diana will once again set off for Cuba to make her swim across the ocean, at the youthful age of 62. When I speak to her, there is no doubt that this time she will make it. And I could not be prouder to be a part of her team.

Rivka Galchen has written an amazing profile of Diana in this month's issue of Elle Magazine. If you have ever faced a seemingly impossible challenge, take a moment to read Diana's story and be inspired to live your life with no regrets, and pursue your goals with passion and determination.

2012 Amgen Tour of California Mashes Across Los Angeles

A thousand or so die hard cyclists woke up this morning to ride the downtown Los Angeles circuit where Amgen Tour of California concludes today!


Including MOM!


and DAD!


and a lion


and a frog





















After riding the circuit, I quickly rode home to see the pros race down Sunset Boulevard!


Le Tete De La Course


and the peloton!

Indigo Invasion at The Standard: Britt Browne

Britt Browne
Growing Indigo: A Hydroponic Installation & Superfine Prints
The Standard, 8300 Sunset Boulevard
Opening Reception May 17th, 2012


















Congratulations Britt!

Venice Art Walk and Auctions hosted by Google

A long day of work at the gallery. Lots of good things are afoot including this!

Taylor De Cordoba artists Kimberly Brooks, Frohawk Two Feathers, Kyle Field and Claire Oswalt are participating in this year's Venice Art Walk and Auction, taking place May 19 and 20.

Kimberly Brooks | Mom's Friends Study, 2008 | Gouache on paper | 8" x 11"


Kyle Field | A Place in the Park, 2008 | Ink and watercolor on paper | 7 x 8.75 inches


Claire Oswalt | Doubled Over, 2009 | Graphite, paper, wood | 26''x36''x13''


Frohawk Two Feathers | Tales of Heroism, Part I (God Help The Enemy), 2006 | Xerographic transfer print on wood | 7.5" x 8"

This year the auction is being hosted by Google and includes artist studio tours, gourmet food trucks and live music. Tickets to the event can be purchased on their website.

Don’t miss the all NEW Venice Art Walk & Auctions hosted by Google Los Angeles. Enjoy our curated silent art auction, live music, taste bud tingling food trucks, family art activities and exclusive Art & Architecture tours at Venice’s largest community celebration! In 1979... as Venice Family Clinic struggled to provide health care services to Venice’s working poor, artists in the community conceived of a simple but unique idea to raise funds. Many of these artists were patients of the Clinic and decided to open their studios for a ticketed tour to raise much-needed funds and keep the Clinic open. The Venice Art Walk was born. Venice Art Walk & Auctions brings thousands of community members together to celebrate Venice Family Clinic. Artists open their studios, architects open their homes, and as many as 400 artists donate their work to ensure that neighbors in need have access to health care. All proceeds from the event directly fund Venice Family Clinic health care services. We couldn’t do it without YOU!