DEFY MONDAY: Diva

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I'm usually a jeans and t-shirt kinda gal myself, and whence the weather changes, a sweatshirt is added. In the office - layers and layers of button-ups and v-neck sweaters. Both wardrobe types which lend themselves well to anonymity, and a special skill that I have to be able to blend way into a crowd.

It could be the pre-AM frost coming in my open window last night, well before the morning alarm, or the thawing of a pitbull before morning coffee - he woke teeth gnashing, ready to take over France or some other unknowing country, like a little Napoleon (feel bad for the lab that lies next to him); whatever it is I have a wild hair, and this DEFY MONDAY: I say - diva.

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It could be something "subtle" like the pigeon feather headdress or the androgynous bow tie, both pictured above.

Or you could go for something all-consuming, but anonymous still, like these knit costumes below from Mark Newport - an artist exploring masculine identities through knit one-sees. Okay, okay, gender politics, but don't they just look plain cozy?

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But, I said diva - you want to be anonymous?Let's shake it up out there. Fall into and reside behind a mask like one of Nick Cave's (not of the Bad Seeds) Soundsuits.

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Nick Cave is an American performance artist interested in wearable sculpture, but I don't think you have to be a diva or an artist to make your own awesome outfit!

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I just ordered some new on-sale sweaters in COLORS (read: not black, grey, or brown), & I might even splurge for an afternoon cup of coffee (read: diva).

Its the little things sometimes,

let's all live - LOUDER.

***Don't forget, Halloween is coming up!

DEFY MONDAY: Sleep!

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Did you have a good 4th?

Are you all staying cool out there?

With mass amount of DIY home-improvement going on this past weekend (read: house interior in severe disarray = shambles; ie. clutter & crazy), this Monday all I want to do is sleep - and a cool white cube with clean white sheets sounds like the perfect place to do so.

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This work by artist Chu Yun, called for women ages 18 to 40 to apply to be a part of his installation at the New Museum, as part of their "Younger Than Jesus" (an installment of their yearly "Generational" exhibition) showing in 2009.

Women who were chosen to participate were asked to then take a sleeping pill before being "installed" into the gallery space to give their sleeping "performance".

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It looks lovely to me, but I would be mortified upon waking to find a crowd around me, like the one below. Other artists in the exhibition included Ryan Trecartin, Corey Archangel, and Liz Glinn.

You can read more about Chu Yun and the "Younger than Jesus" exhibition here, and here.

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Would you ever audition to be part of an installation?

What are your thoughts on sleeping in public?

Check out another interesting "performance" based installation by Marina Abramivic here

and a hilarious response to the piece (involving a telepathic Bjork) here.

I think my face is asleep right now.

Beat the heat, Beat the heat, my mantra as I finish painting our new apartment.

[fingers flashing peace] TW, OUT.