Engineer's Daughter

lost/found

Through October 30 - Maja Dlugolecki: Lost/Found at Glass Rice

This new body of work by Maja Dlugolecki reads as pure emotion on raw canvas, with the artist's intuition guiding every brushstroke and marker line. I continue to very much appreciate how artists are processing the pandemic, and here the title of each painting includes something lost and something found, taken from anonymous responses Dlugolecki crowdsourced from the internet. Layered on top of Dlugolecki's canvases, where in places the color is more sparse and in others diluted paint almost completely saturates the frame, these glimpses of other people's lives led me to meditate on my personal gains and losses over the last 18 months. And then Dlugolecki invites you to write your own anonymous experience of lost/found on a slip of paper and leave it in a box as you exit the gallery. 

Other things I liked this week:

• Jennifer's Body directed by Karyn Kusama. I hear from my reliable source in Gen Z that this film is experiencing a resurgence on TikTok right now and rightfully so, with its sharp script by Diablo Cody that centers the female characters in a teen horror movie. There's gore and demonic possession for sure, but also smart things to say about high school friendship.
• My Little Sister directed by Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond. Very difficult subject matter here as adult siblings face cancer, but it also has absolutely gorgeous direction that allows Nina Hoss and Lars Eidinger to just do their thing. The depiction of family dynamics, and of the magical thinking that accompanies grief, felt very real too.
• Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust by James Comey. Nothing in here that's new to anyone who regularly reads Heather Cox Richardson, but worth a look for the entertaining stories from early in Comey's career. He tries to explain some of his more controversial positions from recent times too, with varying levels of success.
• I'm grateful to my alma mater UCSC for the online events they've been holding during pandemic, and last week's forum "The 21st Century Revolution in Gender & Sexual Diversity: A New Generation Leads the Way" was particularly inspiring. Psychology professors Phillip Hammack and Adriana Manago made a good case for complicating the media narratives around social media and offered a lot of hope for the future besides.
• This year's Litquake is going full blast right now with an impressive hybrid line-up of outdoor readings and online events, and I was able to catch a virtual conversation Thursday evening between Bonnie Tsui and J.M. Thompson Thursday evening about Thompson's book Running Is a Kind of Dreaming. I will never ever be an Ironperson or even a runner of any kind but I do enjoy hearing about athletes' experiences.
• I also got to dive into the much-postponed Other Minds Festival 25 this weekend thanks to their excellent livestream that made me feel like I was right there in the theater with the musicians. The line-up includes West Coast jazz and new music from Anthony Braxton & Roscoe Mitchell, William Parker, Jen Shyu, Elliott Sharp, Tyshawn Sorey, Darius Jones, Wadada Leo Smith, Mary Halvorson, Amirtha Kidambi, Ikue Mori, Myra Melford, King Britt, William Winant, Junius Paul, Mark Dresser, Sylvie Courvoisier, Hamid Drake, and Ambrose Akinmusire.

long kwento

Through December 4 - Maia Cruz Palileo: Long Kwento at the Wattis

This extraordinary solo show by Maia Cruz Palileo at the Wattis fuses Filipinx histories with the artist's own unique visual language into a simultaneously fractured and cohesive whole. Drawing both from extensive research Palileo conducted in the Filipiniana collection at Chicago's Newberry Library as well as the artist's own family stories, Palileo's paintings and sculptures refer directly to a violent, colonialist past while at the same time celebrate the vibrancy and craft of Filipinx culture. The complex narrative that emerges defiantly reclaims space and refuses to reduce the diasporic experience to any individual story. In the evocative booklet that accompanies the exhibition, curator Kim Nguyen quotes Grace Kyungwon Hong on the topics of memory and knowledge:

To bring out your dead is to say that these deaths are not unimportant or forgotten, or worse, coincidental. It is to say that these deaths are systemic, structural. To bring out your dead is both a memorial and a challenge, an act of grief and of defiance, a register or mortality and decline, and of the possibility of struggle and survival.

Other things I liked this week:

• A Will to Kill by RV Raman. A classic Agatha-Christie-style whodunit set in a remote manor in the Indian countryside, this book gave my brain a lovely rest as I left detective Harith Atreya to puzzle out a murder. Maybe I should have been reading more mysteries during pandemic.
• Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu. A gorgeous memoir of a childhood lived all over the world and the lasting effects of a mother's abandonment and a father's death plus bonus colonialism and racism. Loved the geological metaphor Owusu employed throughout too. 
• While I have been making sure my coffee is bird-friendly for some time now, I hadn't thought about my chocolate until a wonderful presentation this week by Sharol Nelson-Embry about harvesting practices such as agroforestry, wild harvesting, and shade growing and how they connect to some cool bird species. Nelson-Embry offers delicious bird-friendly chocolate options in her online shop Cocoa Case, and you can even pick up a set that benefits the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory during their fall fundraiser.
• In yet another brilliant shutdown hack the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival is presented as a streamable film this year, beautifully filmed in various locations around the Bay Area...including an elementary school near my apartment! I was able to attend the virtual premiere Thursday evening and hear intros from the presenting artists too, which was super-neat. 
• The Mill Valley Film Festival also has an impressive online program this year, including Bob Sarles and John Anderson's riveting documentary Born in Chicago about the birth and the enduring influence of the Chicago blues. I watched it last night and was grooving around my apartment to all of its amazing vintage gig footage.

dance desert

Through August 21 - Cybele Lyle: Dance Desert at Et al. etc.

I continue to be in awe of artists who were able to create work during pandemic, and to see how Cybele Lyle synthesized the experience and extended her ongoing practice in the work currently on view at Et al. is hugely inspiring. Painted fabric is thumbtacked to wood panels to create portals that suggest a view to the outside (most pieces are alternately titled Desert Windows or Desert Walls), while wood poles propped precariously against the work on the walls imply a delicate architectural/mental stability. I loved the interaction between the inner and outer world in the detail above, and how the colors taken from nature are punctuated by pops of contrasting hues and patterns. In her artist statement Lyle speaks of how "this idea of breaking apart walls and windows and indoors from outdoors changed in meaning for me this past year," and for all of us who were experiencing similar shifts in perception this work resonates most strongly. Meanwhile, on this same art expedition, next door at Ratio 3 I stood rapt before the "aggregate" weavings Ruth Laskey created earlier this year, and then dropped in at Jessica Silverman to take in a multi-decade overview of Catherine Wagner's brilliant, subversive photographs.

Other things I liked this week:

• Wild Minds: The Artists and Rivalries That Inspired the Golden Age of Animation by Reid Mitenbuler. A highly entertaining and well-written overview of the early days of cartoons, chock full of oversize personalities and fascinating details. I only wish there had been more women and POC in the book, but I also wish that of the industry.
• Clockwatchers by Jill Sprecher. This film came and went so quickly in the '90s that I never caught it at the time, but it absolutely deserves wider recognition for its ruthless and artful skewering of office contractor drudgery from the perspective of a quartet of women.
• Saved By Nature along with the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority hosted a wonderful talk this week about how awesome bats are and how we can help local bats thrive. Not currently posted on their video page but hopefully soon!
• Last Sunday I had a lovely day out in the city with lunch at the SSP Beer Hall and then a return to my beloved Roxie to see Linda and the Mockingbirds in person, with many of the local families featured in the documentary in attendance.
• That said, with the current virus surge I'm probably going to stick to streaming at home again now, and enjoyed checking out the twisty-turny doc Misha and the Wolves for the SF Jewish Film Festival's virtual opening night.
• The SF Mime Troupe is also committed to keeping everyone safe this summer and have produced a series of weekly radio plays that I highly recommend if you appreciate agitprop that makes you laugh out loud. I'll be eagerly awaiting each new installment.

design by time

Through August 15 - Design by Time at the Museum of Craft and Design

The Museum of Craft and Design is a genuine city gem out in the Dogpatch, and their current group show Design by Time is a fascinating look at some cutting-edge work. Organized around the idea of time at a point in history when many people have lost a grip on temporal reality, the exhibition displays items from 8 countries and a 22 different artists and design collaboratives, with both established and emerging names represented. I was smitten with Swedish studio Front's reimagining of a Royal Delft vase that seemed to perform duration, pictured above, while nearby Sebastian Brajkovic's Lathe V Chair piece resembled classic French furniture that had been melted sideways in a sly visualization of history. Some objects also directly address how time acts on materials, as with the tiles from London studio Glithero gorgeously imprinted with cyanotypes of urban weeds. The museum also has a fantastic gift shop, and while you're in the neighborhood I further recommend brunching at Piccino, seeing Liam Everett's glorious show at Altman Siegel in which he gives me real Richter vibes, and picking up some treats from Biscuit Bender for the road.

Other things I liked this week:

• Sketches of the Criminal World: Further Kolyma Stories by Varlam Shalamov. The second volume of Shamalov's fiction in which he processes his 15 years in the Gulag, this is grim but essential reading. Human nature doesn't come out looking all that great, and if you're a soft heart like me just skip any story involving an animal.
• 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything on Apple TV+. For a music obsessive this 8-part series is pure catnip, with the usual suspects present but also some nice deep dives into more unusual corners of sound. The vintage footage is incredible, and I appreciated the historical context throughout as well. 
• My YouTube rec for this week is the channel for the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, with virtual hikes and nature programs galore.
• black midi hosted a listening party for their new album Cavalcade on Wednesday and it was super rad. RIYL high energy post punk math rock.
• I also spent three days Zooming into as much as I could of the International Contemporary Ensemble's Afro-Diasporic Opera Forum, including screenings of and reflections on three operas that the Ensemble has produced: George Lewis’s Afterword, Tyshawn Sorey’s Perle Noire: Meditations For Joséphine Baker, and Pauline Oliveros & IONE’s The Nubian Word For Flowers: A Phantom Opera. The forum ended with a screening of Lisa E. Harris' recent digital opera Cry Of The Third Eye and the whole thing was just wall-to-wall inspiration.
• The virtual Legacy Film Festival on Aging offers a wealth of perspectives on the latter years of our lives, and I chose the Fun & Games program with Ruedi Gerber's Seniors Rocking to honor the passing of goddess Anna Halprin this week and Lance Oppenheim's Some Kind of Heaven about four residents of The Villages in Florida.
• And then yesterday I saw a film! In a theater! It was Christian Petzold's mesmerizing Undine as part of the 25th Berlin and Beyond Film Festival and oh it was wonderful.

tour de san francisco

Whenever I do one of my long weekends in another city I always come back to the Bay Area with a renewed energy for all the amazing art and culture going on right here in my own backyard, and the way I'm feeling post-Chicago is no exception.  This weekend I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and hoofed it from one end of the city to the other, taking in street fairs and art installations alike.  Because I'm feeling lazy (and a little woozy from all that sunshine) here on a Sunday night I'm distilling the highlights down to bullet points instead of doing full write-ups for each one.  You will quickly notice that food and drink constitute a strong theme:

• Summerland in Mint Plaza - A grilled shrimp skewer over an artichoke heart and frisee salad from Chez Papa Resto, then a red velvet and an horchata cupcake from Mission Minis.
• Tour de Fat in Golden Gate Park - One New Belgium Hoptober golden ale.  To benefit the SF Bike Coalition and the Bay Area Ridge Trail, naturally.
• Expo for Independent Arts in Golden Gate Park - A chatty stop by the KALX table, and a free scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream from Ben & Jerry's thanks to a random benefactor.
• Altered Barbie at Shotwell 50 Studios - Always a fun show, but Alis Cumming's creepy-cool voyeuristic photos of dolls in compromising positions (one of which is pictured above) genuinely knocked my socks off.
• Folsom Street Fair - Plantains with beans and cheese on corn cakes from Pica Pica.  Strawberry salad from the Spencer on the Go truck.  Oh yeah and the kink.com booth.

pistahan

The first thing I heard when I walked into Yerba Buena Gardens for Pistahan yesterday afternoon was the unmistakable sound of a needle scratching on vinyl, and I was drawn right to it like a bee to honey.  Imagine my delight to find that one of the DJs producing said dulcet tones was a young woman, part of a showcase of female talent presented by local turntablist heroine Deeandroid.  Once I finally pulled myself away from the beats I took a wander through the booths, scoping some seriously awesome tributes to Corazon Aquino and three wheel motion, Filipino style.  Then it was time for a snack or two, namely chunks of fried banana washed down with a coconut popsicle, uber-refreshing in yesterday's heat. 

Speaking of food, founding Bitch herself Lisa Jervis will be at Modern Times on Wednesday presenting her new book Cook Food: A Manualfesto For Easy, Healthy, Local Eating which combines some of the philosophy of Michael Pollan with a much-appreciated DIY vibe.  Just reading about it makes me hungry.

visit poetry

Poets and poetry lovers were out in full force in Kerouac Alley this evening for the kick-off party for the second San Francisco International Poetry Festival, and this despite the chilly fog that was hanging low over the city tonight.  Former SF poet laureate Jack Hirschman emceed the affair and formally introduced each of the participating poets, who have traveled from five different continents to share their work, and then as a special treat Jonathan Richman materialized at the end to play a couple songs.  There will be free readings throughout the weekend at the Palace of Fine Arts and at branch libraries around the city, all culminating in a North Beach poetry crawl and party in Washington Square Park on Sunday.  Having fully enjoyed the inaugural festival in 2007, I cannot recommend highly enough this chance to hear the poets read their work in their native tongues.

all that jazz

Given that the 4th of July in the Bay Area is most commonly associated with fog and cold, it was nice to have a little bit of sun for my stroll through the Fillmore Jazz Festival yesterday morning.  Many people had already claimed their spots on the astroturf laid out in front of the music stages even though the acts were just getting going when I was there, and this year the art and knick-knack booths had some serious competition from the vendors hawking Michael Jackson memorabilia (and blasting his music non-stop).  Of course I was really there to get lunch, so after doing a round up and down Fillmore I headed right for the weekly Farmers' Market where it spilled onto O'Farrell.  A butternut squash tamale from Donna's Tamales, mushrooms and grits from 1300, and a yummy lemon bar from Mother's Touch Kitchen, and suddenly I was a very happy woman.

buenas tardes amigo

Saturday morning I headed into the city for some food and art, first strolling up to Dolores Park where if it hadn't been pouring down rain the annual Cinco De Mayo fiesta would have been in full swing.  As it was the two stages stood wet and empty, sadly devoid of dancers and musicians, and the brave vendors sat huddled under their tents waiting for the skies to clear.  I purchased some fresh strawberries and nibbled on them while I made the rounds, but eventually hightailed it over to Ti Couz where I cozied up to the crepe bar and ordered myself a bloody Mary with my brunch.  My favorite SF creperie has not escaped the effects of the recession and has had to cut back staff shifts as well as eliminate their specials.  Luckily the crepes on the menu have always been and still are divine, and I encourage everyone to stop in soon to help make sure they survive.  My heart would break if they closed.

postsecret

I'm DJing tomorrow:
9am - noon PST, Sunday, April 12
KALX Berkeley 90.7fm

I don't often find myself in the wilds of Walnut Creek, but this afternoon I took BART to the other side of the hill to see the PostSecret show at Bedford Gallery in the Lesher Center for the Arts before the exhibit closes next weekend.  Most of the cards on display would be familiar to anyone acquainted with Frank Warren's books or his Web site, but it was still pretty neat to see them in person, especially the ones displayed so that you could see what was written on both sides.  I always think what my own postsecret would be if I ever sent one in.  Probably not a relationship-oriented one, as Warren already seems to have plenty of those; more likely I would address one of those blunders from my teenage years that still make me cringe.  The only unfortunate side effect from the exhibition is that I now have that terrible song by the All-American Rejects, the one where they use a bunch of the postcards in the video, all-too-firmly wedged in my head because it was playing in the gallery.

On my way back from Walnut Creek I snagged an Aimee and a Sophie, and we headed off to Japantown to enjoy a little of the Cherry Blossom Festival, and yes the trees in the Peace Plaza are currently quite beautifully in bloom.  Until I can get to Tokyo for a proper visit (a few hours of layover in the airport on the way to Thailand last fall does not count) I am most happy to settle for a wander through Kinokuniya and then noodles along Post on a beautiful spring afternoon.  I also recommend going to loudly cheer George Takei during next Sunday's Grand Parade.