I know he flew for the enemy, but that plane is sexy as hell. And I wouldn’t mind the coat either.
This movie may end up being awful, but it’ll be interesting to see what everything looked like back then.
Alden Indy Boots
Levi’s 1967 505 Dead Stock Jean
E… http://bit.ly/crJqqd #
The Postman, Joseph-Etienne Roulin (1889) / Vincent van Gogh
You’ve seen this painting before—most likely in a book, a poster in a friend’s dorm room, or as a jpeg in your web browser. It’s less likely that you’ve seen it in person, to have been close enough to see the movement and depth of the strokes the artist used in creating it. That is because like hundreds of other masterpieces, van Gogh’s The Postman, Joseph-Etienne Roulin (1889) has only been on one world tour (from 1992-1995) and has never made a home for itself in New York or Paris or London. It has however lived a happy life, protected and fully open to the public, in a converted estate known as The Barnes Foundation, located 5 miles outside of Philadelphia. The museum displays these masterpieces as their collector, Albert C. Barnes, intended—as “ensembles” to help educate the viewer and contextualize the work.
Barnes travelled the world throughout the early 20th century amassing what is now considered one of the greatest art collections in existence. And it’s all right there, in one single museum in Pennsylvania—never to be altered or moved. Why so strict? Because the collector willed it to remain that way. But now, after nearly a century since the collection was founded, a well-moneyed constituency has brought their own will to power—”legally” breaking the official instructions outlined by Barnes before he died. This is the central story to Don Argott’s new documentary, The Art of the Steal, which opens this weekend in New York and Philadelphia.
I was one of the lucky few to see the Barnes Collection while it was on tour in 1992. I was a sophomore in high school at the time and had been studying art in school and at home with my father. There was a book he owned on the history of art through the 19th and 20th centuries, and I remember as we toured the collection, being awestruck that one man had collected every page of it.
Some might say that in creating the foundation, Barnes was hoarding the artwork away from the masses. Others might wonder what would have been lost if he hadn’t acquired the work (in advance of two world wars). For me, it has less to do with the art than what this man set out to do—to create a cultural safe haven—one that would help us understand how artistic expression tells the vibrant story of our past. I’m looking forward to seeing The Art of the Steal, even though I’m sure it’ll break my heart. Not because the collection will be moved, but because in doing so the dream of what it is could be lost forever.
At least in an American Psycho way?
If you long for the days of having friends with penthouse duplexes and a regular table at Nell’s, then go pull the tarp off the Ducati, because Gordon Gekko is officially back in business.
This movie makes me want to walk with purpose and point at people like “You’re the man.”
Baracuta G9 Jacket
Alden Indy Boots
Levi’s 1967 505 Dead Stock Jean
Elvis wore the Baracuta jacket. So did the mods. So did your dad when he was hot and single.
And what about Alden Shoes? They’re like the Volvo of American footwear. Classic, sturdy, stylish. Crack open an Ayn Rand novel, and these are the shoes the men will be wearing.
And the jeans? A nice fitting pair of Levi’s. The bedrock foundation to any man’s closet.
So what do all three of these iconic pieces have in common? They’re all being sold at J. Crew.
Apparently, some time not too long ago, J. Crew realized something. They stopped for a moment, looked at their merchandise and said, wait, why are we selling crappy knock-offs? Our shoes fall apart, our jackets look like they came from the Gap in 1994, and our jeans could make Brad Pitt look like a balding, expectant father.
So what did they do? They stopped messing around and went to the experts. J. Crew realized that what they were, at heart, was a curator for a man’s wardrobe—one that might not even include their own line of clothing.
Basically, when a guy walks into J. Crew he wants to be told, by the cues around him (visual and otherwise), what he should be wearing. In most cases, he doesn’t care what the brand is. He just wants to look good. In this scenario, J. Crew is no longer just a store, but rather a personal shopper pulling together the perfect outfit—from wherever in the world those pieces might live.
I recently went into the J. Crew store on 5th Avenue and had this very same experience—a “save me from my wallet” moment, to be exact. From the Sperry docksiders to the Ray-Ban wayfarers, J. Crew was connecting all the dots of what I should wear from every classic corner of America. It made me happy to see that an old brand that I have a deep affinity for is truly getting the business they’re in. And I’m happy that these other iconic brands are tying together to make things easier for people to look good.
What’s happening at J. Crew is a signpost to where we’re going in the marketplace. In the next few years you’ll see a growing trend towards cross-branding, collaboration and curation. The result will be a stronger business model for the brands we love, and a better looking lifestyle for all of us.
I’m all about the Parietal Lobe, and if you’re an Alzheimer’s caregiver, you should be too.
One of my readers, S.Donald, pointed me in the direction of the video “I Remember Better When I Paint,” which shows how artistic expression activates a part of the brain that can help to work around the blocked pathways caused by Alzheimer’s Disease. An art class, a visit to the museum, flipping through an art book – they all stimulate the imagination, which remains vibrantly alive, even in the face of this deadly disease.
To learn more about “I Remember Better When I Paint,” visit The Alzheimer’s Reading Room.
Edie Sedgwick / by Gerard Malanga
Edie Sedgwick, was an artist, model and muse of Andy Warhol who, in her short life, became a nexus point of collaboration, creative expression and modern media. In the book Edie: An American Biography by Jean Stein, Edie’s friend John Anthony Walker writes:
“… there was something expressing itself through Edith which I could respond to, but it was larger than humans could handle at that point. Edie was a star who by mistake got incarnated into a human body, and never could figure it out and wanted to get back up there.”
Edie’s brother, author John Sedgwick, once said that she seemed connected to the earth by a “silver thread”—one that was broken the day she passed.
I believe we’re all tethered to the earth by that same silver tread—that it runs through each of us, tying all of our stories into one great narrative. To me, the silver thread is the equatorial line of our common soul, woven through the humor, the sadness, the joy, the creativity—everything that forms our existence.
Sparrow Hall with Two Blue Wolves Collaborators (including members of Stellastarr*, Elefant & The Hourly Radio) / Photo by Lindsey Bourke
Our stories can be found everywhere—in a book, a song, an image, a new technology, a social movement. From the most poignant to the most absurd, these stories are all part of a larger life experience, and that is what I’m cataloguing here on The Silver Thread.
In my mid-twenties I was a caregiver for my grandmother, who, like Edie, was a star in the form of a human. I was with her as Alzheimer’s Disease unraveled her bond to the thread. Since then, I have dedicated myself to raising awareness for Alzheimer’s, especially among younger generations who have yet to come face to face with this mysterious, thieving disease—one that will soon overtake cancer as the number one killer in America. Finding a cure for Alzheimer’s is the only way for us to protect our silver thread, and I encourage everyone to visit the Alzheimer’s Association’s website to learn more about what you can do, and to get the conversation going between you and your loved ones.
For my part, I’ve begun the conversation among a growing circle of creative minds from around the world. The result is Two Blue Wolves, a story told through literature, music, video and art. Alzheimer’s disease plays a central role in the story and a portion of every purchase goes directly to the Alzheimer’s Association to benefit research and caregiver support.
Help Support Alzheimer’s Awareness
Buy Two Blue Wolves >
Thank you for visiting my blog, and I look forward to reading your comments and feedback. Feel free to connect with me via email at sh@sparrowhall.com or follow me on Twitter @sparrowhall. To learn more about my work, please visit www.sparrowhall.com.
- SH
Photo by Megan Faulkner
About Sparrow Hall
Sparrow Hall is an innovator in multi-platform storytelling and the author of Two Blue Wolves. His work has appeared in Pomp & Circumstance Magazine and the 2009 anthology The Good Things About America. Hall has served as a creative consultant for a number of global brands and non-for-profits, including Bono’s Product (RED)™ initiative, helping to eliminate AIDS in Africa, and Orphans of Rwanda, dedicated to furthering education, economic development and social reconciliation. As a singer/songwriter, Hall performs as one half of the electro pop duo, A Crowd Electric (ACE). Together, with creative partner David Crabb, ACE has produced remixes for Madonna and Britney Spears, and has received top mentions in the dance music category. Sparrow Hall is an advocate for Alzheimer’s Disease awareness and continues to work closely with the Alzheimer’s Association to help raise support and funding for a cure. For more information, visit www.sparrowhall.com.
A follow-up to my earlier post… The super fun new video for Vampire Weekend’s “Giving Up the Gun.”
If you think the Jake Gyllenhaal’s cameo is amazing, wait for Lil’ Jon to show up.
And who is this hot redhead?
We’re all sick of the winter. Including Vampire Weekend.
Love the photo, the typeface, her expression – I stood gazing at this poster the day it went up.
I Think Ur a Contra / Vampire Weekend
Think: Cape Cod, summer of 83, listening to Ghost in the Machine on a beach at sunset. Vampire Wekend’s new album, Contra, is like a ray of pastel pink through the stony heart of winter. Superb from start to finish with graceful defining moments like “I Think Ur a Contra,” that tell the story of summers and lovers come and gone. Outside it might be February and chimney smoke, but in here it’s July and bonfires.
Here’s an article of the band talking about why they chose the image for the cover.
The A-Team / 2010
I love … http://bit.ly/9Ap4fp #
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