Life|Love|Loss: Yesterday the snow drifted towards Earth once again. My day was similarly dotted by other floating spirits of sorts. The Portland Art Museum offered a moving and intimate (though full to the rafters) memorial for Terry Toedtemeier. It was great to stand in the midst of a community, in a crowd full of artists, curators, collectors, docents, teachers, scientists, everyday people, etc. Standing alongside Rob we became part of the fabric of the crowd, as a festive undercurrent warmed people sharing their personal stories. There were many familiar faces, notably several artists and the hardest working regional photographers. A few people in the crowd close to Terry mentioned he would have loved to see this sea of folks.

Later in the day we headed to see the much talked about David Fincher movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. As far as film is concerned it was OK, but in terms of storytelling, it was superb. The whole life in reversal was done with a sense of style. The story of how we lose love and gain it back in mysterious ways. Cate Blanchett is so very beautiful, and I was surprised to see both her and my other favorite British actress, Tilda Swinton, in the same film (never on screen together of course). With such a powerhouse cast I was delighted that the acting highlight here is actually by a rather unknown supporting actress, Taraji P. Henson, as Queenie, Button’s surrogate mom. The performance is passionately believable throughout. Based on a short story (though the film lasts three hours) by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1921), its fueled by special make up and computer/airbrushed effects that are at times a lil’ unnerving, but there are some gorgeous scenes in New Orleans that capture the grandeur of another time altogether.

And when we exited the theater there was a dusting of snow-cover over the downtown streets at every corner.

Though I have never owned one of his records, couldn’t hum a single song nor name a title by Manson, his very candid interviews show an offstage persona of intelligent life on Earth. I appreciate the acceptance of backhanded comments, his references to Dada and his painting as an outlet for being an ‘outsider’. And though his interviews on Bill Maher’s show, David Letterman, O’Reilly and others often turn a few ears with amusement, he continues to push the envelope.

IS IT REALLY LONELY UP THERE?: I went to see the film Synecdoche, NY today. It shook a chord being partly a futuristic, segmented play within a play, raw and emotional. Not a happy go lucky type film by any stretch, but an amazing work of cinema by Charlie Kaufman nonetheless. It was great to see such a cast of actors in one film, but of course, it centers around an insular playwright enacted by the formidable Philip Seymour Hoffman, who I have mentioned here before, and surely may again. At the top of his game, on New Year’s Day I also saw him in Doubt alongside Meryl Streep (who was superb in the role of Sister Agnatius). I mention Hoffman because he’s so earnest on screen, often playing characters in some form of lament, turmoil, life changing experience. A dose of reality without the cloying aftertaste of something made for battling brides, supermodels, island castaways or board room ejects. He paces his roles, and in many ways I see him as somewhat of peer role model (we are only a few years apart). Of course he’s already been to the Oscar podium a few times, and though I have no penchant for grasping the idol, I think he’s done deservedly so with integrity.

OK, this isn’t a PSH lovefest now. And perhaps I got off the point, but you just can’t avoid being mused by actors - they are like empty canvases that form delicately with time. And besides, when you are in the process of re-shaping your career in some way, if you rely on hard-n-fast rules you will lose your own elegant sense of asymmetry. So, it’s with this less fleshed out perspective that I go into the night seeking some form of creative work that will bring me at least a sense of passing joy (and knowing that the roof overhead will remain somewhat balanced in the process). Not a woe-is-me wake up call, more like a reaching out to you and yours to see if there is anything you know about that might be tailor made for a shapeshifter like me.

Maybe I should take up acting?
After all I don’t have a day job to give up!

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TEMPERATURE’S RISIN’: The Portland Mercury took the time to point out A Year In Review, and I align with at least three of Mr. Motley’s seven strongest highlights and observations. Of course, on their yellow brick road (+ great new disc) Antony + the Johnsons stole TBA this year.

AUTO-ACCOLADES: Over at Port, a local art blog serving “art geeks and the cognoscenti”, prove to never be too shy to roll their own credits. In 2008 they wonderfully managed to cover all ‘Couture‘ exhibitions except one, and still manage to keep their right hand column intact.

TIMPANI, PLEASE: Which leads me to feeling somewhat “vindicated” (very unlike Susan Lucci), by Willamette Week naming my Infinitus “Best Installation of 2008“. Though I can’t really coo with the same subtlety, in the words of a fallen disco diva, “I feel love”.

More to come….

After hearing of the death of Eartha Kitt on Christmas Day there was something special about this holiday in a passing glint of light.  She was indeed the living legend who crooned ‘Santa Baby’ among many other favorites. Having had the true pleasure of seeing her perform live thrice in various style venues, I was honored to meet her face-to-face when she was in Portland in ‘02, she autographed my Bear Family Box Set with a sense of candor and openness, a true lady of class and style. In one show (circa mid 80s) she danced with high Rockettes-style kicks, bountiful laughter, she was raucous (and even within the age of retirement). I’ll never forget a show I attended with my friend Charlie at Sculler’s where she punctuated nearly every song with laughter. Her show was full of charm, and like her infamous portrayal of Catwoman, she seemed to have as many lives, though she leaves this one at 81 years young as she may have said. The loss of Kitt brought to mind the many that have passed of late, those who made us smile, laugh, think and wonder, maybe even self-edit or question reality at times. Every annum I reflect on the twelve months recently served and how it shape-shifts the greater community of working artists. Many changes this past year as we lost some true greats - peers, mentors, spirits having flown. Some we’ve met, or learned from, influences or collaborators, their memory lives on…

* * *

George Brecht
Harold Pinter
Robert Rauschenberg
Freddie Hubbard
Sam Bottoms
Odetta
Paul Newman
Bo Diddley
Henri Chopin
Miriam Makeba
Roy Scheider
Heath Ledger
Nagi Noda
Robert Hazard
Bruce Conner
Michael Crichton
James E. Jones
Robert Graham
Henning Christiansen
Studs Terkel
Levi Stubbs
Willoughby Sharp
Bettie Page
Adam Nodelman
Richard Wright
Suzanne Pleshette
Mario Schiano
Charleton Heston
Isaac Hayes
George Carlin
Paul Benedict
Terry Toedtemeier
Estelle Getty
Yma Sumac
Eartha Kitt

OK, as I always say, it’s another “Portland Moment”! So, we broke some record from 1968. Now, let’s prove our weight in gold, er, white I guess. While it’s easy to gloss over all that’s under our feet, it’s tackle time! The City That Works, in the words of a tall black ’supermodel’, You Better Work! This winter wonderland is slow-churning, turning into a gloppy, big bad mess! If more people could wield a 9″ stiletto the world might be a better place through the thick of things like this, but some have long ago hung their heels to dry.

Without getting too high on a soapbox, just a few observances about this waning storm. Yes, it was a white Christmas for the most part, but now we have a sorta sludge-slush aftermath, and ruts to deal with. Most side streets have not at all been plowed, some not even traveled for several days, you can see the cars that haven’t been moved since the first snow wave hit over four days ago. The blogs (this one is slightly bitchy but the more power to ‘em) are chock-full of people with questions (and complaints) about whose responsibility it is for snow removal, and yes, I even mentioned it the other day, but again - safety is the main concern here. And by now, most people have seen the infamous YouTube vids as featured on “Bruce and Tina“. As a pedestrian I trekked today over parts of Northeast Portland, with its many side streets cluttered by 8″ thick waves of dirty icy snow, pretty much impassible by human feet unless you have those knee-high galoshes from the 70s. Dave Knows made me laugh. The mushy sidewalks, even right nearby the Max are not cleared, no salt, no de-icer for people to walk on, just uneven impacted snow, melting in parts to mush. Are those ‘required’ chains any good for open roads even after most highways and main drags are clear? Where to walk? Who’s responsible to clean it up?

For some, unlike the record broken, it’s a broken record. “The city has spent 1000s, millions on cleanup and we have nothing to show for it”. The questions roll in. What are the liabilities? How many accidents could be prevented? Is the city disabled?….And the converse: The blaming finger pointing squarely at the lazy gits for not perhaps taking a day off from the mallrat walk down at the Lloyd and perhaps instead finding a real way of earning some extra cash asking people if they need their walkway shoveled for a tenner. Is the art of valiant streetwise entrepreneurialism dead in the twenty-first century?

The papers are talking back too. I found this bit on Oregonlive, and some more facts at the Seattle Post Intelligencer. Even the NYTimes got in on our action. Did you know that in some parts of the country businesses, and even residents get fined if they do not remove snow from their property and sidewalks within a reasonable period of time (often 48 hours). Extensions are provided if ice is involved, but a basis for cleaning up the mess is standard preventing being further buried, or flood damage. Property owners in some neighborhoods do take pride, but on a long walk down Halsey, of the near 100 houses I passed a mere one single family home had shoveled around their perimeter and dropped some of those lil white de-icing pellets which make it easier to walk on (hmmm, progress). The temps over the last two days have been commensurate with some serious shoveling and snow blowing action, of which I didn’t spy any in my travels. But I could only get around on a limited basis, wherever my feet and Max would lead, but it was a messy mix, especially being splashed by an oncoming car with slushy debris. I know, go and build a tall snowman! This lady tells it like it is:

Of all the pieces I read, this one by Michael Milstein was the most practical of all (get out there, people!). Just read this about garbage courtesy of KTVL (peee-ewww)! I could appreciate Sam Adams appeal seen in the Tribune. I saw one newscast with Nick Fish out in the thick of it driving around in his lil’ Celica I think, he seemed a bit fearless about what to do, and he was tending to people in need at the time, it was nice to watch him take action. But words need to translate into laws before a weather-slacker population takes heed. I sound like that online guy who complains about everything, but I assure you its me, and I just am ‘over it’ - trying to trudge that is. Jen caught the beauty of it all out near Alberta Street:

Dear reader - mind you it is heartwarming to hear the positive effects such as this one at “Starting Over in the Rose City” - I’m getting down and real…so, any thoughts, or should I just look in the opposite direction (to the South) and let this blow over? Maybe I just need a vacation, Palm Springs sounds nice about now….This guy has the spirit (or maybe that’s called loco):