A Recent Trip to Puerto Rico

A recent visit to Puerto Rico was the perfect way to start off 2010. What I realized about taking a trip first thing in January is:

1. work is notoriously slow that time of year anyway

2. creates a positive outlook for starting off the new year

3. clears the mind of holiday madness just passed

4. traveling this time of year is cheap.

Therefore, this very well could have started a new tradition for me.

During the 8 days we traveled the island, we hiked through rainforests, swam in waterfalls, explored beaches and surf towns, slept in treehouses in the middle of a bamboo forest, endured some rainfall, enjoyed the PR beach scene, ate copious amounts of seafood, and drank from coconuts. Lastly, traveling with a local was a definite plus and allowed us to experience some of the local flavor we may have otherwise missed.

Salk Institute

Last weekend I was in San Diego for work and paid a visit to the Salk Institute in La Jolla. The institute is housed in a modernist complex, designed by Louis Kahn. The structure consists of two symmetric buildings with a stream of water flowing in the middle of a courtyard that separates the two. The buildings themselves have been designed to promote collaboration, and therefore have no walls separating laboratories on any floor. Apparently Salk had sought to make a beautiful campus in order to draw the best researchers in the world - I think he probably succeeded!

"Hope lies in dreams, in imagination and in the courage of those who
dare to make dreams into reality"

Richard Serra

Today I came upon some pictures I took about a year ago while celebrating my 30th birthday in New York City that I felt were worth sharing.... I was walking past the MoMA and saw the dis-assembly of the Richard Serra show (which I had seen a few months previous). Seeing the giant minimalist sculptures out of context, being lifted by huge cranes was really quite beautiful.
(Serra is a sculptor (born in San Francisco!) that is best known for working with large sheets of CorTen steel.)

Migration

The show I wanted to see in Chelsea was Doug Aitken's Migration show at 303 Gallery. And so happy we made it, it was definitely the high point of the trip. Migration is a video installation projected on 3 large plasma screens. The imagery was so vivid and surreal, it was totally compelling to watch.

Aitken takes scenes from modern roadside hotels, which appear to be completely abandoned and vacant, and shows North American migratory animals transposed in the spaces. What follows is some amazing cinematography showing anything from owls, to horses to bison in these rooms, and even better - what these creatures will do in such a space when left alone. While sounding a bit strange, the film is beautifully and artfully put together with an almost voyerestic approach to watchcing a lion playfully tearing the blankets off a bed in slow motion, or a beaver taking a hot bath.

a look at the large video screens

mid-west

The New Museum NYC

During a recent visit to New York I was finally able to check out the New Museum on Bowery, designed by Tokyo-based architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa/SANAA. A simple facade makes for a nice clean design. Unfortunately the work inside was my least favorite thing about it. I highly discourage visiting the Elizabeth Peyton show!

Bali Bliss

Spending two and a half weeks in Bali really opened my eyes. A culture that bases it's religion around karma is one that we can all learn something from. In a third world country, where the majority of it's residents are poor and making close to nothing, they seem like a pretty happy and content group. I've never been a tourist anywhere (let alone living in my own city of San Francisco) where I've felt as safe and welcomed by the residents. With no locks on the doors, open air restaurants and shops, there appears to be no theft and little crime, which is such a completely foreign concept for me.

The Balinese practice Hindu Dharma, which is a blend of Hinduism, Buddhism and Animism (ancestor worship). Indigenous beliefs are clearly seen in the belief of natural elements and of the ancestors. Nature is viewed as "power" itself and each of its elements is thought to be subjected to spirits. These must be taken care of, provided with a shrine, fed with various offerings made from agricultural products and given respect. There are few societies in the world where religion plays a role such as it does in Bali, and it is apparent through the incredible beauty and color that accompanies the rituals and offerings, which seem to be ever occurring.

Graphic Tokyo

Everywhere you look in Tokyo you find something beautiful - the attention to detail, care and workmanship is unprecedented. I was fascinated just walking through the city, noticing things that you just can't find here in the states. There is no graffiti or vandalism - beautiful materials can be used without worry of being destroyed. Smoking isn't allowed just anywhere on the streets, you need to stand in a "smoking zone" - and people actually do it, not to mention I didn't see a single person jay-walk. There is no garbage on the streets (and barely any trash cans as far as I could tell), no homeless people, and virtually everywhere felt safe. It really makes you think about what is going on back here and why we can't have behave just a little bit better.

Yoyogi Park

the concrete work is beautiful

takeshita dori, so many people, such a tiny street

salmon treats, the food courts were stunning

vending machines for everything and anything

ginza church

one of the private rooms at Shunju Tsugihagi, (designed by super potato)

A new perspective on Tofu

I felt the need to document a lunch experience we had while in Tokyo. One afternoon we dined at Tofuya Ukai, a very authentic looking (but actually only a couple of years old) tea garden type of structure which sits below the iconic Tokyo Tower and specializes in Tofu dishes. While coming across as very intimate, this restaurant actually seats 550 people. We were sat in a private tatami room and began a 9 course, 3 hour lunch that was truly unforgettable. Besides being delicious, the presentation was absolutely stunning. Here is a recap of what we had the pleasure of sampling that day.

Boiled tender abalone & eggplant.

crown daisy boiled spinach

sake

deep fried tofu with scallions & sweet miso

simmered crab & fried tofu ball

sashimi sampler of maguro & mackerel

shrimp, fried chestnuts, mystery fruit

shiba braised pork berry

grilled barracuda sushi

bean soup with tofu

fried shrimp & fish meat dumpling

rice cooked with taro

peach jelly

Tokyo Architecture

Tokyo's architecture has an interesting mix of old and new, contemporary and traditional. The sheer number of retail stores alone is astonishing, and there is no shortage of flashy, high end stores throughout the city.

Mikimoto by Toyo Ito

Cartier

De Beers

Prada by Herzog & DeMeuron

Dior

TOKYO

Friday we arrived in Tokyo. After a 9 hour flight, we find ourselves 16 hours ahead of San Francisco. Staying in Shibuya, we are located in the center of the action. Two blocks away from the hotel is Hachiko, world's largest pedestrian crossing, and Center Gai, a pedestrian street lined with everything imaginable, and more people than I've ever seen all in one place at the same time.

Summer in New York

Ah, summertime in New York. There really isn't anything better.


Although Jeff Koon's balloon dog wasn't my favorite artistic statement, drinks in the sun on the Met rooftop made it worth the trip.

Crater Lake

Over Fourth of July weekend I traveled to Crater Lake in Southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range. Ever since seeing vibrant images of this place, I've been wanting to see it up close. The lake lies inside a caldera, created when Mount Mazama collapsed 7,700 years ago following a large eruption.

I was surprised to learn that Crater Lake is the deepest in the United States, and the seventh deepest lake in the world, with no inlets or outlets to the lake. I've never seen water so blue! There is still heavy snowfall here, even in July.

The colors of the lake were absolutely amazing, with perfect reflections of the mountains in the water. Great inspiration for some new paintings...