I was in London last week working on some office tasks and after work one evening, my boss invited me to join him on a tour of the Irving Penn exhibition "Portraits" guided by the curator Magdalene Keaney. Here are my thoughts on the show.

I want to start my thoughts on the show by summing up the curator's closing thoughts. As we reached the last room in the show and the dialog transitioned into closing words, Magda addressed a question that had been proposed to her, and one that has been asked about Penn and many noteworthy artists alike.

What is it about Penn? Why Penn?

In what I consider to be a very legible answer in the overarching question of ,"what or why", "this or that", artist, she, in essence, deduced it to:

1.) Penn's mastery of craft.
2.) Penn's vision and vocabulary as an artist.
3.) Penn's appreciation of subject.

I am not going to analyze the aspects of this deduction as I find that its simplicity fits with the overall approachability of the show.This show chose not to focus on the technicality of Penn's craftsmenship, as both a pioneer and artisan of the photographic medium. Not to say that these elements were negated, but definitely reduced by comparison to other Penn exhibitions. For me, this idea of "Simplicity" means that the people who come, by in large, have a greater chance of taking more out of this exhibition and retaining the knowledge, and that is important.

The premise of the show was to present a collection of Penn's work focusing on his images of cultural figure heads. Placed in chronological order the works progressed noting, along the way, the subtle changes in his approach signified by quotes presented on the walls of the exhibition.

The show is opened by work made in the mid 1940's starting with a portrait made of Spanish surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico. This portrait is one of the first images Penn made of a cultural figurehead and it's significance, as Magda explained, was its fundamental differences from other Penn images.
Firstly, it is an image that was made after an impromtu meeting on the Spanish steps when Penn was serving as an ambulance driver in the war. Penn approached de Chirico out of admiration and asked to make his portrait. Penn's motivation here was personal as opposed to his other commission based portraits.
Secondly, this image was made outdoors while Penn is primarily known for his work as a studio portraitist.

Post World War 2, Penn started out as an Art Director, enlisted by Vogue, to propose concepts to other photographers of the time, such as Steichen. Long story short, Vogue ended up hiring Penn to make the images he was proposing to others, himself. Penn's portraits during this time followed a list of stategies that involved his studio, his subject and the interaction that developed.

As noted by Magda, by deducing his variables to simple variations on his studio space or simple prop selections he allowed the subjects to emote in a way that allows the viewer to pay close attention to the intricate details of gesture and pose. For instance, his use of the corner and it's importance as a structural foundation, allowing subjects to conform there bodies into postures like the slouched composition of Truman Capote's portrait in 1948.

Progressing through the show, the work trails to the back of the room where you have the only "Fashion" image in the show, a portrait of Lisa Fonssagrives. This portrait of Lisa is a climatic point in the show, both visually and historically. Placed just outside the first room of the exhibition space, it is the first work you see as the show segways into Penn's later works,

This second room houses some of the most memorable Penn moments including the famous portraits of Picasso and Colette. As Magda noted, it was at this point in time that you started to see tighter compositions focused more on the characteristics of peoples faces. In Picasso's portrait, the combination of his hat and coat in harmony with the light and composition draws the viewers focus straight to the upper left eye, cheek and nose area. The shapes, tones and textures of this image create an architecture that have an almost landscape quality about them.

Closing out the show in the final room you have the more contemporary favorites, Robert Deniro, Nicole Kidman, Fashion icon and Penn collaborator Issey Miyake. It was at this point in the show that Magda addressed her premises in curating this show and also when she answered the question of "Why Penn?"

In closing I invite you to please take a visit to the National Portrait Gallery in London and when you do remember
1.) Craftsmanship
2) Vision
3.) Respect

That is "Why Penn?"

Please enjoy this impromptu portrait I made of Magda using considerations of space, the corner, that she addressed in the show.

Leisure Saturday in London was AMAZING! I met up with a very good friend of mine ,Tanya, and we had a delicious brunch and some equally delicious quality time in Soho. After some catch up, we spent the whole afternoon perusing the clothes and people London had to offer us. As usual, I had to make a trip to selfridges where i found a some wonderfully arresting people to photograph as well as a fantastic sleeveless leather number from All Saints. Before Tanya and I parted ways, I insisted we sit down for some much needed ice cream. No joke, it was the most delicious ice cream I have ever remember having had. I finished my day at the arcade where I got to play my favorite video game Pump it up,check out the video below.

I hope you enjoy the pics and video!

Theirs really nothing I love more than an early Saturday morning. I roll out of bed in my PJ's, usually after a fairly simple evening, I know, boring but true, throw on my slippers aka my overly warn Nike dunks, and head down to Joe on 23rd for a cup of coffee or tea.

Joe is my hang out before 9:30 am. Everyone on the staff is friendly and usually they can call my drink before I have a chance to request it. The friends I've made at Joe are a colorful cast, from AB-SO-FAB FASHIONISTA-FIT-GAYS to wonderfully successful women of age to 3yr. olds who like to come over and admire my daily shoe selections. You get it, I love JOE!

After a cup and some sketches in my journal, I'll usually make my way over to the Antique Malls and Flea Markets on 6th and 25th. For those of you who don't know, that area of 6th Ave. used to be nothing but markets. Their were at least 5 separate flea markets in 2005 when i lived on the corner of 26th and 6th. Now, their are 3, and thats if you count each level of the garage as a separate market. Anyways, these markets have some of the most extraordinary selections in vintage fashions, furniture and other strange odd's and ends. Plus the people selling are quite the characters! Recently, I purchased a gold razorblade charm on a beautiful gold rope chain, such a cute find! The women I purchased from was a lovely Russian women who's items lay in such dishevelment you'd never guess she had such treasures.

Rule #1 of the market, you must have patience with yourself. You don't find buried treasures floating on the surface.

"Never to proud to beg
Stoop to conquer
Fuck a snake to get ahead"

-Jack Doroshow

Quaintly nestled amongst the bourgeois shops and well tended brownstones of Madison Avenue exists an artist sanctuary with more than 40 years of history. The gate keeper, 70 years young with the grin and tail wag of a puppy is none other than the myth herself, Mother Flawless Sabrina, or as many of us know him, Jack Doroshow.

Defying the status quo since before most of us were born, Jack made a name for himself as the leading lady in the 1968 documentary "The Queen". The Queen represents a time in the sixties when the taboo of drag still scared the masses, before their was a readily accepted visual connotation for the term "Drag Queen". Jack was playing the "mistress of ceremonies" to the touring drag pageants that were happening all around the country, The Queen gives viewers a privileged view behind the scenes and into the dressing rooms of Jack and the contestants who participated in these contests.



My Introductory quote is a quote from one of my first trips to Jack's place, a spontaneous trip made at the request of a close artist friend. Since then, a trip to Jacks has been a welcomed escape, a chance for pure unadulterated, unabashed conversation and usually the chance to connect with other young artists looking for the same outlet. Jack's home is the "Cabaret Voltaire" to my generations anti-establishment, dadaist minds. When you look at the installation of art proposed in Jack's apartment you see the likes of Warhol and Math-you namie coexisting in a way that gives equal value to the art and the ability for it to be viewed and appreciated in a nonchalant way. One of my gripes with galleries, a very recent conversation I had with Jack, is that galleries, for the most part, have the charisma and charm of a morgue. I'd occasionally like to attend a social gathering to view art as opposed to a funeral! Ironically ,if you've been to the Whitney Biennial ,they've even included a hearse in their morgue!



PG: Viewing you as an artist of infinite mediums I want to know what you believe the premise of your work is?

JD: "Respect!" "It's a job, you have to earn it!" Respect yourself, if you have a problem, look it over. Get input from other people and if you surround yourself with people who you respect, that doesn't hurt either.

PG: What are some of your favorite activities?

JD: Sex, writing and walking.

PG: Could you tell me about some of your current inspirations?

JD: The Pixies. They have a lyric in one of their songs "feet in the air, head in the ground", a kind of went through life ass backwards gesture. Illogical, didn't mean to, didn't feel comfortable in the status quo.

PG: What words of wisdom would you propose to other young artists sitting across from you as I am now.

JD: (PG: in no particular order)
1.) Believe in yourself without question, don't question yourself.
2.) The most important word in diplomacy is you.
3.) You learn the most from the people with which you don't agree.
4.) Life is infractious, make your own time, otherwise end up the mystery guest in your own experience.
5.) We live on in the minds of the people we care about and of the people who care about us.
PG: And finally, the one that I found most appetizing, Confucius said" If a man knows what he loves to do, he never has to work another day in his life."


Jack in one of those people you meet once in a life time, a uniquely kind soul with the grin and tail wag of a puppy. I hope that anyone who reads this or gets the chance to go uptown for a visit, will kindly comment and add anything you think I may have left out.

This cold can be a bit unbareable at times, but when my trusty cell phone informed me of Jeremy Kost's exhibition "The Ladies That Lunch", I pulled it together and got my one my besties James Ryan to accompany me to the ultra luxe National Arts Club in Gramercy park where the reception was held! Afterwards, Ryan and I chilled out at one of my fav. late night snack houses, Venus Diner!