cream of the crop

anthropologie

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Max Melody

opening ceremony

steven alan

need supply

need supply

anthropologie

Put This On The Map

Reteaching Gender and Sexuality from PUT THIS ON THE MAP on Vimeo.

As much as I agree that there is a need for the "It Gets Better" campaign, as a lot of other people have noted, it's simply not enough.  Put This On The Map is an organization that wants to radically transform the dialogue concerning gender and sexuality, because it's not just about "waiting it out" until you move to the "big city" and find like-minded people who will understand you.  It's about challenging the heteronormative views in our society that require one to choose between gay or straight, between "normal" or "other", between "coming out" or staying "in the closet".  As the makers of the documentary state, we're so over that.

Frozen Rights is Frozen Culture

Dana Claxton, Momma Has A Pony (girl named History and sets her free), digital C-print
[Alternator Gallery, Vancouver BC, Jun 9-Jul 21] image via:Preview

Last month, Alex and I went to see Steven Loft, a former colleague of mine, present his inaugural lecture as National Visiting Trudeau Fellow at Ryerson University.  Loft is a gifted curator, theorist and writer, and his lecture "Towards Forever... an Indigenous Art Historical Worldview," was a powerful and exciting call for change in the way Indigenous Art is studied (and all too often ignored) in the western canon, both in galleries and in academia.  Loft argues that Indigenous Art is often only seen in one of two ways: as frozen artifact or marginalized afterthought.  Loft calls for drastic changes in the curriculums of art and art history, and rejects the notion that contemporary Indigenous Art can be looked at through the lens of postmodernism.  He stresses the importance of developing "a new language of art history that is located in indigenous cultures." and the need to "create radical, critical and culturally dynamic discourse that responds to and engages with an indigenous cultural sovereignty."  


I strongly urge you to view the full video of Loft's  lecture  here

Joanna Newsom - Jack Rabbits

side by side

snail disco

taken by Rebekah

Wednesday Walkabout

• Jean-Michel Basquiat would have turned 50 this December.  Vanity Fair has some rare and lovely snapshots, including this one of him and his girlfriend, Kelle Inman.  
• I have yet to see Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, but thanks to the Torontoist feature Reel Toronto, I can see all the locations where the movie was filmed now.  Actually, I can see all the locations by looking out the window or taking a walk to the corner, but that's neither here nor there.
• Since we're on the topic of movies filmed in Toronto, I'm actually watching Toronto Stories  (2008, Aaron Woodley, Sook-Yin Lee, Sudz Sutherland, David Weaver) as I type this.  I think this little film, while imperfect, was incredibly underrated.  And the Sook-Yin Lee segment (neurotic girl meets neurotic boy,  girl overanalyzes every word boy says while trying to figure out if he likes her, boy says he doesn't like her, girl attempts relationship with boy anyways) I am convinced, was based on my life.  Good times.
• This is terrifying.  Even if scientists can prove (and they have) that global warming is a threat (it is), there are still religious wing-nuts in power who believe that it is a good thing.   
• I'm still sick, but hoping that these tips on how to battle the common cold might work.  Get me to a neti pot, pronto!
• When Doves Cry is one of my favourite songs.  Ever.  Two of my favourite artists, Robyn and Patti Smith, have covered it.  Listen to both versions (and a few others) over at the awl.  Decent, but I still prefer the original.
• Hope everyone's having a good week, okay I love you bye-bye!

Hilarious or Terrifying?

This is a tough one, my instinct says hilarious but the lack of accompanying music brings it closer to terrifying.



Ack, I don't know... Terrifying! No, wait, hilarious.

cat got your tongue

BeJoyfulVintage

redtruckdesigns

thebestthings

thevintagejunkie

vintagebella

oldstuffinboxes

barnfly

PastMadePresent

suesuegonzalas

ShesARainbowVintage

If left to my own devices, I would most assuredly end up becoming a Cat Lady at some point down the line.  Thankfully, I have enough friends and family with good sense to steer me in the right direction, and discourage me from collecting kittens like some people collect stamps.  The dilemma I am faced with now, however, is whether or not the Cat Lady label would still apply if I were to collect feline-like objects, like the ones above.

And would that really be so bad?

Rebekah and I are both sick right now and barely able to muster the strength to channel surf (oh, and I've had to write two papers this weekend) so here is a brief and lazy roundup of what I would write about if I  didn't have five pounds phlegm in my chest.

• On Saturday, Rebekah and I went to the Black Hoof charcuterie with my aunt and uncle and my aunt-in-law and uncle-in-law. We ate bone marrow and it changed our lives.
• After that we went out for a drink with our super awesome friend Adam, who has a really interesting blog about the history of Toronto here, and I found girl's earring on the floor so her boyfriend bought me a shot. Unfortunately, I ruined their goodwill towards me when they went out for a smoke and I thought they left so I chased them outside with a shopping bag I thought they forgot. Oddly, this was the second time I made this mistake while out with Adam but last time I made him follow them outside. I guess I should take note of the full pint glasses left on the table next time.
• I also really want to write about what a disappointment Boardwalk Empire has turned into. 

Ok, that's it. Very lackluster, I know so here is quite possibly the greatest video ever made:

Valerie Lemercier - 95C

side by side

2010 does 1980 does 1950...

woodwood

Anna

oh wow store

fork rug

...at least, that's what I think when I see soft pastels combined with graphic black and white or in abstract patterns.  And I like it.

A bathroom

taken by Rebekah

Wednesday Walkabout

A cat, by Rebekah

My computer and I both caught viruses recently, so I apologize for the paucity of links I have for you this week.  I promise I'll be back on top of my game by next week, since the antibiotics and inhalers I've been taking are kicking this sickness in the butt, and I am now the proud new owner of a sleek 13" MacBook Pro.  Take that, viruses!

• This article about the cheating epidemic in universities is troubling, to say the least.  I had enough trouble scrounging up change to do my laundry, so where are these students getting $2000 to pay for custom essays?  Oh, and the cheating part is troubling, too.
• How many adorable kitten videos does this world need, YouTube?  AT LEAST one more
• What is beauty?  Denis Dutton talks and Andrew park illustrates the Darwinian theory of beauty for TED.  
• I feel like the word "necklace" does not do these pieces by CoseAtre justice.  I want every single one.
• Even if you're not a voyeur, you will find this fascinating:  An 80 gigapixel panoramic view of London.  Trust me!

Hilarious or Terrifying?

Despite the fear that a vagina-biting dog inspires, I'm going for hilarious on this one.

head_space

Bonus:

Lady Writers

In light of the recent hubbub over Jonathan Franzen's Time cover and the unanimous excellent reviews for his new book, Freedom and the well-placed but misrepresented anger on behalf of female writers I have come up with a list of ten contemporary female written novels. These are authors that men, women, everyone should read because they're really fucking good.

Read more »

I love.

I love this satchel.

I love these bookends.

I love these pencils.

I love these shoes.

I love this dress.

I love this book.

It could be that I've been coughing for two weeks straight, that I'm lying in bed on antibiotics and two different inhalers, and the view from my window is foggy and grey.  That could be why I'm craving bright, sunny colours and pretty florals lately.  I just feel like throwing on a dress, tossing my sketchbook and pencils into a gorgeous yellow leather satchel and taking a walk in the park.