August is slow.

August is slow. Slow at work. Slow in the brain. Slow at everything. Here's what I've been up to:

#1 nerd with giant jar of tea. not urine. Photo by Kitty Joe Sainte-Marie

On the mornings that Kitty Joe and I don't have work, (which seem to be most mornings lately as the company i freelance for is dead slow and Kitty Joe works noon to 10pm most days) we have been going to park at 8 am with giant jars of ice tea to brainstorm and work out the details of an upcoming project. I guess you could say that it is less of a project and more of a "create-your-own-get-out-of-this-soul-sucking-city-dream-art-artist-residency-project-thing". I don't want to give away too many details as of yet, so let's just say we've been dreaming and working on it for awhile now and the reality of it just gets farther and farther away. It's not the large and complicated build the project will require or the vast amount of art work and writing that will be made during the project's duration that is daunting, the trouble is looking down the pipeline at trying to find funding, the seemingly endless amounts of letter writing, elbow rubbing, explaining and all of that organizational shit that i so dearly hate.
But you gotta do what you gotta do... even if it never pans out. So be it.

#2
Lutheran Church of the Messiah on Russell St in Greenpoint. Photo by Kitty Joe Sainte-Marie

James Case Leal is my hero. I haven't hung out with James since we met in Cuba over a year ago so it was great to meet up with with him recently and see what he's been up to. And, HOLY SHIT (no pun intended) it is amazing!!! He's been preparing an exhibition at the Lutheran church across the street from McGolrick park in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. James knows the Minister from around the neighborhood and because Sunday service is held in the basement during the summer months due to the over heated sanctuary, the congregation has agreed to let him build an installation in the sanctuary over the course of 6 weeks. I got to see it in progress and it looks unbelievably amazing! If it is not the best show the fall opening season has to offer I'll be surprised. No gallery representation, minimal funding, help from friends and community... Quality DIY with really impressive results. And he has two kids! It will be open to the Public the last week of September. I'll keep you posted on the specifics...

#3
Photo by Kitty Joe Sainte-Marie

Sailing with Duke Riley. It seems like the conversations between Duke and I lately have been dominated by bitching about how we've both been stuck indoors most of the summer and how much it sucks. Cabin fever in the summer is stupid. But he finally had a break in his insane schedule and invited Kitty Joe, Lara Allen and I out to the 26' sailboat he has stashed on the East River. It's easy to get stuck in ruts in this city and finding ways and time to look at things differently can be hard to come by. Sailing down the East River to Hoffman Island, just past the Verrazano, was just the break I needed. And aside from getting stuck on some rocks off the island and having to run away from the harbor police, it was really peaceful experience. Absolutely incredible.

Duke, on what is left of the dock at Hoffman Island. The Verrazano Bridge in the distance. Photo by Kitty Joe Sainte-Marie