Taste of The Week 10/28/23
Key words: Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Ocean Vuong, Jessica, Fendi, and Blaque Dynamite
Before we get started on today's roundup, I want to draw your attention to what is happening in Gaza. People, including children, are losing their homes, access to water, food, and basic medical resources. The right that is being taken away from them is the right to LIVE. We should not, and I refuse to, move on with our daily lives without thinking about them. If you live in the US, you have the power to help. Please check the end of this page for resources. If you live in a country where you can't vote, please consider holding your purchasing power on corporations that support violence against innocent people.
READ
The Definative Guide on Cool by Jesica Elise. Jessica is one of my favorite writers and curators on Substack. I absolutely adore her take on “How to be cool: Appreciate. Not everything is for consumption or adoption”.
In a world that runs on the commodification of the self, the ways we interact with the concept/object/commodity/experience of our desire are restricted to 'be' or 'own'. I am not criticizing the desire to 'be' and/or 'own,' as I often have those desires myself. However, I do want to point out that the actions of 'be' and 'own' are inherently self-centered, leaving little space for true appreciation of the art. When we say “I want to be it”, we are focusing on ourselves or our future selves rather than the art. And are we potentially limiting the space for appreciating art if we can simply purchase it? Understanding when to restrict interaction is a part of appreciation. I invite you (and myself) to try to extend the concept of 'Museum' into our daily lives, where we can watch, appreciate, understand the object/experience, take a pause, and simply walk away.
ART
On the topic of appreciation, I recently discovered the artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and I'm absolutely in love with her work. She combines paintings and photo transfer-based collages to explore the projection of Nigerian and American pop culture on her. The collage is especially moving as it is almost a collage of memory, history, and experience, a realization of the past in the present. Good art leaves enough space for the message to be conveyed and also enough space for the message to be interpreted. Immigrant art is both highly collective and personal. I found myself deeply resonating with her art, yet knowing that I will never be able to fully understand it.
Of course, I won't be able to afford an original piece, but I found her prints available on Studio Store.
(Work by Njideka Akunyili Crosby)
FASHION
Sometimes, algorithms work like magic. This week, TikTok sent Fendi Spring 1999 Ready-to-wear to my FYP. Indeed it is fashion from more than 20 years ago, yet it is still so relevant and refreshing. It reminds me of how playful wearable fashion can be. I’m excited to incorporate more color into my daily wardrobe.
READ
Okay, let’s talk about Ocean Vuong. I started listening to his book 'On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous' two weeks ago, and ten pages in, I thought, 'I can’t do this. It's a waste.' It's the kind of book that requires setting aside a specific time, making tea, sitting down, and slowing down for each page. So don't ask me anything about the book because I'm still waiting for my paperback to arrive. However, I did come across his interview with Louisiana Channel on YouTube. The tenderness of his speech is extremely touching. A random stranger in the comment section summarized it better than I can: 'Just wow, I feel like he is one of the rare writers who speaks the way he writes. His answers are full of vivid images and carefully chosen words.
LISTEN
Blaque Dynamite. You have to check his work. An absolute gem. My favorite is <Stop Calling Me>.
BEAUTIFUL STUFF
(This is not an ad section, and it is not an invitation for you to make any purchase decisions. As I said before, let's temporarily forget about the desire to 'Own' and 'Be' and simply appreciate.)
Maimoun Ballerina Orchid Earrings. Only if I were a fairy.
Kitesy Martin Boucles 14 Earrings. Apparently, I'm loving earrings with creative shapes and unexpected materials. A feeling of above ordinary daily, and a feeling of body as a collection.
Y/Project press-stud leather knee boots. Yes, we can explore different ways to wear clothes, but we also love pieces that come with a cheat sheet.
Damon Dominique's home. Damon has exquisite taste in art. And who says a gallery wall has to have perfectly level edges?
The temperature is below freezing today. I’m trying my best to enjoy dog-walking outfits while I can
RESOURCE
Support Palestine Action: https://www.palestineaction.org/
Dissenters against the War Machine: https://wearedissenters.org/
Apply pressure for a ceasefire now: https://ceasefiretoday.com/
Support Boycots, Divestmest, and Sanctions: https://bdsmovement.net/