Things I learn on I-95
Over the last three years I have driven up and down I-95 hundreds of times; from Philly to New York, from Philly to Richmond, and most often, from Philly to DC and back.
Useless fact: It is exactly 90 miles from my house to the entrance of the tunnel at Baltimore. Not 90.1 or 89.8, but 90!
I'v driven up and down 95 over and over and over, at all times of the day, night and those odd hours of the early morning when radio frequency propagation allows one to listen to all those crazy shows (about aliens and the coming Rapture) that seem to be popular in the Midwest.
Every time that I'm on I-95 at 4AM, I am always amazed by the number of cars on the road. Who in the hell are all those people and where are they fucking going so early in the morning? I sometimes wonder if they think the same questions about me as we exchange glances as we pass each other.
That New York to the South I-95 corridor has many interesting nuances, twists and turns, as well as several rip offs, most notably the entire state of Delaware, so proud of the fact that they have no taxes.
I know why Delaware has no sales taxes.
It is because the entire state's budget is completely accounted and paid for by the multiple tolls that they charge for the privilege of driving on I-95 through all 600 feet of Delaware; multiple tolls!
The billions of dollars in tolls that Delaware gets sounds like a lot of money, but that monetary candy store pales in comparison to the trillions of wasted hours that drivers pile on as they wait in the never ending lines in Delaware tolls.
I have one of those electronic "easy pass" badges on my windshield that allows me to drive through the special gates, but even those gates often back up as the I-95 cash cow devours billions in tolls.
I have also learned many things as I observe life behind the metal and glass super space ship that is my minivan.
Today, for miles I wind-drafted behind a speeding Megabus making its run between NYC and DC.
For the first time I noticed how scary the Megabus driver icon is when blown to bus-sized proportions. The entire rear of the huge bus is painted with the pig-colored face of the megabus icon driver, his scary blue eyes staring at me as I tail the bus; big smile on his face.
A huge, huge face staring at me; his belt-buckle at the bottom of the bus, and his yellow hat at the top, the rest is mostly a huge, huge, pink face, a scary smile and even scarier eyes.
And then I noticed that he is wearing earrings!
Not just any earrings, but bright, ruby red earrings!
You see, when the huge image was spray painted or glued on, or however they apply those images onto the bus surfaces, the driver's two earlobes align perfectly with the monster bus's upper rear brake lights.
And every time the bus's real driver steps on the brakes, his caricature icon guy on the rear has red earrings that illuminate and glow bright red!
The megabus driver has earrings! That's why he is smiling! And I am no longer a little afraid of him.
Things learned on I-95.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Tomorrow in Rehoboth
New art gallery opens in Rehoboth tomorrow!
Located at 20 Baltimore Avenue in the heart of Rehoboth Beach, GALLERY C is the area's latest contemporary fine art display space.
The new gallery is host to monthly exhibitions featuring original works of contemporary fine art by regional, national, and international artists.
Gallery exhibitions will be curated by my good friend and acclaimed visual artist Michael Sprouse, who is also Executive Director of the gallery.
Sprouse was the owner and curator for the acclaimed Eklektikos Gallery of Art in Washington, DC for 11 years prior to moving to the Rehoboth Beach area in 2002.
The reception is from 6 pm - 9 pm, on Saturday, June 27th, 2009; meet the artists and enjoy complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres, courtesy of Lupo Di Mare, OVATIONS restaraunt & lounge, and others).
Frank Hyder’s Persistent Dream
Wanna go to a Philly opening tonight? The Persistent Dream is a mixed media installation by Frank Hyder at the Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, curated by Lorie Mertes. The show opens tonight!
This exhibition brings together elements from Hyder's recent explorations of forms and dream-like images in both two and three dimensions. The majestic space of the College entrance lends a satisfying combination of dramatic exterior and interior views of these new works.
Moore College of Art & Design
20th & The Parkway
June 26 - September 2, 2009
Opening Friday, June 26 - 6 to 8 p.m.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Augusten Burroughs
I've come across an author that has kindled something that I haven't had happen to me since the 80s: A raging need to devour his books one right after the other.
It's a rather unhealthy habit, because one reads them too fast (wanting to get to the next book) and then, later on, one has to re-read them, just to see what I missed. I'm reading Possible Side Effects now.
Augusten Burroughs is a witty, intelligent, funny and eloquent writer with a well-honed set of literary skills and a superbly conditioned stack of writing muscles.
This is a visual arts blog, but every once in a while I meander around (I love that word: meander, especially when applied to the Greek architectural element that no one else knows about) to books, movies, etc.
In fact, his stories have given me some new ideas for some drawings... expect to see some Augusten Burroughs inspired art soon.
Read Augusten Burroughs now!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Mark Planisek
Just received the news that DC area artist Mark Planisek, who had a terrible accident over the weekend, has passed away.
I first met Mark when he used to hang out and exhibit at the eklektikos gallery in Georgetown. That gallery was in the same Canal Square location as the original Fraser Gallery. At that time, back in the mid-late 90s, there were seven art galleries in that square.
Mark was not only one of the friendliest and nicest persons that you ever met, but also a superbly talented artist.
A few years ago, both him and Anne, and I were staying at a common friend's house in Los Angeles. Mark and Anne were there for a week, and as I was over in San Diego at that time, I drove over to see them and spend the weekend at the house.
We were sitting outside in the garden, when Mark noted that some of the tiles in our host's house were loose. Suddenly Planisek was climbing the roof and to my amazement spent the next hour or so fixing the roof!
We will miss you Mark...
Opportunity for Artists
Deadline: September 18, 2009
Call for Proposals. Purdue University Galleries (West Lafayette, Indiana) is currently reviewing proposals for an exhibition of contemporary art relating to the Langston Hughes poem "A Dream Deferred" and contemporary socioeconomic challenges facing minorities in the United States. The exhibition will be presented in the Stewart Center Gallery from January 11 through February 21, 2010 in conjunction with a presentation of "A Raisin in the Sun" at Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette.
Work must be available to be exhibited at that time. There is no entry fee. All media are eligible, including new and emerging technologies. Exhibit will be curated from submissions and may feature a single artist or group of artists. Applicants should send cover letter describing proposed exhibit and estimated expenses, examples of current work (up to 20 jpegs on CD or DVD for time-based media - no slides), resume, artist statement, and SASE to:
Craig Martin
Purdue University Galleries
Yue-Kong Pao Hall of Visual & Performing Arts
552 West Wood St
West Lafayette IN 47907-2002
Or call 765-494-3061 or email cdmartin@purdue.edu
