New observations

I didn't notice in the last post the parallels between getting a (master's) hood and leaving the (neighbor)hood. I guess no one else did either.

Other notes: Fortune 500 company apparently hates me. I hate them back (unless they change their mind). Looking for a job is worse than dating, seriously, in both situations you try to look pretty and sit across the table from someone and sound interesting, but no one even buys you a drink at a job interview. (If they do, please forward listings asap.)

And, finally, an observation during the research for my last paper of grad school: There is now one whole entire room on the fourth floor at MoMA devoted entirely to a single female artist. Ok, it's the smallest room in the place and it only has three pictures, but Bridget Riley wins this week's token prize. I honestly wasn't paying enough attention to the permanent collection galleries the last ten times I've been there, so I can't say if it's new or not. Heartening or disheartening, maybe both.

DONE

I am finished with graduate school. Tomorrow I will put on my pretty dress, my shiny shoes, and my rented polyester robe. Then Dr. BA will "hood" me and I will go eat fancy mexican food with my family and drink with my pals.

I am terrified of this. Today at the Sopranos bar I cried because of the whacking-Adrianna flashback sequence, but that wasn't really it. I cried because I don't have a permanent job or a significant other or a grandma.

I am done with the 'hood. I am moving next week. I haven't packed. I have reached the same level of education as my parents and my beautiful pregnant sister in law.

I am having seraration anxiety. I think I might get another Master's, this one in actual "art history." Maybe at Hunter. Maybe a pH.D. after all. I am a lifelong learner. I listen to the French PodClass.

I'm scared and excited and lonely.

Tomorrow I get my M.A.

I (heart) 95

Chatty valiantly agreed to drive down to Philly to see Zoe's show under I-95. And it was the greatest thing ever. As we all know, I am slightly prone to exaggeration, but I really mean it this time. I bought eight $5 pictures (a huge expense on my finishing-grad-school budget, but I did manage to snag two pretzels, about a dozen hugs, and three sticky pieces from the pillars at 3:05). Zoe is pure f**king genius, I say this because of her impeccable eye, her phenomenal cuteness, and her commitment to art in (and ABOUT) public spaces. But most importantly, Zoe is the rarest of fancy artists today: she appears genuinely, deeply in LOVE with what she is doing. She obsesses about the tiniest details of the hanging, freaks out about her cool new printer, does not appear to ever stop talking to random members of the public about her work, and best of all, smiles. Smiles! constantly! And I have never seen her wear black. Here, my friends, is the perfect example of the post-postmodern artist. Somebody who gives a shit and wants her work to actually say something.

By the way, I called the Bucksbaum! Congratulations Mark Bradford!!

Mark Bradford
Originally uploaded by markart.

Lizzy's picks for the Bucksbaum

After several five-minute bursts of thinking, I have my picks for the Bucksbaum Award. Since I am (clearly) not a juror, these choices are of absolutely no consequence, which is why I am sharing them with y'all. These do not necessarily reflect my favorite artists in the Biennial - that award goes unequivocally to Zoe Strauss - but rather a completely arbitrary mix of whose work I like in and out of the show, who I think might have a chance of winning, who I think will be a fancy famous artist someday, and, most importantly, who I think could have a decent exhibition in the sort-of-crappy lobby gallery at the Whitney.
They are, in no order:
Mark Bradford
Otabenga Jones & Associates
Cameron Jamie
I hate to admit it, but they are all dudes! In fact, Otabenga is actually FOUR dudes.
Runners up included Trisha Donnelly (whose work until yesterday I wasn't even sure that I liked), Anthony Burdin (who I think is amazing but doubt will win), Marilyn Minter (like they're going to give to someone who actually paints nice pictures), Paul Chan, Ann Collier, Jutta Koether, Dorothy Iannone, and Billy Sullivan (he actually was not a runner up but I added him to the list just now because I actually stood through the whole slideshow yeaterday when I was giving a "tour" to Chris-n-Chris and it was just super, high-quality solid super, not trendy or achingly innovative or anything, but great juxtapositions of goregeous photos accompanied by reasonable music and the satisfying click of slide projectors. I was close to tears several times and I barely even recognized any celebrities [that's probably why I liked it so much, I just thought they were regular people])
I sort of have my heart set on Otabenga, maybe a little bit because of diversity but probably just because I think they ROCK and would like to see what they would make for a new show, and if it would involve any Nichiha. I don't think Mark will win because he already had a show at Altria and Cameron loves in Paris (loves was a typo but I'm keeping it) so I think they'll avoid all the post-America bullshit if they don't pick him.
If someone else wins, I am positive that I left them off the list accidentally because I am tired and stressed out 'cause my day just had surgery (he's okay, I hear, don't worry).

News From Lizzy

(chronological)
1. I found a lovely apartment share in Billysburg with a nice painter girl named Tara, and am moving May 15.
2. I turned in my thesis. I think it might not suck.
3. I got called by a human resources department at a Fortune 500 corporation (#66). I called them back.
4. I went to the Russian and Turkish Baths. There were no Turks but a man from Turkmenistan beat Alliecat with some tree branches after asking her to take her bikini top off (she refused) and covering her head with a towel. Apparently one usually pays for this service but she got it free for being cute. I thought it was a little Abu Ghraib.
5. I got some yarn for a secret knitting project that I can tell you about as long as your name is not Chris or Ann.
6. Boys in the 'hood asked me how is my ex. I ran inside and closed the shutters.
7. I set my glasses on fire.

The best news ever

Found this out by accident, apparently they were going to tell me at a reasonable date after doctor's appointments and whatnot, but through a miracle of procrastination I happened to read Ann's blog. What I mean to say is - MY BROTHER AND SISTER IN LAW ARE HAVING A BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, a BABY!!!!!! A little adorable Gwinn-Zawistoski nerdlet!!!!!!!!!!! Gramma Gwinn is so happy right now, and so am I!!!!!!!! (as you may be able to tell by the plethora of exclamation points).
I don't want to jinx anything, or put any unreasonable expectations on this child-to-be, but its so hard not to make Aunt Liz plans!
Like a baby membership at the Walker (or I guess a family membership, so C & A can go too) and our first trip to Europe together and our matching tattoos when it turns eighteen and ... (i'd better stop before I get in trouble)
and, oh, the kntting projects. The knitting projects. Did I mention the knitting projects? Like Anouk if it's a girl and cargo pants if it's a boy and trellis and baby jeans either way and maybe a little something for the parents-to-be in the meantime. And that's just from knitty.
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On a less cool note, this is what you get if you google "Gwinn Baby." "Zawistoski Baby" is a little more satisfying.
Did I say yay? Ok.

'night!

I haven't got anything to say except that it was really, really fun. Read the nasty reviews:
Michael Kimmelman!
Jerry Saltz!
Linda Yablonsky!
Blake Gopnik
Reuters on the Peace Tower
stupid artnet thing about labels (I hung 'em! well, except for the fake one)
AP
NY Sun
also
from the floor
& The stupid toni burlap website
ok? ok.