Carne Trémula (Live Flesh) by Almodovar

(*****)

Yesterday I finally watched "LIVE FLESH".. A film by my favorite director, Pedro Almodovar. 

Even though this film was made in 1997, he is always capable of surprising me.. He has certain hooks to the film that you can't stop watching, or guessing what will happen. His stories are SO well told and his characters are extremely well-developed.. You understand each and one of them.. 

Starting from a prostitute who has her baby in a bus late at night, to her son after growing up - having to go to jail because of a gunshot after falling in love/going crazy about another prostitute addicted to crack. 

This one, I specifically love one shot.. Where he shows the Point-of-View of the gun. Its unbelievable! There is also a beautiful sex scene! One of the most beautiful ones I've ever seen! 

You SHOULD check it out, its online on netflix!

Official Trailer


Curiosities: The lady who delivers the baby with Penelope Cruz in the bus, on the first scene, is Javier Bardem's mother, Pilar. 


Quotes: 

Pedro Almodovar, Under His Skin

My favorite film director, Pedro Almodovar will be present at the annual funding event at the MoMA, and guess what? I can't go, because each ticket is $10,000. So, here is a tribute for him:

Pedro Almodóvar: Under His Skin on Nowness.com.

Cy Twombly

Cy Twombly a.k.a. Edwin Parker Twombly Jr. was born on April 25th, 1928 [Taurus], and died some weeks after his exhibition started on the MoMA, July 5th, 2011. He was born in Lexington, VA and in 1957, when he was 29 years old, he moved to Rome where he met Tatiana Franchetti - and married her in New York 2 years later. 

He calls himself "Cy" after his father, who has this name, a baseball pitcher. 

He is well-known for his large, graffitti-like, "scribbly", free, and caligraphic styled work. Its a mix between a drawing and a painting, and his titles are always interpreted visually through shapes, forms and words. 

"When I work, I work very fast, but preparing to work can take any length of time."

"My line is childlike but not childish. It is very difficult to fake.. to get that quality you need to project yourself into the child's line. It has to be felt."

Cy's painting began as non-figurative and soon transformed into "romantic symbolism". 

He has a son, who's also a painter, and is now living in Rome - Cyrus Alessandro Twombly. 

I still didn't get the opportunity to see him at the MoMA, but I've seen him before somewhere, I think it was at the Whitney. 

Cy Twombly is at the MoMA until January 2nd, 2012. 

Here follows an interesting article I found. 

Who's in NYC?!?!

Wondering what to do on a Friday night?!?!

"Scopophilia" by Nan Goldin

@ Matthew Marks Gallery

From October 29th - December 23rd

522 West 22nd St.

Scopophilia: "Love of Looking"

Nan Goldin, my favorite photographer/idol, went to the Louvre and took 400 photographs of paintings and sculptures. From that, she selected some of her own photographs, and compared them in an amazingly beautiful 25 minute slide-show installation. [Note: Beautiful music!] She compared all the photographs through body & shape, light, mood, and style - and placed them together. 

I got a text message that day (on a new phone, so I had no idea who the angel was): "Nan Goldin will have her opening tonight at Matthew Marks Gallery!". I couldn't believe it. I was finally going to see her! 

Unfortunately I went alone (which makes me shy and vulnerable).. I watched the installation twice, had a wine in the gallery, and waited having my cigarette, since I know she also enjoys smoking. From when I went inside for the 2nd time to watch the slide-show, to when I left, the gallery was packed, and they were only serving water! I walked around the gallery to see the prints again, when suddenly I see some crazy white boots and some wild red hair. THERE SHE WAS. 

I thought I would go crazy and have an anxiety attack, but her presence just made me feel light and calm. 

I stopped and just starred at her for a good 30 minutes (Yes! She looked at me and probably noticed the stalker I am). I watched everyone approaching her, telling her things. I couldn't move. She had a glass of wine in one hand, and a cigarette on the other, and she simply lit her cigarette right there! (My hero!) 

A few minutes later, I turn around and I bump into Terry Richardson, my other favorite photographer.. He was humble, the show wasn't for him.. I watched him going up to Nan Goldin, and asking her if he could photograph her for his blog. I'm a follower of his blog, I actually did one for me, (which I will announce by the end of this year), and the photograph is finally online.

Photograph in Terry's Diary.com

On the first day that I don't carry any kind of camera in my bag, this happens to me. So, maybe I shouldn't carry any more cameras? 

Her new photographs were beautiful. For the first time, there were MEN as subjects, (besides David Armstrong, her Ex, or Drag Queens), and that really intrigued me. 

The crowd was beautiful and colorful, and Kiki Smith also went to see her!

What a night! October 29th, unforgettable! 

Special Thanks: Allen Chen