 | KATIE PFEIFFER'S WORLD OF ART, FOOD & CULTUREANYTHING THAT APPEALS TO ME, KATIE PFEIFFER – FOOD, ART, FILMS, MUSIC, CULTURE, KITSCH, RELATIONSHIPS |
The Saturday four o'clock showing of the Korean film POETRY at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute on March 26, 2011 was no ordinary screening to me . By the time the ending credits rolled, I was literally on the floor sobbing the big ugly cry. What was even more tragic than my tears, was the absence of emotion from the little old white haired Mainline ladies slowly walking up the aisle giving me a passing glance of mild disgust. as they teetered past my seat. Maybe they didn't understood the film. I know for a fact the director of the theater didn't. She introduced the film and said that the director ( Lee Chang -Dong) " enjoyed luxuriating in the mysteries of the film". She then corrected that sentence with the statement ,"luxuriate isn't the right word". POETRY isn't about a mystery or mysteries. There was nothing vague or ambiguous about the story. The film is about mysteries being revealed in a major way to the main character- an elderly woman named Mrs. Yang ( played brilliantly by Yoon Jeong-hee). Mrs. Yang has a just one goal- to enroll in a poetry class and learn how to write a poem. Yet if I had to assign an astrological planet to represent this film it would have to be Pluto . I know the idea of writing poetry is very Venuian ( Venus- the planet of love and beauty ) . I mean that's probably what you are thinking. Yet the foundation of Mrs. Yang 's seemingly stable world is on the verge of collapse; a sure sign of Pluto's presence. Pluto is the planet that rules deep and hidden issues. When the reality of these issues ( or secrets) comes to the surface either intentionally or unintentionally, the results are explosive and chaotic. Change arrives. All that was is now swept away in the rage of this planet's destruction. Destruction then clears the debris . The slate is wiped clean. Mrs. Yang's goal to write just one poem opens up a Pandora's box which cannot be closed. I went back and watched the film again a few days later. Unfortunately, the film has already disappeared from the theater ( it was there for only a week) . Lee Chang-Dong wrote and directed POETRY . I consider this film to be a masterpiece. I know it has recently won awards at a few film festivals around the world. I'm not certain of its timing to be considered for next years Academy Awards. It deserves to win best foreign Film. If it were up to me I would give it an Oscar for best film -period. I wept as much seeing it the second time as the first. Days later, the film stayed in my psyche. It unleashed feelings within me that have been buried. Instead of pushing away my sadness, I allowed myself to be. POETRY has become a catalyst for me in many ways, the ripples of which are just starting to emerge. I wasn't surprised to find out Lee Chang-Dong was born on July 4, 1954 ( astrological sign: Cancer). Cancers are one of the most emotionally sensitive signs of the zodiac. Thank you Lee Chang-Dong for changing my world!
And speaking of change, after almost forty years of having an aversion to Indian food, I recently gave it another chance and now I'm a changed woman. Blame my five planets in Taurus ( read: stubborn- o.k. very stubborn) for my slow response to change. Oh sure over the years I have eaten curry rice and curry chicken but no one could convince me to set foot in an Indian restaurant ( until recently). Despite my long standing rejection of Indian cuisine, I have always been attracted to Indian culture. I enjoy exploring Little India in NYC. I was giddy with joy when I discovered A light up Lakshmi ( Laxmi) Goddess Altar that plays twenty Bahjans ( devotional chants) to the Goddess of Love and money in an Indian Bazaar as well as a wall full of exotically scented Indian soaps- Cinnamon, musk and clove for a dollar each. I enjoy watching Indian films ( and I'm slightly embarassed to admit I love Bollywood musicals). Indian textiles, clothing and colors catapult me into a creative frenzy. And I love tooling around in my car chanting ( off key) to George Harrison's Goddess chants; Govinda Jaya Jaya. I'm obsessively addicted now to Chana Masala ( chickpea stew). It is vegetarian, inexpensive, healthy, tasty and I think it may be helping to dissipate my perimenopausal hot flashes. I found a recipe online but have modified it by introducing a can of vegetable broth. I also recommend eating Chana masala like a chutney; thickly spread over a flour tortiilla topped with a fried egg. Heaven ! I'm telling you it is so good.
In addition to Chana masala, I'm addicted to two Indian food products. I can't tell you where I'm buying MAYA KAIMAL SPICY KETCHUP locally because I promised to keep it a secret to the person who turned me on to it ( it is available online). I can only eat this ketchup now; regular ketchup tastes like crap to me now . It is excellent on eggs and french fries and it is perfect on TRADER JOES VEGETABLE MASALA BURGERS ( in the frozen food section at Trader Joes). scrambled eggs with the vegetable masala burgers topped with spicy ketchup= perfect.
Now back to mysteries or rather one mystery in my life which has been solved. Ed Basner, the artist of the small zen rock sculptures ( as I labelled them), contacted me last July. I did my best to solve the mystery myself. I encountered four different people who gave me four different accounts of the mysterious creator. Ed has his own blog and lots of photos of his sculptures. I have put the address on my blog roll. Check it out. He is populating the Mainline with his sculptures. I'm sure everyone living on the mainline has now seen a few of his babies. Whenever I see another sculpture of his crop up in a new location, it immediately makes me smile. Thank you Ed!
Last Saturday ( April 2, 2011), I was lucky enough to see the musical BAT BOY at Villanova University Theater. The play was FANTASTIC and the cast and crew did an incredible job. It was also outrageously funny. I couldn't stop laughing. Michael Kane Libonati 's portrayal of Edgar (Bat Boy) was phenomenal. His singing and acting blew me away. I was inspired to create a couple of paintings. from the musical I have seen several theatrical productions at Villanova. BAT BOY was by far the best and most satisfying play/musical I have seen. The paintings small – 7 x 10 inches. Mixed media- pen and ink on 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper.
Writing continues to be a challenge for me. I have so much to say but writing so much of the time feels like swimming through peanut butter ( extra chunky), congealed from hanging out in the fridge. Oh well.
Hope you all are enjoying the cusp of spring. I'm excited about seeing the cherry blossoms bloom.
Love,
Katie
Hi Everyone!It’s been awhile since I have last blogged. I’m always immersed in seeing plays, art exhibits, cooking, making art, reading, watching films and studying astrology. I have had to decide what would go into this particular blog. Although I titled this blog Play, romp and be happy, I think a better title would be ” WAKE UP CALL!”. Several months ago, I had a serious personal wake up call. Don’t you just love those? First you get hit with a tiny pebble and the it becomes a rock , then a brick and finally a boulder.
I decided one morning it was time for a major life style change. I have made extreme changes to my diet. Although I buy most of my food from the Farmer’s markets ( go local!) and walk almost every day, I knew deep in my heart, I needed to make changes. I have given up meat, coffee, refined sugar and most dairy. I also am working out on a daily basis in addition to walking and biking.
I have been immersed in learning to cook vegetarian gourmet and find food substitutes. Some things food switches have been relatively easy; which brings me to Turtle Mountain.
If I were investing in a food company, it would be Turtle Mountain. Based in Eugene, Oregon ( I used to live there), this company makes the most delicious line of coconut milk based ice cream, ice cream sandwiches and yogurt.
I just bought their coconut drinking milk today and coconut creamer. Their Mocha Almond Fudge ice cream with big chunks of walnuts and ribbons of fudge is as good in my opinion as my former lover, Haagen Daz. Their products are sweetened with agave . They have another line of ice cream which is soy based and many people already know this but their Peanut Butter Zig Zag is like crack and I don’t even like chocolate and peanut butter ice cream.Several weeks ago I saw a documentary film of Outsider artist Purvis Young ( who sadly died at the end of April). The documentary, PURVIS OF OVERTOWN.
Purvis was a self taught artist who lived life his way and did not cater to the art world. His focus was making paintings and helping out his friends and neighbors in the impoverished area of Miami called Overtown. I feel it take courage to follow one’s own heart and path. Mr. Young’s work is amazing. Raw and full of soul and color.
While at the film’s screening, I heard about an art exhibit that was happening at the Russell Byer’s Charter School in Center City.
I went the next day to find an incredible display of artwork by the children at the school. The exhibit was inspired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s retrospective of self taught outsider artist James Castle (whom I wrote about in an earlier blog). Led by art teacher Amy Jerrod, the children made their own version of specific works by Mr. Castle- watercolor paintings based on a little girl, cardboard birds and animals, chest of drawers and furniture ( also constructed from cardboard & string as well as handmade books from ephemera and houses from cereal boxes. I consider the exhibit of the children’s art exhibit to be the considered the next step beyond James Castle.
I have included a few photographs I took of the show.Last week I saw the Otto Dix Show at the Neue Galerie( museum) in NYC. I love German expressionism. Especially from the 1920s and 30s.
Dix’s watercolor paintings of prostitutes, sailors and widows are incredible. I liked his watercolors better than his oil paintings.
Also last week I got to see the documentary film EXIT THRU THE GIFT SHOP directed by controversial UK street artist Banksy ( I love his sense of humor). Although this film has a great title, it is misleading as to the nature of the documentary. The documentary chronicles the rise of a French man ( Thierry Guetta) living in L.A. and his rise to fame and fortune in the art world. In many ways EXIT THRU THE GIFT SHOP is in direct opposition to the Purvis Young documentary. Purvis did not care about money or fame. Mr. Guetta’s focus is solely for publicity and money. Because Thierry suffers from what I would consider clinical obsession, I found EXIT THRU THE GIFT SHOP fascinating and hilarious. I was laughing so much I was crying and sweating. There was an older couple sitting in front of me. Every so often the man would turn around and look at me. I was worried he was going to tell me to shut up. At the end of the screening, he turned around and thanked me for laughing. His wife nodded as he explained it made the film even better. I couldn’t believe it. An atypical response from someone on the Mainline! All the laughing, crying and sweating felt cathartic.
Speaking of obsessions, I’m currently obsessed with a few things. I missed the Iris Apfel fashion show at the Met in New York. I love Iris Apfel. She is a style maven. I have a pair of giant round ( prescription) glasses similar to hers which I have only worn out in public a few times. I got snickers and sneers from the young Amish women working behind the bakery counter when I wore them once to the Farmer’s market. I bought them as dead stock vintage on eBAY but lately I have noticed they have developed this weird white ectoplasm which I have tried to remove which various solvents but it keeps reappearing.
Several months ago, I finally finally bought a pair of incredible red, blue, tan and white wide striped vintage 70s Big Smith overalls. The fabric is a very soft cotton and they are very big on me. My friend’s have commented that they look like clown circus overalls. I doubt Mrs. Apfel would think so. She would love them.
I’m patiently waiting for the fashion industry to bring back my favorite piece of clothing- the cotton one piece romper ( or playsuit). I bought one many years ago from a thrift store in Philly that was fuchsia bold white flowers on it, big pockets a big zipper in the front. Total 60s Miami Beach kitsch, I wore it on a trip I won to Hawaii. The romper costs me five dollars and brought me much joy.
Short sleeved and sleeveless cotton rompers ( short length) ( some inspired by auto mechanic jumpsuits) with a front zip and big front and/or side zip pockets will be everywhere in the next year or so. Add to that graphic designs on these rompers inspired by eighties imagery and pop art as well as neon /glow in the dark strips. Jumpsuits- redux will be big also. No I don’t work in the fashion industry. I own a sewing machine that continues to gather dust.
I used to have a copy of a fabulous book CHEAP CHIC by Catherine Milinaire and Carol Troy. It was my fashion bible in the late 70s /early 80s. The soft cover book is sadly OOP and a used copy on Amazon now is around $137.
My major lifestyle change is in full swing ( It has been almost two and a half months now), I’m experimenting with cooking Vegetarian gourmet meals now. I finally tried Quinoa ( pronounced Keen- wah) and liked it. It is the only grain which is also a complete protein, and have dived deep end into eating tofu. I have to be honest and tell you all that previously I was NOT a fan of tofu. In fact I have a magnet on my fridge depicting a 50s style house wife in an apron with the phrase ” TOFU! Looks like wallpaper paste, but tastes much worse! I bought that magnet at Whole Foods and now I’m eating tofu or tofu based products at least four or five times a week for dinner. I still don’t love it, but I’m trying to make peace with it.
I had a Vietnamese tofu hoagie from Fu Wah Market ( in West Philly). The classic Vietnamese hoagie sandwich is called a Banh Mi and many recipes exist on the internet. My version is made with tofu ( not meat and pates) and I start off with a really good french baguette ( from Metropolitan Bakery). I make my own teriyaki sauce and I soak the extra firm tofu for many hours in the teriyaki before dipping it in an egg wash and coating it with seasoned bread crumbs. I then lightly fry the tofu . I also marinate thin strips of carrots and cucumbers in a sweet vinagrette and add tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and baby romaine salad mix ( which has my own special house dressing on it) to the hoagie. The secret to a great sandwich is the bread ( of course) and the fact that every component is well seasoned. Each item in this sandwich is seasoned in a different way so that when you bite into the sandwich, the marriage of flavors comes together.
I’m also loving and I mean loving the tea blend by Divintea called PEACE ON EARTH. As I mentioned in a previous blog that the Good Earth Cinnamon tea was magical, so too is this tea blend. After drinking this tea, I have had some lucky things happen.
Anyway play, romp and be happy! And again I apologize for putting up three of the same photo image and the fact that the paragraphs aren’t showing up in this blog despite putting in the manual html code.
P.S. TAKASHIMAYA- R.I. P. Update- I was in NYC again last week to see THE ADDAMS FAMILY and I thought I would stop by Takashimaya briefly before the show. It has gone out of business ( at least the NYC location). I was sad. Takashimaya to me is like Tiffanys to Holly Golightly. It was one of my many ( thankfully!) happy places in NYC. It was a five floor department store unlike any other. To me, an artist with so many planets in Taurus, it was the ultimate merger of art, culture, luxury and style in one place. I bought this cool umbrella from the store a few years ago with Asian people head drawings. I never use the umbrella for fear it will break. I recently broke my I LOVE YOU Lulu Guiness umbrella. By the way, they were selling a very cool umbrella at the ADDAMS FAMILY show with the characters drawn underneath the umbrella instead of on top. But it was $45. Because I’m always busting up my umbrellas, I bought several recently at IKEA for $2 each.