Book: Crea Tu Circo

Crea Tu Circo.

This amazing book available in Spain is on its way to me via a prom date circa 1998 who currently lives in Spain. Thanks Mark! Looking forward to getting my book soon. 

I'll let you know how the creations turn out!

- Grace

Pretty Porcelain

A pretty porcelain ring made to order by MaaPstudio on Etsy for $48

- Cathleen 

Lo Lee Ta

I looove this cover designed by Jamie Keenan for my favorite novel of all time: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. This brilliant and subtle double entendre-d image, along with 60 other redesigns, was part of a cover competition organized by John Bertram that will soon be compiled for a book titled Recovering Lolita. Co-edited by Yuri Leving, the book also includes essays on historical cover treatments, and is due out in June.

Visit imprint to see some of the other designs, as well as this awesome online trove of past Lolita covers. 

- Cathleen 

Huguette Clark's Jewels

The death of reclusive heiress Huguette Clark on May 24, 2011 created an ownership issue for most of her belongings as well as her massive fortune. 

Going up for auction via Christie's New York on April 17 are the following items:

The pink cushion cut diamond, likely given to Clark by her mother, is estimated at $6-$8 million. The emerald cut diamond is estimated at $2-$3 million.

These two diamond bracelets were worn by Clark in her last-known photo (above), taken in 1930. The diamond and emerald bracelet is valued between $20,000 and $30,000; the other is estimated at $300,000 to $500,000. 

Diamond, ruby, and sapphire American flag brooch designed by Cartier and a multi-gem bracelet features 10 dangling ornaments, including an elephant, two lovers on a bench, and an angel. This Cartier designed bracelet is valued between $20,000-$30,000. 

Clark's sister, Andress is pictured in the onyx, turquoise, and diamond frame on the right and the art deco crystal clock, left, is valued at $15,000-$20,000.

Also up for sale are three Manhattan apartments and this gem below in Connecticut which apparently has sat empty and unoccupied for 30 years. 

Two conflicting wills ensconce the division of Clark's assets in drama. 

Sigh.

- Grace

Artist of the Week: Pina Bausch

Monday night I went to see Pina, a 3D tribute to the late great choreographer Pina Bausch. Directed by Wim Wenders, the film is made of extended cuts of dance performances interspersed with portraits of each of the dancers who worked closely with Pina throughout her career. It was no long form documentary, delving into her life's details from birth until death. It was about dance. Her dance. The movements; awkward and graceful, conveyed the strength and fragility unique to her style of choreography. The sounds of each dancer's labored breathing, skin against skin, fists on flesh. The pieces were performed in a bed of brown soil spread thick over a stage, or in a room full of chairs, or out on the edge of a cliff. It was all so beautiful and so moving, and so unlike anything I'd ever seen in dance before. The only words spoken were played over each of the dancer's portraits, recalling just one or two lines about Pina's process or their relationship. Keeping with the spirit of dance---where words may only hint at a feeling, movement can convey so much more.
 
Pina died on June 30th, 2009 at the age of 68, five days after she was diagnosed with lung cancer (after years of heavy smoking (a surprising number of the photos I found of her online feature her with cigarette in hand)) and two days before shooting was scheduled to begin for the long-planned documentary. But somehow, the show had to go on.

Here is the trailer: 

Here is a clip of one of my favorite dances from the film: 

And here is another great moment:

- Cathleen 

[Top photo via James Waites via Getty Images]

Botanical Art for the Next Generation!

When I think about botanical drawings and prints I think of this: 

Very pretty, but now slightly boring and overdone. 

I came across this on the blog Colossal:

Floral X-Rays by Brendan Fitzpatrick take botanical art to the next level. 

A photographer for over 20 years, Fitzpatrick is located in Singapore. These images were taken in a radiology lab and manipulated in Photoshop. 

Amazing!

- Grace

Remains of a Date

Reliquary of St. Balbina

Last week Micky and I had a date with New York City. We slept in, ate brunch and dessert (because why not!) at Peels on the Bowery, took the D then the A train way uptown to The Cloisters where we saw some really old chess pieces and Medieval art, rode the train back downtown to the Lower East Side where we stopped in at the Essex Street Market to buy a couple of handmade caramels from Saxelby Cheesemongers, grabbed a beer at The Magician (where we had our first date), went to a gallery opening to see the work of my friend Pooneh, then topped the night off with dinner at a cozy French bistro nearby called Antibes. It was absolutely the most perfect day. Made even more perfect by my discoveries at The Cloisters that afternoon: Creepy! Wonderful! Reliquaries! 

The three busts featured here were made circa 1520, possibly in Belgium, and definitely held relics—skulls to be exact. Reliquaries were made to hold the bones or hair of a holy person (First-Class Relic), an item worn or owned by a holy person (Second-Class Relic), or an object that has touched a First- or Second-Class Relic (Third-Class Relic), and they were thought to possess great power.

Arm Reliquary, circa 1230, used by clergy to bless people or heal the sick

Foot Reliquary 

Handblown Glass Reliquaries

- Cathleen