MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! The Spirit In the Mask

Judith Z. Miller is Profiled on the Fractured Atlas Blog: http://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/blog/2009/10/16/featured-member-judith-z-miller/

Written September 15, 2009 – updated October 14, 2009
Sitka Alaska

A moody day in Stika © Judith Z. Miller, 2009

I’m back at the library in Sitka Alaska, on a gray, windy day. I gaze out through the huge picture window, looking over a gray choppy Sitka Sound, surrounded by gray and green tree-covered mountains. Who knew that there were so many shades of gray – and so many different ways the  mountains could appear in these varying shades of light? I watch in awe as the light changes, and as wind-surfers speed by, at what seems to be dangerously fast speeds.

I feel a great sense of accomplishment today, as I’ve FINALLY finished my HAND CARVED MASK – the reason for my voyage from BROOKLYN NEW YORK,  across the United States, and waaaay up NORTH to SITKA ALASKA, this beautiful little town of 8,600 people, nestled between the mountains. I’ve been studying in residency with prolific TLINGIT master woodcarver TOMMY JOSEPH at the Southeast Indian Cultural Center, housed inside the Sitka National Historical Park. I’ve been studying with Tommy with the help of a Development Grant from Fractured Atlas <http://www.FracturedAtlas.org>.

Master Tlingit Woodcarver Tommy Joseph, working on mouse helmet, with another of his masks in the foreground

Tommy’s FORMLINE ART is astounding: beautiful, balanced, fierce – his masks, helmets and totems surround me in the studio and in the park – it’s inspiring (and daunting!).

Helmet - by Tlingit carver Tommy Joseph

If you’ve been following my blog, you may remember from the two previous posts that my vision for this HAND CARVED  MASK was inspired by a DREAM.

During my first day in the studio, Tommy asks me what I want to carve. My immediate response is to make a mask in honor of “ZULI,” my dearest animal companion, a Great Dane, who passed away 2 years ago in May, just a few days prior to her 12th birthday.

"Zuli" The Greatest Dane

I miss Zuli every day, and want to keep her powerful, protective and loving energy near me – so I propose making her the subject for my project. Tommy says it’s a fine choice … But I’m not completely convinced it’s the right choice.

DREAMING MY ART

That night, wanting to devote my work to my deepest inspiration, I decided to let my dream consciousness help me decide what to carve.

I set an intention before I go to sleep: I WILL DREAM MY MASK.

I wake up in the middle of the dark Alaskan night from a intense dream:

A strong, handsome black man is standing outside of a building gazing up into a large picture window where two other BEAUTIFUL, NAKED, BLACK MEN ARE MAKING LOVE. He watches intently; HE LONGS TO BE WITH THEM – to express his love and attraction for other men – but he can’t allow himself. His desire is powerful, but he has internalized society’s judgments; he simply can’t allow himself to live out his desires.

In the dream, I walk inside a large auditorium, also in the same building, just below, perhaps, where the men are making love. I see, floating before me in the air, SHEETS OF MUSIC – beautiful hand-penned scores, balancing, floating in the air. I grasp one, and as I do, it BURSTS INTO SONG – I hear a soaring OPERATIC ARIA. I see other sheets of music around the auditorium, floating gracefully as if blown by a gentle wind, and each one is another beautiful song – an aria COMING TO LIFE from the written page. The entire auditorium is filled with magnificent WOMEN’S VOICES in operatic song emanating these pages.

I know this music is the UNEXPRESSED DESIRE of the man who could not allow himself to express his love physically – TRANSFORMED INTO ART.

I WAKE WITH INSPIRATION.

I ponder to myself … I want to create a work of art that merges this mans’ struggle with my own – after all, THIS IS MY DREAM. I think about the artwork I’ve created in the past 10 years — my work to date has been focused on transforming my inner struggles and those that affect me from the outer world, carved into the TRUNKS AND ROOTS OF TREES to become what I call “SACRED STAFFS,” …

"AfterGlow" tree trunk & roots, with mosaic tiles, crystals, garnets & paper © Judith Z. Miller 2009

… and drawn into “SPIRITUAL SELF PORTRAITS.”

"Golden Fingers" © Judith Z. Miler, 2009

Since my youth, although identifying as female and lesbian, I’ve also experienced a strong sense of being psychically BI-GENDER as well. This is a long and complicated story that I won’t go into here and still don’t fully understand — and it’s something that I both struggle with and thoroughly enjoy. Also, especially with my recent self-portrait drawings, I’ve been exploring a sense that my spiritual body inhabits many cultures and histories unknown to my waking consciousness. I want to include all of these elements, through the images of the dream, in my mask.

As I sit in bed in THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT, I imagine a face, HALF WOMAN (myself) – AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN (the man in the dream). I see the center of the forehead, the “THIRD EYE” as a circle filled with a MUSICAL NOTE. The nose is CAUCASIAN/”Caucasoid“ on one side and AFRICAN/“Negroid” on the other. The face smiles on one side, and contorts down and then up the other – pearly teeth glistening – and in the middle of that mouth, a PHALLUS protrudes. Below the mouth, a “goatee” in the shape the gay/holocaust upside down triangle – an image still powerful today of that extreme oppression of sexual identity — the male side of the goatee filled in with hair and the female side only painted pink, as was the original patch that homosexuals were forced to wear. I imagine that the eyes, like my favorite mask from Tommy’s book collection, are Asian/”Mongoloid.”

Tlingit Mask, artist unknown

BUT … HOW TO ACTUALIZE MY DREAM FROM A LOG OF WOOD? How do I create a work of art that can hold a candle to Tommy’s masterpieces?

Tommy Joseph with his masks & helmets

From THIS?

The Log of Alder Wood I will use for my mask

OY!

When I get to the studio the next day, I rough out the sketch of what I imagined in the middle of the night from my dream.

Preliminary Drawing for Mask © Judith Z. Miller 2009

… and then I do a very rough drawing on the de-barked LOG OF ALDER

We make the first cuts with an ancient Native American tool called an ADZE

I’ll  jump a number of days to August 29th, where I’ve used the ADZE, gouge and carving knives to rough out the forehead, eyes, cheeks, nose & mouth areas.

Mask: August 29th, 2009

… And a few more days to August 31st, where the features begin to become defined and a human form begins to take shape.

Mask - August 31, 2009

… on to September 3rd, after defining the forehead and carving the music symbol, defining the eye area & nose – and doing lots of sanding.

Mask - September 3, 2009

.... in today’s post I’ll JUMP  to the last entry on my previous post (dated September 7th), the Mask of September 6th, which showed my project at this stage:

September 6, 2009

Working in the Studio

… and now, moving on since that last entry, to September 8th, after days of sanding, where I begin to add the layered elements: the hand-sawed ABALONE SHELLS for teeth, the BEAR FUR for eyebrows, and the rough cut of a WOODEN PHALLUS, and drill holes to insert human hair into the PINK TRIANGLE (goatee) …

Mask, September 8 © Judith Z. Miller 2009

Judith Z. Miller working in Tommy Joseph's studio, Sitka Alaska

I glue on the BEAR FUR and make holes in the wood for the BEARD, made from human hair, paint the MUSIC SYMBOL on the THIRD EYE and the PINK TRIANGLE (which will serve as a goatee on the male side), begin to carve the PHALLUS, and saw and insert the ABALONE SHELL EYES …

I’m feeling very excited as I move on to the FINAL TOUCHES: I sand and paint the HEAD OF THE PHALLUS and cut and insert a tiny MIRROR at the tip, along with mirrors in the pupils, I wrap the little sticks with embroidery floss so that the female side will have hair just like mine,  I glue little pieces of HUMAN HAIR together and insert them into the PINK TRIANGLE (goatee) on the right (Male) side, I place PEACOCK FEATHERS where they will be inserted when I travel back to Brooklyn and paint the entire mask with WALNUT OIL … and low-and behold, my FINISHED MASK!!!

The “FEMALE/Asian/Caucasian” side, complete with my dimple

© Judith Z. Miller

Here another image of the completed project, the “MALE” side of the mask:

The Completed Mask - as seen in the front page of The Sitka Sentinel, September 17, 2009 photo by James Poulson

Master Carver Tommy Joseph & Judith Z. Miller Southeast Alaskan Cultural Center, Sitka National Historical Park, Sitka Alaska, 2009

Sitka Sound © Judith Z. Miller, 2009

I’ll write more when I return to Brooklyn  … but for now, I’ve just got to go OUTSIDE before it’s pitch dark, so I can take in the incredible beauty around me.

Russian Church, Sitka Alaska © Judith Z. Miller 2009

I wish you potent dreams and creative expression!

With special thanks to master carver Tommy Joseph, for his patience, attention and generosity, and to Fractured Atlas for the support of my work.

Judith Z. Miller
aka Artist Soul Speaks

PS I hope you’ll visit my two previous posts dated August 28 & September 7th for more, including images of Sitka, Tommy’s handmade tools, beautiful examples of formline art, and more details on the mask-making process.

http://www.zamo-zamo.com

http://www.zamo.etsy.com

A SPIRIT BEGINS TO INHABIT THE MASK

September 6, 2009

Sunday, Labor Day weekend

LOOKING OUT THE PICTURE WINDOW

Could this be Magic?

I’m staring out of the big picture windows on the ocean side public library in SITKA ALASKA. The view is stunning. Pearly patterns on gray, peaceful water, shored in by rocks. One by one, seagulls flap their wings in the sky soaring towards forest-covered mountains poking their tops into gray clouds that fill the valleys in-between, with silver sky in the distance. There is the hush of library-talk, barely audible, and only a few people around me. There are two girls sitting by the rocks, smoking. Now big black birds flock in V-pattern and alight on the trees.

I tie my shoe in the middle of the street & there is no car to run me over!

On the way to the library, I walked downhill into town on Sunday-evening deserted streets. No Ipod buds in my ears, listening instead to the silence and the gulls, thinking about Sitka – this town on an island, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, wondering where the lesbians are, wondering what life would be life it I lived it here.

CARVING EVERY DAY

I spend 5 days a week from 8am-5pm carving with master Tlingit woodcarver Tommy Joseph at the South East Alaska Indian Cultural Center, housed inside the Sitka National Historical Park. It’s an honor to sit in the same room with Tommy, surrounded by his brightly colored, hand-carved masks, helmets, paddles, and bentwood boxes. Small groups of tourists come and go all day, marveling at his creations, asking the same questions. What kind of wood does he use? Does he make his own tools? How long does it take to carve a mask? A totem pole? Tommy patiently answers each one, as if for the first time.

SPIRITS INHABIT THE STUDIO

Tommy Joseph with is hand carved helmets

Sitting here, carving, among the skulls of a Brown Bear and Polar Bear, the burnt tusk of a Mastodon, jars filled with eagle feathers, hand-wrought tools, and a multitude of images carved in wood: ravens, eagles, spirits and men – I am humbled by the skill of the master, the power of his creations and the elegance and strength of the culture that surrounds me.

THE UGLY AMERICAN

One of the ugly stereotypes that is, sadly, often true about Americans is our attitude of superiority. I’ve often wondered what would happen if tragedy struck and I or the people I know were forced to survive without electricity or running water, and all the comforts of life we have come to know and love – and take for granted. Most of us would be, simply put, shit out of luck. I have to admit that I don’t know how to build a house or fix an engine or live off the land. Throw me into the woods and I’d probably starve to death in the midst of plenty. Here, in Sitka, every day, I talk with people who know how to do just about everything they would need to know in order to survive. They forage the woods for mushrooms, smoke their own fish, make jam, weave baskets, make moccasins, sew clothing, fix boats and motors, lay flooring – many have survived in complete wilderness. My New York City skills in negotiating contracts, networking and talking on the phone seem so far out of place, it’s as though I’ve just entered first grade at age 58.

GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT

Fortunately, the people here are generous and willing to share. Yesterday I went on a mushroom walk with a woman who I met at the farmers market and learned to identify at least a few mushrooms I could eat without being poisoned, and a few days ago I got a lesson in sewing my own moccasins from a woman who lives with her husband in a trailer right on the ocean. I’m told that no one could go hungry here, as the ocean at low tide is filled with clams and seaweed for stews – and I’m hoping to learn how to gather these delicacies as well. And of course there is Tommy, who generously spends his days supervising my mask carving, answering my questions and holding my hand with each step I take.

PREVIOUS BLOG ENTRY

If you haven’t already read my PREVIOUS BLOG ENTRY, please take a moment to scroll down to view the images of my MASK, which I began carving, under Tommy’s guidance, from a log of ALDER on August 24th.

CONFRONTING FEARS

Each day I confront my fears. Will I be able to execute today’s task? Will my hands and arms, still sore and aching from the previous day, be able to carve for another 8 hours? Will I be able to have faith in myself to move forward, with humility, but with enough surety to accomplish what I must? This challenge is as much an inner struggle as anything else – and it appears I had to travel across the country to Alaska to confront self-doubt – yet again.

PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION

Mask: August 29th, 2009

Looking backwards a few days at the images of my mask as it progresses, I feel a sense of hope and accomplishment. Each stroke of my carving tool begins to unveil the image I hope to achieve.

Mask - August 31, 2009

My hands become increasingly tired with each day – even though I apply the special DEVILS CLUB balm, encase my right hand in a brace and wear a glove on my left. But I see the features begin to take shape and sense the spirit of the mask.

Mask - September 1, 2009

As I define the eyes and lips and nose, the male and female sides begin to define themselves – I begin to feel that I am expressing my dream (see previous post).

Each day the wood changes under my hands, with Tommy’s patient guidance.

Mask - September 3, 2009

The two sides of the nose, mouth and cheeks begin to differentiate as I had planned, one Caucasion/”Caucasiod” and female the other and the other African “Negroid” and male – and I begin sanding to smooth out my carving marks.

Mask - September 3, 2009 - Right Side

I define the MUSICAL NOTE in the THIRD EYE and the dimple in the right cheek, on the female side.

After about 16 hours of SANDING, the beautiful grain of the wood begins to show through my carving marks, the features are smoothed out and differentiated, and, covered head-to-foot in sawdust, I feel the smooth texture of the wood against my fingertips.

Mask - September 6, 2009

The library will close soon and I am rushing against time to complete this entry. I hope you are enjoying watching my progress as much as I am making it!

Judith Z. Miller
aka Artist Soul Speaks
www.zamo-zamo.com

DREAMING ART – ALAKSA MEDITATIONS ON A BLOCK OF WOOD

Helmit - by Tlingit carver Tommy Joseph

IT’S A RAIN FOREST, STUPID!

In PARK SLOPE BROOKLYN NEW YORK, when I check the weather online for my 11217 ZIP CODE and it reads “50 percent CHANCE OF RAIN,” that means to me that it might rain, and it might not. I’ve got a 50-50 chance of having a sunny day – just toss a coin in the air and you can guess the result.

Before I departed for my 3-week trip to study traditional TLINGIT woodcarving in SITKA ALASKA, ZIP CODE 99825, I’d occasionally check the weather and was reassured by figures of 60/40 or 50-50 percent change of rain. Ha ha! I’m here in Sitka now, and discovered that what these LOCAL figures imply is that 60 percent of any given day we will be experiencing a total DOWNPOUR, and 20 percent of the time there will be a light gray drizzle and 20 percent of the time, we might, if very lucky, find the sun peaking out for a minute before being hidden by a stormy gray cloud. Somehow, before I arrived, I missed the information that SITKA ALASKA is a RAIN FORREST! Who knew? Silly me, I thought rain forests were in HOT places, like the Amazon – wrong!

MASTERS OF THEIR CRAFT

I came to Sitka to study with TLINGLIT ALASKAN NATIVE, (pronounced “TLIN-git” or “KLIN-kit.”) master carver TOMMY JOSEPH. I’m, very thankfully, here under a grant from FRACTURED ATLAS – finally, after having my plans to study with another carver fall through for two summers.

FISH WITH TEETH LIKE A DOG

This is my first week in Sitka. Every day I hike about a mile in the pouring rain from the little house I share with a local photographer to the SITKA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK – the oldest and smallest (113 acre) National Park in the United States.

Mountain View from the Park on a clear day

The park is exquisitely beautiful – with 200-year-old trees, surrounded by water, filled with thousands of salmon swimming up stream to spawn. The fish are all lined up in little rows – undulating black forms about 6-8 inches from one another, filling the river from end to end, like TAXICABS at rush hour in TIMES SQUARE. The females sway their tales rhythmically back and forth to dig holes in the mud and lay their eggs, to be fertilized by the males. Born in the fresh water, the young will remain and grow, eventually traveling in the deeper, calmer pools to make their way out to the ocean. Now, these adult fish are in a state of increasing decay. Their bodies literally disintegrating in the fresh water – to die soon after spawning. Some species will turn color from the change from salt to freshwater, and one, the DOG FISH, will QUICKLY GROW BIG TEETH LIKE A DOG!

Seaweed

SOUTHEAST ALASKA INDIAN CULTURAL CENTER

My instructor, Tommy Joseph’s, studio is located at the SOUTHEAST ALASKA INDIAN CULTURAL CENTER. It’s a beautiful room, with wooden floors and walls, high ceilings and lots of light, filled with his masterful wood carvings, and frequented by visitors from the cruise ships that dock in Sitka daily, when the weather isn’t too stormy.

Tommy’s studio shares the space with three others – featuring the work of Native artists – they bead, weave, and create metal jewelry and engage the public. These artisans design and execute their pieces right on the premises and teach about their craft and culture. These are world-renowned artists devoted to the continuation of their art forms and culture, and, fortunately for me and the other visitors, very willing to share.

Long ago, I learn, the water here in Sitka was so full of fish and the forests so filled with abundant game and fruits; the Natives had plenty of time to develop a complex culture that included the creation of intricately designed objects. I learn that the Tlingit’s HAD NO WORD FOR “ART,” because it was simply part of life.

Can you imagine for a moment what that might feel like? What would our lives be like today if art were so much a part of every day life that we had no word for it – it just was? It’s almost unimaginable, isn’t it?

The exhibit here displays many beautiful, colorful and finely crafted examples of their FORMLINE ART and I’ll be sharing photos from the exhibit in future posts.

Ernest's place - my temporary home in Sitka

Today I’m sitting in the local library, where I’ve lugged my computer from the tiny house I’m staying in, about a mile away, so that I can obtain internet access – which is a rare commodity here in Sitka, as is any form of public transport, or, I’ve discovered, healthy produce or natural food of any kind. The little grocery store two blocks from my temporary home is filled with chemically created “food,” and the vegetables available are terribly expensive. So much for my preconception that I’d find massive vegetables at farmers stands). Unfortunately it is long past the time of berries in the woods and I didn’t bring my fishing pole.

In my first 4 days at the Center, I’ve started my project, a MASK, made in the traditional Tlingit way, using hand-held tools, under my teacher’s patient guidance. The air of Tommy’s studio is filled with the sweet aroma of wood, especially from the CEDER plank another carver is making into a traditional paddle.

Alder Log

Wedge of Alder Wood

We started out with the round trunk of ALDER, a relatively soft wood that, when cut and exposed to the air, oxidizes and exhibits lovely orange stripes.

Splitting the Log - Tommy Joseph

We split the alder log using a series of differently shaped wedges and a big heavy metal and wooden hammer. I say “we,” when actually Tommy does 99% of the work, as my attempt at banging away at the wedge proves fruitless – I can barely lift the hammer, and after a few bashes (which I’m pleased to say at least hit their target) move just about nothing – and my arm ACHES from the impact. I realize that this endeavor is going to be a PHYSICAL CHALLENGE from the get-go.

Working with an Adze for the first time

After Tommy splits the log, I have my first chance at using an “ADZE” an ancient Tlingit elbow shaped tool. . When Tommy wields the tool, he easily slices off strips of the trees’ bark in a neat row – chopping away with a fluid motion. I, on the other hand, pick up the adze and whack away in a helter-skelter fashion and feel lucky to have made contact with the log at all. I chop for about 5 minutes and my hand, wrist and upper arm ach, my hand turns BRIGHT RED AND BEGINS TO SWELL. I have to rest from sheer exhaustion and pain. Before Europeans brought steel to Alaska, the Natives used JADE or BEAVER TEETH for the adze blades, and I can only imagine the level of skill and strength needed to effectively use the tool.

I rest and rub and shake my hand and arm frequently, and finally take the bark off the log. Because I have a limited time here (less than three weeks) with hope to complete my MASK project before I leave, Tommy decides that we will cut off the portion of the log I will use for my mask with a POWER SAW, rather than using traditional methods. Unfortunately we can’t do it when the tourists are here … so my project is delayed a day so that Tommy to bring in his blade sharpener kit.

Tlingit Mask, artist unknown

Totem Pole (section)

In the meantime, Tommy suggests I look through his collection of books from all over the world on Native American FORM LINE ART . He’s just returned from the EAST COAST and RUSSIA viewing museum collections and consulting – and he shows me books in Russian and German with stunning photos of MASKS, TOTEM POLES that depict the history of a family or clan, or a mythical story, carved FISH HOOKS, clothing, and drawings and stories of daily life. The park itself is filled with massive TOTEMS, including one magnificent example by Tommy. The contours and powerful images in the park and the books overwhelm me – I’m struck by one particular BRILLIANTLY BLUE MASK.

Tommy asks what I want to carve. My immediate response is to make a mask in honor of “ZULI,” my dearest animal companion, a Great Dane, who passed 2 years ago in May, just a few days prior to her 12th birthday. I miss Zuli every day, and want to keep her powerful, protective and loving energy near me – so I propose making her the subject for my project. Tommy says it’s a fine choice … But I’m not completely convinced it’s the right choice.

DREAMING MY ART

Shaman

That night, wanting to devote my work to my deepest inspiration, I decided to let my dream consciousness help me decide what to carve.

I set an intention before I go to sleep: I will dream my mask.

I wake up in the middle of the dark Alaskan night from a strong dream:

A strong handsome black man is standing outside of a building gazing up into a large picture window where two other BEAUTIFUL, NAKED, BLACK MEN ARE MAKING LOVE. He watches intently; HE LONGS TO BE WITH THEM – to express his love and attraction for other men – but he can’t allow himself. His desire is powerful, but he has internalized society’s judgments; he simply can’t allow himself to live out his desires.

In the dream, I walk inside a large auditorium, also in the same building below, perhaps, where the men are making love. I see, floating before me in the air, SHEETS OF MUSIC – beautiful hand-penned scores, balancing, floating in the air. I grasp one, and as I do, it BURST INTO SONG – a soaring OPERETIC ARIA. I see other sheets of music around the auditorium, floating gracefully as if blown by the wind, and each one is another beautiful song – an aria COMING TO LIFE from the written page. The entire auditorium is filled with magnificent women’s voices in song coming alive from these pages.

I know this music is the UNEXPRESSED DESIRE of the man who could not express his love physically – TRANSFORMED INTO ART.

I WAKE WITH INSPIRATION.

I ponder to myself … I want to create a work of art that merges this mans struggle with my own – after all, THIS IS MY DREAM. I think about the artwork I’ve created in the past 10 years — my pieces are dedicated to transforming my inner struggles and those that affect me from the outer world, carved from the TRUNKS AND ROOTS OF TREES into what I call “SACRED STAFFS” and drawn into “SPIRITUAL SELF PORTRAITS.”

Since my youth, although identifying as female, I’ve experienced a strong sense being BI-GENDER –with my “male” side desiring to be manifested during sex. This is a long and complicated story that I won’t go into here and still don’t fully understand – but it is an issue that I both struggle with and thoroughly enjoy. Also, especially with my recent self-portrait drawings, I’ve been exploring a strong sense that my body inhabits many cultures and histories unknown to my waking consciousness. I want to include these elements in my mask.

As I sit in bed in THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT, I imagine a face, HALF WOMAN (myself) – half AFRICAN MAN (the man in the dream). I see the center of the forehead, the “THIRD EYE” as a circle filled with a MUSICAL NOTE. The nose is Caucasian/”Caucasoid” on one side and African/”Negroid” on the other. The face smiles on one side, and contorts down and then up the other – pearly teeth glistening – and in the middle, a phallus protrudes. Below the mouth, a “goatee” in the shape the gay/holocaust upside down triangle – an image of an extreme form of societal oppression of varying forms of sexual identity — the male side filled in with hair and the female side painted pink, as was the original patch that homosexuals were forced to wear. The eyes, like my favorite mask from Tommy’s book collection, are Asian/”Mongoloid.”

HOW TO ACTUALIZE MY DREAM FROM A BLOCK OF WOOD?

Preliminary Drawing for Mask

When I get to the studio the next day, I rough out the sketch of what I imagined in the middle of the night from my dream.

Measuring the Log

We start with measurements, using a pencil designed to write on wet wood and a CALIPER http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliper. Tommy shows me how to mark off the block of wood into sections, defining the middle by measuring from the center of the core of the tree.

Mask by Tommy Joseph

It’s beyond my ability to visualize in 3-D, but Tommy “holds my hand” throughout the process and helps me make a rough drawing. He places one of his wonderful masks next to my block of wood so that I can get a sense of where the human face would be, and I begin defining the eyes, nose, mouth, cheekbones, etc. When I show him my rendition, he sends me straight back “to the drawing board” several times, as have the eyes too high where the forehead should be … eventually, scraping off all of the pencil marks with a sharp tool and drawing them again and again, I have my rough sketch in place.

CHOPPING with an ADZE

With the help of the measurements we created with the caliper, Tommy instructs me on how to begin taking away portions of the block to begin to define the face. Again, he demonstrates with the adze, beautifully constructed tools he has HAND FASHIONED from trees and old saw blades. With short sweeping motions, he chops off the edge of the block, leaving a SMOOTH LAYER OF WOOD, his movements along the wood are like I eat a piece of corn-on-the-cob, row-by-row. When I try, I CHOP, CHOP, CHOP a terrible ugly mess of SPLINTERS – and my hand and arm ACH.

I realize this project will be as much about SKILL and MASTERY of the tools and PHYSICAL STRENGTH as it is about my POWER OF PERSISTANCE despite A SENSE OF CONSTANT DEFEAT. I feel HUMBLED and FEARFUL that I may not be able to complete the task. In any event, even if I fail, I feel a strong desire to, like Tommy, exhibit more PATIENCE WITH OTHERS who are not naturally good at the things I do easily.

I leave an hour early – my arm and hand HURT so much I fear I will be unable to work the next day.

RETURNING TO WORK

The next day my hand and arm are still sore, but better. I begin to get the hang of the adze. Now, although I still can’t control the strokes, the portions of wood I take off are a bit smoother – and Tommy comments that I’m getting better. I feel just great that he sees some improvement, and I feel encouraged to strive!

Tommy helps me figure out what portions of the block to remove. He shows me by example how to use the razor sharp carving tools. He’ll take a few sweeps for a minute or two with a curved blade to show me the area to carve and I’ll go back to my work area and attempt to execute the same effect.

First Cuts into the Log

Usually, struggling even to find a way to hold the tool, it takes me fifteen minutes to a half hour to achieve something similar.

A FACE

Beginning of a Forehead

Slowly, after a few days of carving, I see THE FAINT BEGINNINGS of the form of A HUMAN FACE emerge.

Ridges Under the Eyes begin to Form

Our workweek is over.

Master Carver Tommy Joseph & student Judith Z. Miller

My hands and arms welcome the chance to rest – and I have a renewed appreciation for the herculean achievements I see in the park all around me – the massive TOTEMS, evidencing the splendid skills of the ancestors.

Signing off for now from SITKA ALASKA.

Happy to be making PROGRESS!

PLEASE PRAY FOR MY STRENGTH AND FORTITUDE!

Judith Z. Miller
aka Artist Soul Speaks

http://www.zamo-zamo.com

http://ZAMO.etsy.com

Hurricane Season: The Hidden Messages in Water

“A powerful two-woman show about an unnatural disaster and a great shift in universal consciousness”

Two brave, strong and beautiful sisters-in-struggle, lead us into the hell of global awareness, through the depths of despair, and into The Power of One. Weaving multi-media physical and poetic images of

Water
Light
Lead bullets
Lead paint
Katrina
Sudan
Police oppression
Learning from the Oak Tree
Militarization
Corporate ownership of land and water
Poverty
Palestine
Terror
Transformation
Pollution
Fire
The memory of water molecules

Tonight at The National Black Theater of Harlem, the words and images became a deep pounding resonance in my heart, a howling in my lungs, and a salty water pouring out of my eyes.

“and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
… But first it shall Make you miserable

How can we learn about, connect with and take into our consciousness the pain and suffering of the earth and her inhabitants?

Can we bear the agony of realizing these connections between global warming, poverty, racial oppression, corporate greed and the destruction of native peoples without being crushed?

How do we find, nurture and preserve our spirits as we struggle to learn and make a difference in this world?

HURRICANE SEASON is a powerful poetic answer to these questions. Members of packed house closing night audience at the National Black Theater in Harlem New York shouted out “TEACH!” with moans of grief and praise — and yes, these two powerful women did teach – Oh Yes!

“Art is our Weapon, Our Medicine, Our Voice, Our Vision”

Recorded interviews from Katrina survivors, shocking screen images, overwhelming statistics … all brought home, bite size, so we could understand the impact globally and in our own back yards. The beautiful bodies of these highly trained performers created an oversized “Cats Cradle” – a literal and poetic web to connect the conscious and subconscious — to help us reconnect with our humanity and inspire us to action.

Tonight’s closing performance imploded and exploded with the energy built by a National Tour and several weeks in Harlem – were Alixa and Naima created a sacred and safe space for us to learn, cry, scream, and howl in response to the horrors – and to acknowledge our newfound hope and channel our energies into positive action.

Alixa and Naima are Climbing PoeTree. They define this powerhouse duo as the expression of a growing movement for radical social change. They are poets, performers, print-makers, dancers, muralists, and designers. Alixa and Naima have sharpened their art as a tool for popular education, community organizing, and personal transformation. With roots in Haiti and Colombia, Alixa and Naima reside in Brooklyn and track footprints across the country and globe on a mission to overcome destruction with creativity.

In five self-organized independent tours, Climbing PoeTree has catalyzed over 500 crowds in more than 70 cities from Oakland to Atlanta, Johannesburg to Havana with artists such as Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, Danny Glover, The Last Poets, and Dead Prez. Alixa and Naima have led more than 100 arts-based political education, anti-racism, and entrepreneurial workshops in institutions from Cornell University to Rikers Island. And they have painted murals on walls from the Bronx to Santiago, Toronto to Jamaica. Through compelling artistry, these multitalented, tireless, and driven young women expose injustice, help us heal from violence, and make a better future visible, immediate, and irresistible.

I was drawn to Naima and Alixa instintively, as one is drawn to the warmth of the sun – and I offer them a reverent salutation. I suggest that you too FOLLOW THESE WOMEN!

http://www.climbingpoetree.com
www.hurricaneseasontour.com

Artist Soul Speaks
Aka Judith Z. Miller
http://www.zamo-zamo.com<
http://www.etsy.com

Art Exhibition – PASSION: Lesbian Visions 2009, Curated by Heidi Russell

by Judith Z. Miller © 2008

Artists’ Reception: Friday, July 10th, 2009, 7:00-10:00 pm

Show runs July 10th-25th

Hosted by: Leslie-Lohman Gallery of The Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation
26 Wooster Street (between Grand & Canal), New York, NY 10013 • 212-431-2609
Exhibition Hours: Tuesdays-Saturdays, Noon to 6 pm, or by appointment 646.272.8879

Fresh Fruit Festival is pleased to present PASSION: Lesbian Visions 2009. Who occupies post-modern Lesbos? Fresh Fruit Festival has invited an international array of self-defined Lesbian artists to tell us along with what ignites their passion. A dynamic group of visionary artists have responded in a variety of disciplines. Their unique perspectives are revealed in this multi-media gallery show. Sculpture, photography, painting, drawing, mixed media, installation, video, film, poetry, prose, performance and participation art all involve the on-looker in the astounding range of creative passion and vision found in Lesbos circa 2009.

In addition to the opening artist reception, please join us for two special events for PASSION…
Tuesday, 14 July, 7-9 pm – Passions Ignite: An Evening of Performance Art
Tuesday, 21 July, 7-9 pm – Passions in Prose: An Evening of Literary Readings

Participating Artists Include:

Prinny Alavi, Jeanine Alfieri, Michele Amatrula, Lillian Binder, Stephanie Bonvissuto, Theresa Brown, Christa Burker, Cecy Canarte, Yoseli Castillo, Deborah Cherena, Felice Cohen, Maggie Cousins, Julie Crotty, Marge Doherty, Ana Ferrer, Judy Francesconi, DRED Gerestant, giegia, Liz Gold, Rainbow Dee, Nora Karara, Joan Katz, Kerry Kehoe, Valerie King, Jill A. Kolodin, Rosita Librede Marulanda, Silver Light, Barbara Madsen, Judith Z. Miller, Lora Morgenstern, Mari Morimoto, Jennifer Pawlitscheck, Carol Polcovar, Ann Post, Janet Restino, Felicia Reyes, Fran Ryan, Caren Jo Shapiro, Gladys Sille, Chaney Sims, Rica Takashima, Fotini Vurgaropulou, Whisper, Katie White, Alina Wilczynski, YaliniDream, Heather Young, Ely Rosa Zamora, Lisa Zilker

About Fresh Fruit Festival

Yes, Fresh Fruit is a colorful and healthy snack. But it is also an inclusive International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Cultural & Arts Festival held in Manhattan each July! All Out Arts’ and New Village Productions’ Fresh Fruit Festival feeds the spiritual and artistic souls of the LGBT and artistic communities. Fresh Fruit Festival’s mission is to share the LGBT community’s unique perspective, creativity and diversity and to build links between the LGBT, local, national and international artistic communities as well as to the general public. For more information and schedule of festival events, please visit www.freshfruitfestival.com.

THE LESLIE/LOHMAN GAY ART FOUNDATION is a public non-profit foundation established in 1990 to provide an outlet for art work that is unambiguously gay and which is frequently denied access to mainstream venues. The Foundation’s Leslie/Lohman Gallery mounts exhibitions of work in all media by gay and lesbian artists with an emphasis on subject matter that speaks directly to gay and lesbian sensibilities, including, erotic, political, romantic, and social imagery and providing special support for emerging and underrepresented artists. Its programs include regularly scheduled exhibitions, video events, workshop presentations of plays and poetry readings, artists’ and curator’s talks, panel discussions, a quarterly journal (The ARCHIVE), a membership program, an archive of artists files, a website, and a permanent collection of art. http://www.leslielohman.org/

Press Inquiries: heidirussellpublicist@gmail.com or 646.272.8879

Is it BEADED or is it Jell-O? … High Art Surprise!

June 20^th, 2009

World of Beads VIII & Jell-O Mold Design Competition

Color, Form, Texture & Design —  imagination, unusual use of materials, do-it-yourself-advice –  and a sense of humor  …

This year’s Bead Society show <http://www.nybead.org/>included vender booths with everything you might need to fashion your own designs, free demonstrations by well-known beaders, and a truly astonishing array of MUSEUM QUALITY pieces on display.

The juried exhibit judged by MICHAEL COAN and LOIS SHERR DUBIN was intricate, balanced  – and gosh – astonishingly … well,   “NEAT.” Viewers were slack-jawed, marveling at the array of designs –  asking ourselves “how on earth do these artists have the PATIENCE and DEXTERITY to execute their intricate and time-consuming visions?

This year’s show demonstrated, once again, that beading is not just a casual “old ladies” activity, (not that there’s anything wrong with being an old lady – I’m approaching that respected title myself) …  but it’s also an art form as worthy of HIGH ART respect as painting or sculpture. And in fact the form’s demands are as strenuous  in terms of  technique and conceptualization – not to mention excellent eyesight and a steady hand.

Yes, these beads are PLASTIC!

In terms of vender offerings, I was particularly impressed by the THE BEAD GOES ON … <http://www.beadgoeson.com>, a jam-packed booth . They featured multi-colored balls covered with tiny beads from BALI and NEPAL, Thai Hill Tribe Silver, along with these lovely PLASTIC beads that completely fooled me until I picked them up. I bought some wonderful silver beads for my hair which I’m enjoying thoroughly.

Colorful offerings from Bali & Nepal

Shirley A.J. Mitchell sporting her Wine Cork & Sequin Necklace

While walking around the show, I saw several attendees bedecked and bejeweled by their own creations. I was immediately attracted to Shirley A.J. Mitchell’s lovely necklace — and surprised to find, upon closer inspection ,that it was made from WINE CORKS and SEQUINS! Heres is a relatively easy and very inexpensive project that enhances her natural beauty – simply great!

Earlier this year, when I attended the opening reception for the  THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN’S <http://www.nmai.si.edu/exhibition>, which featured the intricate traditional and more modern beadwork designs – I was equally awed by its perfection.

If working with your hands to create wearable works of art intrigues you – peruse the many opportunities for learning and community at the Bead Society of Greater New York at http://www.nybead.org/

Welcome to Hawaii by Suzanne Golden

Ate A Slice by Yoshie Marubashi

Do I EAT IT  or WEAR IT?

This piece garnered FIRST PLACE.  The judges termed “Ate A Slice” an “Excellent concept that displays a wonderful sense of humor.”

Speaking of ART from ODD MATERIALS with a SENSE OF HUMOR …

I checked out the Jell-O MOLD DESIGN COMPETITION at THE GOWANAS STUDIO SPACE

<http://www.gowanusstudio.org>

SURPRISE, SURPRISE! You can make just about ANYTHING out of JELLO!

Hey - Do You Know "Melancholy Baby?"

This event, lusciously appealing mostly to a young, artsy, crowd, featured not only an array of entries ranging from a PIANO LOUNGE, complete with a martini and deviled-egg appetizer …

To CARMEN MIRANDA JIGGLING MODELS with Jell-O’s JIGGLING FRUIT  atop their

heads …

To one of my favorites, these beautiful “precious gems”

… necklaces that sparkled just like the real thing.

The designs were evaluated by a panel of lab coat fitted judged according to

- Creativity

- Aesthetics

- Structural/sculptural ingenuity

- Edibility/culinary appeal

and of course – Best use and showcase of Jell-O

The JUDGES had a great time TASTING other entries to determine if the EDIBLE ART was in fact as GOOD AS IT LOOKS.

Getting HIGH on Jell-O

Organized by MICHELLE ZATTA and many others, this group effort was MC’d by NY and Williamsburg Spelling Bee host BOBBY BLUE. The theme party/exhibit included a rainbow array of  JELLO SHOTS, a LIVE DJ, and lots of people documenting the scene with video and still cameras – definitely THE PLACE TO BREAK OUT OF THE MOLD IN BROOKLYN.

Body Painting - An American Tradition

When I was planning my Saturday adventures, I wanted to look as colorful and vibrant as the shows I anticipated attending, so I popped down the street to my local Brooklyn NAIL SALON where the lovely Jin Yi Wang paid expert attention to my digits.  This Chinese 26 year old lives in Sunset Park with her husband, baby daughter and extended family. She works 4 days a week at the salon and attends school the other 3 days. Ms Wang moved from China just 3 years ago and has worked as a waitress and at otherl nail salons. Instead of experiencing the kind of night-life and myriad of activates I enjoy, Ms Wang goes home completely exhausted with just enough energy to help her family around the house and barely enough money to survive. She told me that she wants to learn to speak more English but found that on the West Coast English classes were free, but here in NYC they are expensive. I’ve searched online and found this opportunity for free classes http://www.riversidelanguage.org/ - so I plan to stop by to share  this information with Ms. Wang.  Let’s give a shout out to all those people who work so hard to make us feel pampered and beautiful. Let’s remember to tip them well, help them navigate the complex systems in NYC, and support FREE ESL PROGRAMS for IMMIGRANTS!

Mandate for the week?

ACKNOWLEDGE THE ARTIST, WHEREVER WE FIND HER!

&

FIND HIGH ART IN THE MOST UNLIKELY PLACES!

’till next time,

Judith Z. Miller

aka Artist Soul  Speaks

http://www.zamo-zamo.com

http://ZAMO.etsy.com

PS Tune back in soon for a SLIDE SHOW featuring more Jell-O and Beaded art!

Wumni & Fertile Ground at the Knitting Factory NYC

“It’s not just a music, it’s a MOVEMENT” – Wumni

Wumni - photo by www.jenmazer.com

Navasha Daya: photo by www.jenmazer.com

When WUMNI took the stage at THE KNITTING FACTORY on June 3^rd around midnight, the energy of holy space had been raised.  The audience had experienced the presence of a Queen, NAVASHA DAYA, vocalist with FERTILE GROUND, who brought us “BE NATURAL” – a prayer to our inner spirits — with lyrics I could relate to … and not just because of my “do”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uvI2Mrfb18

“You are closer to flawless, because evolution is the only form of perfection I’ve ever encountered…”

Navasha Daya: photo by www.jenmazer.com

“Hey mister, did you say something, ‘bout my hair?

Why stare? Why do you care?

It’s my only prayer

Without it I’d be bare

A fire with no flare to bear the heat that nature gave me”

“If you listen to the lessons I’m trying to teach, your grasp will exceed your reach

Just let go of your leash

Take those shackles off your feet

I guarantee you’ll be free and happier

Live happier

Live natural”

“if you think that life is more than a fashion show

If you think it’s not who but what you know

If your spirit moves like a river flows ….”

This concert, THE CONTINUING LEGACY OF AFROBEAT presented by KNITTING FACTORY AFROBEAT FESTIVAL & WUMNIGIRL was a night filled with the very highest form of dance music: vibrations that form community and inspire the body to heal the heart and soul.  We felt it deep down – and we were moved.

Dancers: photo by www.jenmazer.com

Arriving during Fertile Ground’s mid-show, I entered the darkened main hall of the Knitting Factory, and was immediately drawn to the light. In an alcove, I was surrounded by the joyous energy of DANCERS — in the corner, way back from the stage, where there was plenty of room to move, to break out. Surrounding one dancer in the center, smiling, jumping, each in his or her own personal style – they were black, Latino, Asian, forming a ring of positive energy. Inspired by the music and the moves of the previous dancer, each spontaneously exploded into the energy center in a mixed repertoire of BREAKDANCE, WEST AFRICAN and the kinds of moves seen at VOGUING BALLS. These were beautiful young people, strong, muscular, precise — devoted to the body in service of the spirit, allowing freedom to flow.  The feeling was one of complete abandon, sensuality, silliness, experimentation and joy –when expressed through the bodies of these highly trained dancers– nothing could be more beautiful!

Navasha Daya: photo by www.jenmazer.com

We “regular folk” were feelin’ the vibrations too. I walked through the audience, and stood next to a couple facing the stage, holding each other with exceptional tenderness – I could feel the intensity of trust and peace they experienced in each other’s arms, while they focused intently on the music. Others were totally immersed in the sing-along of “Be Natural,” with eyes fixed on FERTILE GROUND’S NAVASHA DAYA who wore a queenly crown of three elongated golden leaves and a bright red and gray short-short skirt covered with cowry shells.

Navasha – and Wumni knew how to keep that energy high.  These singers can DANCE! With style and ever increasing vigor, Wumni and her two beautiful backup singer/dancers and Ms Daya surrounded by her very tight band. These performers loved their audiences, and with each response from us, they re-doubled their energy.

Wumni dancing with the audience: photo by www.jenmazer.com

At one point, after engaging the audience in a call-and-response, Wumni climbed off the high stage to dance with her audience. Shalewa McCall a local choreographer and educator who is dedicated to the study, preservation, documentation, performance and creation of dance works in the African Diaspora tradition, was right there front-and-center, basking in the radiance of Wumni’s performance, dancing with her to the music. Wumni invited individuals to join her and people jumped in to participate. A woman dressed in traditional African garb emerged from the audience holding a brightly colored umbrella covered with dollar bills – an acknowledgment of Wumni’s prominence and a blessing for her prosperity. With the umbrella over Wumni’s head, the audience and Wumni danced together, smiles glowing all around.

This was a homecoming, a celebration, a family reunited.

Wumni: photo by www.jenmazer.com

Of her many accomplishments and experiences, Wumni’s bio mentions she was invited by White Ribbon Alliance, an international coalition, working at grassroots and government levels to save the lives of pregnant women and newborn children in 90 developing countries around the world, to participate in their 10 day musical convoy tour across South Africa. At a high point towards the end of what could only be described as an ecstatic musical performance, Wumni suddenly called everything to a halt. The music stopped. She talked directly, even harshly to the audience.  “TALK IS CHEAP,” she repeated – punctuated by the telling of tragic events in the African American community.  “A man got shot 41 times, and what did we do?, she asked, “We talked. A man got something’s stuffed up his ass, and what did we do? We talked. … We have a president who is trying to make something happen, and talk is getting in his way. … What are we going to do?” She demanded that we take action and reminded us “When you talk and you don’t listen, you become a Zombie,” whereupon the band broke into FELA KUTI’S “ZOMBIE,” and the party continued.

After the Fertile Ground portion of the show, I had time to talk with audience member Kelly Webb, who was obviously caught up in the magic. “I became clear that what I’m doing is right. My goals and purpose are starting to become clear. It was like a signpost, a nice signpost. You get these angels and they tell you things, you know…. We have the power to heal the earth.”

Chanting Navasha’s “We Can Heal the Earth” in call-and-response certainly hit home!

Paris: photo by Judith Z. Miller

Yes, WE EACH HAVE OUR DREAMS, some profound, some, perhaps less so … Me? I went outside after the show and stood in the light rain to speak briefly with Morgan, a visitor from France  … and was rewarded by the fulfillment of a modest but lifelong dream, to stand at 3 in the morning, in a faint, romantic drizzle, to light the cigarette of a beautiful, young, French woman.

‘Till next time,

Judith Z. Miller

Aka Artist Soul Speaks

http://www.zamo-zamo.com

http//:ZAMO.etsy.com

Upcoming Wumni Shows in June: Philadelphia, PA Toronto, Ontario & Providence Rhode Island – for more information click here: http://www.myspace.com/wunmigirl

Upcoming shows in June: Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD & Dallas, TX; http://www.myspace.com/fertilegroundmusic; for dates: http://gruvr.com/band/fertilegroundmusic/

To see more images of these performers go to http://jenmazer.com/gallery/afrobeatfest2.html

Down with Octopus salad! … Up with Cucumbers!

Out with the OLD, in with the OUTRAGEOUS

Gentrification in Park Slope Brooklyn

OUT WITH THE OLD

June 2, 2009

The much beloved SALVATION ARMY THRIFT SHOP on Flatbush and 6th Avenues in Park Slope, just up the block from my apartment on Bergen Street, will be shutting its doors on June 30th.

I talked with manager Patience Anoe-Lamptey (pictured) today, when I stopped in to see what was left in stock, and to say my goodbyes. “Even in this economy, a charitable thrift store can’t survive,” Patience said with dismay. When I asked how the stores’ customers are responding to the news, Patience told me that when the customers heard of the imminent closing many were screaming “oh no!,” and wondering where they will be able to shop for comparable values – “they depend upon us” she said, with sadness in her voice.

My partner, an academic who visits me from out of state and travels the world speaking at various international panels, refers to the Salvation Army Thrift Shop fondly as “Armeé.”  Filled with clothing, in separate men’s, women’s and children’s sections, arranged by style and color, the Salvation Army Thrift Shop also carry’s books, videos, music, kitchen items, electronics, and a little candy at the front door — a veritable “one-stop shopping Mecca.”

She and I frequently joke about how she really only visits me here in Brooklyn because of  “Armee,” that “fabulous little Park Slope boutique.” She’s picked up countless outfits and fashion accessories there, including a green hand beaded evening purse, several black cocktail dresses, a stylish black tweed princess coat, and countless pairs of shoes, each costing only $3 -$20 – and on sales days those prices were cut in half – supplying a very manageable combination of practicality and shopping therapy.

Although we’ve hotly debated the concept of our purchases supporting Salvation Army’s views on abortion and homosexuality, my partner feels that she’s supporting reuse and recycling, instead of rampant greed and capitalism.

Today I sent my love an email with the sad news all the way to Moscow, where she is researching her new book: “Armeé to close June 20th^” … she’s in shock.

IN WITH THE OUTRAGEOUS

I walked across Flatbush Avenue from “Armeé,” to check out “BKLYN Larder,” a new cheese and specialty food shop which just opened a few days ago. I stopped in, briefly, to take a peak at their “cheeses & provisions.” Scanning the blond wooden shelves, I saw row upon row of fine, bagged, chocolates and a small selection of wines. When I turned to peruse the prepared food cases – I had a shock:  ONE meatball, $5.00? Cooked asparagus, $9 a pound? Octopus salad, $35 a pound! (Octopus salad?). In this economy WHO can afford those prices?  And why, instead of eating octopus at $35 a pound, aren’t my neighbors choosing to save some of their extra dollars, or helping their less fortunate neighbors by donating to a responsible charity? I could gaze at the tasty dishes no longer –I walked out shaking my head in disgust.

Why am I bitching and moaning? Why am I so worked up about some old clothes and a few nick-knacks, and why do I care if someone spends their money on octopus salad?

Except for Paul’s on 5^th Avenue between Bergen & Dean, the little bodegas are all closed. The eateries are high priced; the clothing has shot through the roof. But, aren’t I delighted that I live in Park Slope, in the hippest of neighborhoods with a “Walk Score” of 98?

Imagine this: (assuming I had the money), I could fulfill practically all of life’s needs within one block of my apartment, without even crossing the street! If I step out of my door on Bergen Street and walk uphill, I could stop by Eponymy Brooklyn to purchase upscale clothing that would make me look great; when I get tired from trying things on, I’d have a vegan lunch at Organic Heights, select a top-of-the line bicycle (for upwards of $700) from Ride Brooklyn to cruise the newly paved street; then I’d chain the bike in front and hang out at the bar of Melt. I’d flirt with someone cute, pick up an attractive patron, have dinner outside at one of their curbside tables including a few specialty drinks, then stumble, a little tipsy, with my date to Babeland to purchase a sex toy, and still, slightly inebriated, go home to bed my paramour, and get pregnant. Then – after a great night, I’d wake up, step out of my door, walk a few blocks to Bump to find flattering maternity clothes. Then on to my final destination, Pintchik’s Hardware, where I buy everything I need to convert my apartment to make my new “little visitor” feel right at home … I could do all of this on my side of the street, within one single block!

OK, fantasy over. I don’t have that kind of cash — plus I’m too old to get pregnant!

Sure, I’ll admit it, when I need emergency lube, I love the idea that Babeland, a women owned, sex-positive store is right on my block. And hey, I remember when the space that is now Melt was brimming with cockroaches and rats and housed a “dentist” who talked to his voices while walking down the street and I remember the rumor going ’round that he tortured cats inside. So, yes, certainly, there is something to be said for the new “look” of the 5th Avenue area Slope, with all the storefronts painted and spruced up – and fewer animals that aren’t on pretty leashes … but at what price?

When rents get so high that my neighbors move out every six months, rather than staying put for 5-20 years like they use to – ( honestly, I can’t remember who lives upstairs from me anymore). And high-priced stores take over the space that housed businesses like Adam’s “No Name” Books, and charities that served the communities’ needs like the Salvation Army’s Thrift Store, are forced to move – then development becomes gentrification, a very dirty word – and it hurts many of us who work hard and want to stay on here.

Gosh, sometimes it seems like I’d have to SELL that first born child created during my fantasy day on the block in order to afford one of those sex toys or dinner’s out.

… But, WAIT … Wait just A MINUTE! … I just had an idea! I think I’ve still got a few CUCUMBERS in the fridge…

Hey, yes, look, they’re still nice and hard and fresh!  … Add a little oil and that’s dinner!

And a little more oil and I’ve got myself a night’s pleasure …

Dinner. Exercises. Pleasure.

That’s right, right here at home, I can take care of my all my needs, and I didn’t even have to LEAVE my apartment to see how the neighborhood’s changing …

All that satisfaction, and for practically no cost at all!

This is Judith Z. Miller, aka Artists Soul, wishing us all, safe, affordable and satisfied neighborhoods!

http://www.zamo-zamo.com

Please follow me here and on twitter

She’s NO Lady!

Foreign Affairs

Isengart & Lady Rizo

May 28, 2009

Pill-Popping Housewife photo: www.jtshockley.com

Bringing the raunch back to TIMES SQUARE where it belongs, LADY RIZO, a chameleon comedienne chanteuse, opens her set as a gobbling pill-popping, then literally vomiting, housewife. One part cabaret singer, one part burlesque performer, one wonders – “where can she possibly go from here?”

But at “Foreign Affairs,” the “transnational lounge, postmodern cabaret” at THE NIGHT HOTEL with her co-host, the precisely campy German cabaret singer ISENGART, the show goes just about everywhere in a rollicking roller coaster ride that left the audience screaming with pure joy.

Isengart

Presented by producer LEE CHAPPELL, (who created the original Saturday nights at the ROXY from 1990-91, Saturdays at the Palladium, events at the Limelight, Tunnel, USA, etc.), included enough fishnet and feathers to fill a millinery store.  Taking place smack-dab in the middle of the new “Disneyland” on West 45th Street, this show was a welcomed reverie back to a time of fun-filled elegance, decadence, absurdity, song and dance — on the smallest stage in NYC. Wednesday night’s performance included everything from German folk songs, to Lou Reeds’ “A Walk on the Wild Side,” along with “the Russian Sourdough Pretzel,” EKATERINA, a stripping contortionist, and the voluptuously muscular Ballet Trockadero dancer, CARLOS MILLER, who singularly comprised the nights’ “Middle Eastern homosexual harem.”

Ekaterina

Yes, there was something for everyone of every possible persuasion.

Carols Miller, photo by Justin T. Shockley, www.jtshockley.com

Did I mention the Muppet? Well … you’ll have to see for yourself.

In beautiful clear voice, fishnets and very high heels, Isengart managed to get a NYC audience to sway in unison to a German beer song, and Lady Rizo got us to sing along, dancing, clapping and shouting.

Tsar Stefan & Katerina live it up at Foreign Affairs, photo: www.jtshockley.com

The party shifted to 5th gear when Tsar Stefan, the “impresario of NYC cabaret,” who was seated practically on the tiny stage, joined in the fun as the ever-flexible Ekaterina managed to hoist her leg up atop his 6-foot plus frame.  During the wild frolic, Lady Rizo shouted out from the stage: “That’ll cost you $100 between my titties.” True to form, and without missing a beat, Tsar Stefan promptly whipped out a Franklin and shoved it smack in the middle… where upon the “Lady” replied “You’re not getting it back this time, I’m gonna eat it and shit it out so you won’t want it!”

When I read those words in print, “Lady” Rizo sounds course and unappealing, but coming with her lovely smile in the context of her performance, she’s more Mae West than guttersnipe. This powerful Lady, at home with hecklers and able to put each and every one in their place, simultaneously delights us with a lovely voice and her hour-glass figure zipped in an array of skin-tight evening gowns – one for each and every song.  Equipped with a riveting gaze and trained vocal instrument, she’s in control of every nuance.

Dedicating one number to “all the ladies getting Botox,” and with a tongue-in-cheek nostalgic introduction to “My Man” and “the good old days when women got beat up” – she’s a strong performer who can involve us on multiple levels, dead-on serious, violent, over the top disgusting or just pulling our collective leg.

Do I have any regrets after my night of debauchery? Only that Lady Rizo didn’t sing her drop-dead powerful rendition of the song Edith Piaf’s made famous “Non, je ne regrette rien,” which I was privileged to hear recently at Joe’s Pub – the song that drew me to last night’s performance. But I suppose I’ll just have to return another Wednesday for the pleasure – and so should you!

The show was backed by the ever vigorous and subtle trio of Mike Jackson on guitar, Patrick Farrell on accordion and Dave Berger on percussion, who managed to play in time despite Ekaterina’s leg in his face.

Future Wednesday show dates: 6/10, 7/15 & 8/26, then every Wednesday starting September 16. Doors open at 8 pm, showtime 9:15-10:15. Tickets $20

• http://www.foreignaffairsnyc.com
• http://www.leechappel.com
• http://www.nighthotelny.com

Lady Rizo: http://www.myspace.com/ladyrizo

Isengart: http://www.isengart.info/

The boys look good in this light

After being so high, how could I go home? So we dashed straight across the street THE GRACE HOTEL, where within steps from the street, at “Drip,” the pool party with pretty boys bathing in a multi-colored light drenched swimming pool paraded around in tiny suites. The party, also produced by Lee Chappell, includes several beautifully lit lounges enjoyed last evening by guys in high drag, cute Chelsea types and a smattering of women. Also on hand were the

AlienNation

“AlienNation” Creatures costumed by designer Hector Perez, as “Waterina”; Alex as “Blinkarina,” and Raquel Giberstein, the self-proclaimed “female Broadway Danny Rose,” as “Swirlien.”

My night concluded when I stopped in for a bite down the street at Europan Bakery Café on my way back to Brooklyn, where the server recognized me from a recent evening because of my handmade necklaces and blue fabric-tied hair. I may not be a star, but I’m recognized on Broadway! See images of my handmade wearable art at http://www.zamo-zamo.com

VIVA NYC Nightlife!

Judith Z. Miller

Aka Artist Soul

http://www.zamo-zamo.com

THE LOSS OF ISHAAN PIERRE-ANTOINE, THE BEAUTIFUL 2-YR. OLD SON OF EMMANUEL & JASMINE PIERRE-ANTOINE IN HAITI

Sizzling!

UPDATE: January 18, 2010

This tragic news is posted here, word-for-word from an email I just received from a Stepping Out Studios:

IT IS WITH SAD NEWS AND HEAVY HEARTS THAT WE SHARE IN GRIEF THE LOSS OF ISHAAN PIERRE-ANTOINE, THE BEAUTIFUL 2-YR. OLD SON OF EMMANUEL & JASMINE PIERRE-ANTOINE. Ishaan died in the Haiti earthquake.  It appears, he was asleep when his aunt’s house collapsed; he passed peacefully.  Emmanuel & Jasmine are, understandably, grief- stricken as they go about bringing their beloved son’s body back to NY for burial.  They want to thank everyone for their prayers, love, and support.  It has given them great comfort and strength in this time of mourning.  Emmanuel sends his love and looks forward to seeing everyone again.  Please keep Emmanuel and Jasmine in your thoughts and prayers as they go through what s the most difficult time any parent could ever experience.

Many who heard the news have expressed their condolences and support, and are asking about a possible Tribute/Memorial/Fundraiser.  We, at Stepping Out, are prepared to hold a dedicatory benefit, however, will await direction from, and respect the wishes of, Emmanuel & Jasmine.  Cards may be sent in care of Stepping Out Studios; please do not send flowers, as it is unknown yet when Emmanuel & Jasmine are returning to NYC.  All would be posted in the e- news, on our website, and on Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Thank you for being the powerful, caring and compassionate people that you all are.  To all those who have also suffered loss and/or are missing loved ones, please know Stepping Out stands with you shoulder to shoulder.  The people of Haiti desperately need our support, so please, each and every one of us, do not forget them.  Below is a list of how you can help.

HAITI EARTHQUAKE:  HOW TO HELP
A List of Charitable Organizations Active in the Nation… For those interested in helping with relief efforts, simply text to any of the following:

Red Cross: Text HAITI to 90999 ($10 donation)
Yéle Haiti: Text YELE to 501501 ($5 donation)
United Way: Text HAITI to 864833 ($5 donation)
Intl Medical Corps: Text HAITI to 85944 ($10 donation)
World Food Program: Text: FRIENDS to 90999 ($5 donation)
UN Foundation: Text CERF to 90999 ($5 donation)
Clinton Foundation: Text HAITI to 20222 ($10 donation)
Compassion Intl: Text DISASTER to 85944 ($10 donation)
Intl Rescue Committee Text: HAITI to 25383 ($5 donation)
The Salvation Army: Text HAITI to 52000 ($10 donation)

All cell phone carriers have waived fees, so that all donations will be made in the full amounts.)

You may also go online to organizations like:
Action Against Hunger  www.actionagainsthunger.org
American Red Cross www.redcross.org
American Jewish World Service  www.ajws.org
AmeriCares  www.americares.org
Beyond Borders www.beyondborders.net
CARE www.care.org
Catholic Relief Services www.crs.org
Childcare Worldwide www.childcareworldwide.org
Direct Relief International  www.directrelief.org
Doctors Without Borders www.doctorswithoutborders.org
Feed My Starving Children www.fmsc.org/
Friends of WFP www.friendsofwfp.org
Haitian Health Foundation www.haitianhealthfoundation.org
Hope for Haiti www.hopeforhaiti.com/
International Medical Corps www.imcworldwide.org/
International Relief Teams www.irteams.org/index.htm

Medical Teams International  www.medicalteams.org

Meds and Food for Kids  www.mfkhaiti.org

Mercy Corps  www.mercycorps.orgOperation USA www.opusa.org
Oxfam www.oxfam.org
Partners in Health  www.pih.org
Samaritan’s Purse www.samaritanspurse.org
Save the Children www.savethechildren.org
UNICEF www.unicefusa.org
World Concern www.worldconcern.org
World Vision www.worldvision.org

For a missing persons database, go to CNN.com/HaitiMissing

My original post dated May 22, 2009

Sizzling. Electric. Steamy.

Russian Liana Churilova (former International Latin Junior Champion) and her fiery partner, Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine (World Professional Mambo Champion) set the room on fire tonight at Stepping Out Dance Studios during a free performance to the delight and amazement of the regular Friday night ballroom dance crowd.

This couple is HOT! Their moves sizzle like drops of water flicked on a hot griddle – perfectly in sync, exuberant, but always in total control. In their triple-speed salsa routine, dressed in sheer black with plenty of skin to entice, Liana, a mere 18 with pale skin, black hair and her partner, dark-skinned Emmanuel, are a strong, lithe and perfectly matched pair. There isn’t an ounce of fat between them or a wasted beat. Each second of their beautifully choreographed and lighting-fast routine was precise, fun, daring – and filled with plenty of butt-shakin’ action.  Their second routine was more subtle, graceful, elegant and strong, with long flowing motions and languid extensions — but always, always sexy. There was a spark that bounced back and forth between these two that glittered and shined and rebounded right off their sparkling costumes out into the audience – we all felt it and cheered with delight.

Check out future performances – but remember to bring a handkerchief to mop your brow!

(Please check back, I’ll be posting performance dates & photos as soon as I get them in.)

Stepping Out Dance Studios: http://www.steppingoutstudios.com/

Judith Z. Miller

Aka Artist Soul

http://www.zamo-zamo.com