A Tribute to Anthropomorphic Chairs

Today is Monday... aka the first of five long days preceding the weekend and so I got to thinking... is sinking into a cozy, comfy chair, clad in soft flannel pj's with a hot bevy and a juicy magazine in hand not one of the best pleasures the weekend brings? Acquiescently resigned to its duty as the bridesmaid of the furniture world, the chair is rarely given the credit it's due. Relegated to the center-back of catalogues and a mere sidekick to the dining table or settee, the chair deserves to take center stage once in a while and I, along with my best friend (www.annesage.com/blog/design), have decided to give the chair some long over-due recognition. Of course, even the chair has its niche set of fans and followers and in honour of them and their object of affection, I devote today's post as a Tribute to Chairs. You'll see what I mean about the anthropomorphic bit in a minute. 

A recent post on my best friend's blog inspired the inclusion of  this photo. Do the metal skinny-legged chairs not seem almost biological in how they appear to be engaged in some type of phagocytotic engulfing of the marble table? 

These chairs also have a life-like quality to them... it's like they're sitting there in the shade of the palm trees, enjoying the view.

...while these chairs are engaged in lively conversation...

P.S In case you were wondering, I took each of these photos at Inhotim, the gallery/ garden in Brazil I mentioned yesterday. 

A Collision of Culture: Art vs. Sport

Creepy looking statue. From a front-on angle you can see his eyes are rolled back in his head. 

Last night Toronto held its annual sunset to sunrise contemporary art show, appropriately named Nuit Blanche. The series of contemporary art installations throughout the downtown core proved to be quite the attraction as I discovered navigating my way through the throngs of people crowding the streets on my way to my destination- the Ontario Aussie Rules Football League Championship post game party. The Toronto Aussie Rules football team made an unbelievable 4th quarter comeback to win their championship game earlier in the day and I had been invited to the party by a team member who I'd met just that day at the game... uh hello...a room full of Australian "footie" players??? count me in! True to form, the Aussies had arranged for at least two, and possibly three kegs of beer to be flowing freely all night (and by freely I mean both plentifully and FREE!) The house was right in the center of the Nuit Blanch festivities and so our party (and perhaps the free beer) attracted art connoisseurs right off the street! The party hosts had decided to be a bit cheeky and adjust the lighting and the decor of the party room to reflect their own unofficial contribution to Nuit Blanch. Green and brown cardboard covered the walls and guests were encouraged to sign their name on the door cum guest book, and enjoy the politically charged messages written on the walls. A post modern take on university keg party subculture? Possibly. A subversive joke on the nuit blanch patrons who thought our party was an actual exhibit? definitely. Either way we got to enjoy the patronage of Toronto's weird and wild artsy crowd and they got to see our "exhibit" and did I mention the free beer? They drank plenty of that too...all in all a great night was had by all. In lieu of pictures of the event (I avoid taking my v. expensive camera out at night) I will share some pictures of my trip to one of Brazil's most popular contemporary art attractions...the exhibitions at Inhotim. A park, nature reserve and art gallery in the Atlantic Forest amidst the mountains of Minas Gerais not far from Belo Horizonte, where I was visiting my Dad for two weeks this past July. There are separate galleries as well as other works placed in strategic places (side of a building, anyone?) as well as unusual wild life and ahem, garden furniture....  

 

             Even the bathrooms have style!

Not being an "artsy" person myself,  I was astonished at the unexpected appreciation/ goosebumpy feeling I had for this breathtaking art  The photos don't really do the artwork justice but you get the idea. Enjoy!

Baby's First Kiss

Normally the very presence of a photo containing persons under the age of 10 is criteria enough for me to "next" the blog, so at the risk of being a complete hypocrite I would like to post this picture. The redeeming factors of this being 1) it's not my kid 2) the back story of this is that the parents of this gorgeous baby are soooo germ conscious (and rightly so) but I still think it's funny (much to my relief they weren't mad when they saw this) and 3) this is sooo cute, I just had to share. This is my puppy, Bailey. I half expected her to move in for the tongue action but I was quite surprised to see that her new friend was so into the idea! A match made in heaven? Bailey doesn't kiss and tell. 

Does anyone have an idea for a funny caption for this pic?

"Items left unattended will be seized and may be destroyed"

The proverbial travel bug: I definitely have it. In the past year I have been on 17 different airplanes which may not seem like a lot but I don't travel on business (that would require actually having a job- more on that later) and I'm not what one would call "independently wealthy." Anyway I've amassed my share of airport stories but I'd like to share one from a recent trip home from my best friend's west coast wedding. I was waiting for my flight after saying a very hollywood chic-flick-esque, at-the-gate farewell to a fellow wedding party member with whom I got on particularly well (wink wink). I, being an aware/ slightly paranoid post 9/11 air passenger, noticed an unattended backpack in the empty seats next to me. Unattended but not empty! This backpack, much to my surprise, held an adorable, sleeping-while-dangling baby! Now of all places to leave one's baggage unattended, the gate at an American international airport seems like quite a peculiar choice. Especially when one's infant is part of the package. Just as I was thinking to myself,  "is this the 21st century version of a bassinet on the doorstep?" the mother appeared. Back from the bathroom maybe? the duty free?  Not harried or in a rush was she to retrieve her abandoned offspring, but calm as though she'd come back to get a forgotten, half-eaten sandwich... and here's the kicker- she was carrying a handbag! 

Express and Collectors Moving Slowly Beyond Next Transfer

I live in what is fondly and justifiably known as "the slowdown" between Toronto and Hamilton...yes, you guessed it...Oakville! The stretch of highway where 6 lanes merge into 3 creating this disastrous bottleneck of carbon-wasting  traffic. The other day I was "driving" home after a long day at a job I'm not crazy about (and by driving I mean enduring the soul-sucking agony that is crawling along in 1st gear at infinitesimally minute increments) and I thought to myself: This isn't your life, this isn't you in this car... but alas it WAS me; I WAS there. I was quite panicked, a clear indicator that I've stayed in one place for too long. I've always believed in change - that's how you grow.  That's how your life stays interesting. Ironically since moving to Oakville my life has mirrored the town's nickname- it has, quite literally, slowed down. Yes, I've made some amazing friends and had some good times, but overall I'm not quite where I thought I'd be at 26. Well all that will change when, later this winter, I move to Australia. Of course nothing is set in stone, but fingers crossed I will be starting school in the land down under this February. Cheers mate!