What I Should Have Said: Awkward Cab Encounter

A few weekends ago I went to a birthday party for a church friend at a bar. It was a good night. Dancing. Catching up with old friends. Meeting new friends. I was standing with 2 female friends when this guy comes up and starts chatting us up. He told us he was a photographer so I told him I work at a gallery and that he should come by sometime.

So anywho. He singles out one of the other girls and pulls her aside. He asked her if she was dating anyone and if she would like to go to dinner sometime. Wow. Guys actually do that? Go up to girls and ask them to go out sometime? This guy is certainly confident. He wasn't even drinking.

So after the party the guy tags along with us in a cab. I was up front and he was in back with the other 2 girls. We drove by the building where I went to school and I say, "That's where I went to school." He asked what I studied and I told him. And he just says, "I always thought working at a gallery would be really boring."

Um. Okay. And how am I supposed to react to that? I just gave him a look that I can only describe as, "Who do you think you are?" I mean. Who says that to someone about their career? It was so arrogant. I just went on to say how I guess one might think that. But that there is never a dull moment at my job.

What I should have said . . .

What kind of a person insults another person's job? Especially if you are an artist and should probably take advantage of the opportunity to network with someone in your industry.

or

O really? I always thought it would be lame to be a no-name phogtographer.

What might you have said? I could always use suggestions.

No longer a guitar-hero virgin

So. For awhile I've heard rumors about these gatherings where people get together at Brigham's place and play some kind of video game called, "Guitar Hero". 2 weeks ago I decided I wanted to get in on the action and stop by. But unfortunately I'd left my phone at work. Luckily I ran into Jared (pictured) who said he was on his way to Brigham's. I told him how I had wanted to go but didn't know where he lived. So Jared said, "Maybe it was meant to be that we ran into each other." Yes indeed. I think it was. Because I had a great time gathering with fellow appreciators of rock and roll. The game is just good clean fun. Of course I had to ruin it by finding several sexual undertones in some of the visuals in the game. Leave it to me to corrupt the innocent. But you really can find alot of Freudian symbolism in it.

So. In my laziness I will refer you to the following blog to read more...

http://www.briggie.blogspot.com/2007/03/best-10th-gathering.html

A Much Needed Rock Concert

Since moving to New York I have had serious trouble with not finding out about concerts until they have sold-out. Luckily I discovered www.ohmyrockness.com which gives me the heads-up about upcoming shows. This is how I got tickets way in advance for the sold-out Raveonettes concert at Mercury Lounge. I thought I'd share a few pictures. Unfortunately I have to get to bed so I'm not gonna leave much commentary.

These are pics of the opening band. They were actually one of the highlights of the night. They ROCKED! They are called, "Dead Combo". In the middle of the performance an owl at the front of the stage started to blow smoke out on the audience. Unfortunately it let off too much smoke which caused a fire alarm to go off. So this caused the mics to die.






And here are a couple of pics of The Raveonettes. They have amazing charisma. Must be the Scandinavian genetics?

Uncanny resemblance

So. I was with a co-worker at the Armory when i saw this drawing. I commented, "That guy looks just like my dad." She said, "I was just thinking the same thing." I said, "That he looks like my dad?" "No, That he looks like my dad." So either our dads look similar, or there is something fatherly about this image. She said her dad has a mustache. So did mine. There you have it. Although my dad was a bit buffer than the dude in this drawing.

What I Should Have Said: Awkward Encounter at Church

So I went to church on Sunday and I attend a congregation made up entirely of singles. Every week I have several awkward and uncomfortable encounters. Some amusing. Some downright painful. Argh!

This Sunday I was talking with my cousin and her friends when a guy comes up and interupts and starts calling me some name like, "Heather." Whoever she was, her name was on a piece of paper and he had to conduct business with her of some kind. Now mind you. I have had full on conversations with this guy 4 times before. Although perhaps I never told him my name. But it was obvious he had no recollection of ever having talked to me. It wasn't just that he didn't know my name, but he didn't remember who I was. The conversation then went as follows:

Are you talking to me?
Yes.
I'm Brooke. Not Heather.
Really? I thought you were Heather (he had the most confused look on his face--like when he thinks he is right and i just have to be wrong. He had business to conduct with whomever Heather was).
No. I'm Brooke. But that's okay.
I'm sorry. I got confused. I thought you were Heather.

He was obviously kind of embarassed at this point. Blushing a bit. I was blushing a bit too. So I thought he would take the out. But he keeps talking to me and is like, "Are you new?" I just said that I was visiting and I actually live in Queens. And he kept trying to talk to me and I just turned back to my previous conversation.

Now. I know it is hard to remember girls when there are SO MANY of them and so few guys. But I have to admit that this did kind of hurt my feelings. And I know I shouldn't take it personally and blah blah blah. But it is kind of sad to think you can talk to someone 4 times and think you are having a significant conversation and they don't remember you.

What I should have said: "Yeah. Actually we've met 4 times."

I can't be too harsh, because I once asked a girl about herself and she told me that she'd already told me that. But she only had to tell me twice. So there. And I once called a kid Phillip for 2-3 weeks until he told me his name is Nicolas. So. I guess I can't blame the guy. Bless his heart.

Picture of My Boss At the Armory

This article just came out in Art Info with a picture of my boss. Take a look...

http://www.artinfo.com/News/Article.aspx?a=28323

The Armory Show

As many of you may know, the Armory Show is one of the most important Art Fairs in the World. It's been around since the 1930's. Of course it is alot different now. Now it is a huge pier filled with booths set up by the most successful contemporary galleries. Here is a picture of just one of the hallways.



The gallery where I work had a booth at the fair. This is it . . .



You'll notice the Prada Bag in front. It is by an artist named Jonathan Seliger. It is actually made of bronze. The circular metal sculpture is by Subodh Gupta from India. And the large piece on the back wall is hundreds of bottle caps weaved together with metal by El Anatsui from Nigeria.


Here are some of my favorites from the show. What a person picks out of thousands of pieces of art says something about them I suppose. I would go into a discussion about each piece. But who has time for that?

I love the nostalgic, japanimation-inspired art. Anything cute. These are 2 works by Mr. at Lehmin Maupin Gallery (I interviewed here).





This is an amusing reference to pop culture in the Paul Kasmin Gallery booth. Sound familiar? Think Dirty Dancing.



Folkert De Jong is an artist whose work I discovered in Los Angeles about 2 years. It is made out of synthetics like foam. These characters are lifesize.





I like this one because she is in the yoga bridge pose. It was painted on the wall. It says something about the politics of the mapping of the female body etc. etc.



This is the painter Ryan McGinness. I've been following him since I moved here. He is with Deitch Projects. Although I must say I really was disappointed with their booth this year. The first Armory show I went to they were selling yummy cupcakes.



And I was really hungry as I walked around. So here is some food art.





Here is the garbage truck that some poor soul had to somehow get into this huge hall.





And finally. This is a wood sculpture currently showing in our gallery by Claudette Schreuders. I like to think of her as my twin.

Sweet Sweet Roll Vindication

So remember the story about how I lost a sticky bun somewhere in the city? Well. I went to Amy's Bread last night because I've been craving a sticky bun since I lost one a few weeks ago. I told them the sad story about how I was lying in bed that night and suddenly remembered that I had a sticky bun. So I got out of bed to put it in the fridge. Searching through my bag I sadly realized I'd lost it on the way home. $2.50 down the drain. So Amy's Bread gave me TWO sticky buns last night. How great is that? One was free of course. One for me and one for my friend. New York City ain't so bad.

The Whole Fam-Damily

Since my family is too cheap/lazy to make the effort to get a professional photo, we use timed cameras instead. For the first time in a LONG time we were all together for the Holidays. So this is our picture. We never have shoes on in these pictures. Don't you wish you were a part of this family?

Precious Little Ones

I know most people could care less about seeing pics of other peoples' kids. But I wanted to document this effort to get a picture of all of my nieces and nephews over the Holidays. Please note that the one picking her nose through most of the shots is my namesake. Yes. She is named after me.

Old Age Has Officially Set In

Well. Ever since I started my job, I've become absurdly forgetful. I think it is because I have to pay such close attention at work to details. Here is what I have forgotten/lost since I started working...

An orthodontist appointment
My house keys--left them at work
A sticky bun (I bought it, and by the time I got home I'd lost it--huge disappointment!)
Left my yoga mat at a Mexican restaurant
$20 in an ATM machine. Somehow I lost it in between the atm and hailing a taxi
My cellphone--I left it in a cab. Luckily the driver answered it when I called and brought it back to me

I forget things every now and then. But this is just above and beyond my usual forgetfulness. Usually these incidents are more spread out.

So. If anyone has any suggestions for how I can recollect my marbles I would appreciate it.

What I Wish I'd Said: Subway Encounter III

Well. I've been busy with work, so haven't written much. But I wanted to write a little blurb about another fun subway encounter. Now that I spend about an hour everyday on the Subway I see alot of interesting stuff. The subway is like another city in and of itself.

So I was about to swipe my card and go through the turnstile when another one of these bloated looking old guys with plastic glass frames butts in front of me. To make matters worse, as he's going through the turnstile he turns to me and asks, "Are you Irish?" I just said, "No" and looked down. He says, "Because you have red hair." I didn't really acknowledge the comment. Duh. I know I have red hair. I could be minutely Irish. But mostly I'm Welsh and Scottish.

I actually said what I should have to not draw attention to the situation. Who knows what he would have said if I said, "Yes." Although sometimes I do kind of want to say, "Leave me alone creep." But that might just encourage him.

What I Should Have Said: Friday Night Encounter

Friday night I went to an afterparty after an opening at our gallery. I sat in a strategic location near the food when this way too much older dude immediately asks my name. Then he says he's getting up for a drink. So I figured he was leaving. I also figured he was gay like most of the men there. Unfortunately he came back and sat down way too close to me. I also watched him dunk a dumpling in sauce and stick his fingers in the dip along with it. Gross! So I debated whether I should escape or stay by the food since I was starving. Then he asks if I always wear pinstripes. I had on dark brown pants with barely visible pinstripes on them. Yuck. I knew where he was going next. I just said, "Not really." Then he says, "They really accentuate your length. And you are already long as it is. It looks good." Ewwwww! Why must the gross dudes always be agressive? At this point I left and found some girls from work by the bar. He came up to our group and asked, "Brooke. What are you getting to drink?" I started to feel seriously disturbed at this point. He wasn't taking the hint. Eventually he told me he had to leave. Thank you!

So. What I wish I'd said . . .

"Why did you just dip your fingers in the sauce? That's really gross."
"Go away. Leave me alone. I'm not interested."
"I'll go out with you if you buy me an expensive dinner and take me to see Wicked" (just kidding).
"Yes. These pinstripes will look especially good when I'm jamming my knee into your crotch if you don't leave me alone"

What I ACTUALLY Did (not just should have done)

So. I was a little scared to do this. Put together the list of interviews I've been on. But luckily I have some good news about job hunting! But first, I want to take a trip down memory lane and list all of the places I interviewed starting back in April.

Here it goes...

Art Newspaper
Americans for the Arts
AIG
Sotheby's
Patron Technology
AIR Gallery
Bryce Wolkowitz
MoMA
Hazen Keay
Black Dragon Society
Paul Rodgers/9W Gallery
White Space Gallery
Spencer Brownstone Gallery
Margaret Thatcher Projects
Craig F. Starr Gallery
Merton Simpson Gallery
Studio in a School
Tanya Bonakdar
Lehman Maupin
Thomas & Associates
Art Assets

(And any others I may have forgotten. Not to mention all the "informational" interviews).

So. About 3 weeks ago a friend informed me of an opening doing Development at the Frick. So I interviewed there on a Wednesday. Then got a call that afternoon from the Jack Shainman Gallery. Got called back for a 2nd interview on Thursday at the Frick followed by an interview with Jack Shainman himself Thursday evening. He was hilarious and I felt like I could be myself during the interview. And the job sounded exactly like what I have determined I want to do after my 20+ interviews. I informed him that I would be going in for a 3rd interview at the Frick on Friday (the truth).

So. Friday I went in for a final interview at the Frick. (Keep in mind that I was also doing temp work in the middle of all these interviews). That same Friday afternoon Jack called and asked me to come in on Saturday for a 2nd interview. I went in at 1:00. Then at 5:00 while out shopping with a friend Jack called me and informed me that he wanted to hire me. I asked him for a little time to think about it. So I called him Sunday evening. He was sick so called me back on Monday. I then called him on my lunch hour and he asked to call me back in 2 minutes. While I waited the Frick called and offered me the job. What the? So I told them I was probably going to take another job. Jack then called. I told him the Frick just called. We talked. Figured out the details. I took the job at the Jack Shainman Gallery. He told me they had a lot of great candidates, but that I was the best. That's nice to hear. I'm still in shock! It happened so quickly after all my months of searching.

It was stressful to actually turn down a great opportunity to work at the Frick. But my dream has been to work with living artists in a setting where I can learn about contemporary art.

Thanks to all those who fasted, prayed and crossed their fingers for me. When I informed 3 of my friends they each separately said to me, "My prayers have been answered!"

Where The Boys Are

This last Saturday I accompanied my friend Alyssa on a shopping excursion for the Holidays. I think we somehow ran into the epicenters for both attractive Indy and mountain men in New York City. Or maybe because we both lived in Hell's Kitchen so long, we aren't used to seeing a lot of straight men out and about.

Anyway. We went to an art exhibit to send off a popular graffiti spot on the lower east side. The building is being turned into condos, so goodbye graffiti. It is actually sad to see it go b/c it has alot of history. Long story short, there was a load of attractive indy/artsy guys hanging out there.

Our next stop was the EMS sporting store on 5th avenue (maybe I shouldn't reveal the location). This seemed to be an epicenter for earthy guys. Both of our jaws were dropping. The ultimate was spotting the darling Julian Casablancas from the Strokes. I glanced up at him as I passed and then my eyes about bugged out of my head. I told Alyssa I needed to get another look just to make sure it was him. So I wandered over and took another, casual gawk at him. What a darling. Too bad he was with his wife. Doh! Here he is . . .



Unfortunately I don't have any stories about how we met a couple of guys. We just saw them. But hey. That's something.

My New Digs--Thoughts on Queens

As most of you know, I headed out to live in Astoria, Queens a few months ago. I found the apartment on the NYU Housing list. So here are a few long awaited pictures. Below is a shot of my living room. This is right before my birthday party.



Here are some pics of my new bedroom. I have 2 closets!







Some of the pros of living in Queens:

Quiet--Fewer Sirens
Alot more space for the money
Families
It is more like a neighborhood
Second-hand stores galore
Speakers on each street corner playing christmas music
Having a yard

The Cons:

Less convenient for Manhattan
Fewer cabs
People don't want to visit because they think it is far away

Conclusion: Moving to Queens is the best move I've made. There is no way I could find this kind of space, peace and quiet in Manhattan. Now I just need to convince my friends to move here.

What I Should NOT Have Done on My B-day

Word to the Wise. Do NOT go to a temp job on your birthday. I've been in my current placement over a month. The guy I'm replacing was fired. And several people have left the department in the last few months. NOT a good sign.

My sister recommended that I bring in treats for everyone. But I just couldn't bring myself to use my precious money for these people who could really care less. So I opted out. Instead I just told a few people. And they would just say, "Happy birthday" and look back to their computers. Sad.

After temping I went to a job interview. Does it get any better than this? It was another interview where they brief me on the position and give me no time to respond and say how I can fulfill those duties. I don't understand why they repeatedly do this at galleries. So at the end I just said, "I know I can do everything you mentioned and am excited about the position." This was pretty much on my way out the door because they were in such a hurry.

I left the interview and walked to Times Square looking for a spot to stop in and cry because my eyes would not stop tearing up for some reason. So I wandered around for an hour. Then I called my friend Michelle who lives in the neighborhood. I asked if I could hang at her place for an hour. I did, and she gave me a foot rub! This was the highlight of my day thus far.

Anywho. Finally I ended up at Dinner at Vynl with my friend Alyssa. I arrived and she was all smiles. She took me to the back of the restaurant and sitting there was a group of my friends and they all started clapping for me. Surprise! I just started crying b/c none of them had called me that day and I felt so sad. It really cheered me up! If Alyssa hadn't done this for me it would have been a miserable day. So thank you to my friends for coming through on my "special" day. Click here if you'd like to read more about the dinner.

So. What should I have done? Called in sick and gone to the Bronx Zoo. One of my favorite spots in the city. Follow that up with a manicure/pedicure. That would have been great.

Interviews out the Whazoos

So I've had quite the amalgam of interviews lately. It's been rather overwhelming. But I'll give you a recap.

1. Tribal Art Gallery: They wanted me to sit alone in the back room and photograph every last piece of this 70-year-old's tribal art collection. Could be interesting? I asked if I would ever have interaction with collectors. The interviewer outrightly said, "No". I would have had to dig through 50 years of hand-written invoices to get the collection organized. They informed me that all the pieces had been "Demystified" by tribal priests. But I HIGHLY doubt that. There is no way every piece could be "clean." At the Museum of Natural History they have a room set aside simply for the burning of sage brush by Native Americans to protect against the potent spiritual power of having so many artifacts stored in one space.
When they asked if this job would interest me I tried to pretend like it would. But it was really hard. I felt like the job might have been a bit depressing.

2. Art Advisory: I interviewed for a position as office manager of an art advisory. In the interview she asked me such illegal/questionable questions as:

--Where do your parents live? (I had to tell her my dad was deceased which was rather awkward)
--What does your mother do for a living? What did your father do?
--How old are you?
--Since you went to BYU, are you Mormon?
--How much do they pay you at your current temp job?
I did not get a call-back on this job, which means this could be grounds for discrimination. Hmmmm....

3. An upper eastside gallery: I came in and 2 other people were there to interview at the same time and 2 more came in after me. It was a cattle call. And I had 10 minutes to talk myself up. I will say that it was a comfort to see that I looked the most put-together out of anyone there. I was beginning to worry that the lack of hiring had something to do with my appearance.

I didn't get the first 2 jobs and haven't heard on the last. I have to honestly admit that while it does hurt a little, I wasn't too excited about working at either place.

What I Should Have Said: Subway Encounter II

Since I moved to Queens my subway ride into work is a bit longer. And today I tragically forgot to bring a book. So I just closed my eyes and rested. I'm beginning to realize that I don't like the Subway very much. Today, 2 stops before I get off the train I dozed off a bit. Right before getting out of my seat to get off the train I opened my eyes and there was a bloated looking white man wearing a baseball cap leaning over me mouthing something without making any noise. Looking right at me. And I just gave him this, "What are you doing?" glance. And he backed away kind of guilty-like. How long was he doing this? And why didn't anyone tell me? There were 2 men right by me just looking at me to see my reaction. I tried to act like it didn't bother me. I HATE having any attention called to me on public transportation. Yet is happens alot. Man. What a weird way to start the day.

What I should have said, "What the 'h' do you think you are doing, Creep?"

Halloween Back-up

Back it up to Halloween. Like I said in a previous post, I'm a bit behind in alot of things. I wanted to post a "borrowed" picture from www.briggie.blogspot.com of my Halloween Costume. I went as Laura from Project Runway. I had the hardest time finding something to make me look pregnant. I went to about 10 stores on the way to my Halloween Party. I eventually had to crash a party at a random halloween party at a church and ask them to give me a balloon. I then had to untie and deflate it multiple times it so it would fit under my dress. It was a nerve-wracking experience. But I'm grateful to the ladies who gave me the balloon. I purposefully tried to look a little slouchy, but also commanding like Laura does. I TRIED.