NYC Part 1: MOMA

I am currently in PA for a few days to see my family. Aside from my awkward sleep schedule that will not budge (5am-11am), it has been a very pleasant trip. On Sunday my parents and I went up to NYC for the day. We started the morning at MOMA.

A Few of My Favorites:

René Magritte’s “The Palace of Curtains, III” (1928-29). The word ciel is French for sky. In the coffin-like misshaped frame on the left is a representation of a sky. In the frame on the right is the word “ciel.” Get it? Surreally cool.

Roy Lichtenstein’s “Drowning Girl” (1963). She’s right though, if she called Brad, he would never let her forget he saved her from drowning.

Ger van Elk’s “The Co-founder of the Word O.K.” (1971). I had never heard of this Danish photographer before, but loved his clever photos and of course the imagery of Hollywood in the 70’s. If you look closely, Ger van Elk is posed in profile to the right of a framed yellow bubble letter “O” in each picture. He is posing as the letter “K” by raising his arm and leg. As a result, he is “O.K.” on a street, a block from the Hollywood Colonial, and outside a store.

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

Contrary to popular belief, I’m not always eating. Sometimes, I’m drinking. One day, between eating & drinking, I stopped by the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

The COLA is a Roman Catholic cathedral that opened in 2002, built in replacement of the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, which was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Because the site of Saint Vibiana was a city landmark and would require the old cathedral be incorporated into the new one at a major cost, the archdiocese instead decided to build on the current location. COLA is a mother church to over four million professed Catholics in the archdiocese. The grounds include a mausoleum, gift shop, cafeteria, conference center, and residences for clergy.

The COLA’s post-modern architecture has been criticized by people within and outside the CC. The common criticisms are that the size and (ironically) expense were both unnecessary and overly-elaborate.

It can house over 3,000 worshipers;

$5mil. for the alter;

$3mil. for the main bronze doors;

$2mil. for wooden ambo (raised stand/podium);

$1mil. for the tabernacle;

$1mil. for the cathedra (bishop’s chair);

$250k for the presider’s chair;

$250k for each deacon’s chair;

$150k for each visiting bishop’s chair;

$50k for each pew;

$100k for the cantor’s stand (chief singer of the choir); and

$150k for each bronze chandelier/speaker.

On top of that, it has also been said that it departs from the traditional California Mission-style architecture and aesthetics.

I have always enjoyed the organ. (Is that strange?) This organ was built by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders in Iowa. It has 105 ranks of pipes, some retained from the St. Vibian organ.

LAPD - Downtown

I was arrested! Arrested by the shiny and comically mesmerizing LAPD building located downtown, across from City Hall. It was impossible for me not to stop and take pictures — even at a time when I was trying to beeline to the subway.

It’s official title is the Los Angeles Police Department Police Administration Building, designed by DMJM (or what is now AECOM) Architects and completed in 2009. The 491,00 square foot, 10-story building was a $437 million project and houses about 2,300 employees/officers. The design is “modern with both physical and metaphorical connections to the surrounding community.”

The building/design has won a plethora of awards and certifications. Two are of note:

• ONE: It has achieved a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council because of sustainable strategies such as using recycled content building materials; energy-saving daylighting design and lighting controls; a high-efficiency HVAC system; locally produced materials; and water-efficient plumbing fixtures/irrigation/landscape materials.

• TWO: The Downtown Breakfast Club, a LA based real estate group gave the building a “lemon” award at its yearly Roses & Lemons ceremony for having the shabbiest appearance of all government buildings.

Pictures inside the LAPD can be found here.

LAPD Police Administration Building
100 West 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

I own these, but you wouldn’t know.

Because they are still in their original shipping packaging. I am hoping that if I post about them, maybe… just maybe, I will get around to buying frames and hanging them up. On numerous Target trips, I have stood contemplating whether or not to purchase cheap, but still kind of expensive, frames. In the end, I always decide against it because of the poor quality. I want to get them professionally framed, but am conflicted because it will probably cost more to have them framed than it cost to purchase the art itself. We’ll see what happens. But for now, enjoy what should be hanging from my walls! :)

Fake Beard by Jay Ryan

Flood by Jaclyn Mednicov

Stacked Upon by Jaclyn Mednicov

Check out Jay Ryan’s store, The Bird Machine. Find Jaclyn Mednicov (and other cool artists) at the great marketplace of design: 20×200.

Royal/T Café

For so long I have wanted to go to the cafe, art space, and store that is Royal T café, but there were always hurdles in my way. One time they were closed. One time I couldn’t rally the troops to go. One time I forgot it existed. But then one lonely day I remembered. Supposedly, it is the first cosplay cafe in Los Angeles. What is cosplay restaurant you ask? Well I’ll tell you. Cosplay are theme restaurants and pubs that originated in the Akihabara district of Tokyo around the year 2000. They include maid cafés and butler cafés, where the service staff dress as elegant maids (or as butlers). Compared with service at normal cafés, the service at cosplay cafés involves the creation of a rather different atmosphere. The staff treat the customers as masters and mistresses in a private home rather than merely as café customers. Which is pleasant when you consider how many rude baristi one encounters in a lifetime. Royal T’s waitresses are dressed in “maid kissa” uniforms designed by Lun*na Menoh (who designed similar costumes at Takashi Murakami’s exhibit at the MOCA ). The concept and design of Royal T is the work of Takaya Goto and Lesley Chi of Goto Design.

When I walked in I immediately thought: It’s kind of like if Kid Robot had a baby with Giant Robot and this child served food. Here is a picture of what the waitresses look like. I found it on Lun*na Menoh’s website. I was way too shy to ask for a picture while I was there; they are in character (high pitched voices, super duper overly friendly and nice) which I found to be intimidating.

First I walked around and looked at the store. Here are pictures of some of my favorite things I saw (Killer Cupcake, Fake Louise, Shoplifter Bag, and my favorite, Chanel Matches)

I didn’t take many photos of the art on the wall, but I did think this piece was cool. I am pretty sure it is Murakami’s work. Correct me if I’m wrong.

After the art, I sat down for some tea. Their menu is a fusion of French, Japanese, and Californian. Breakfast (granola, french toast, baked eggs), Lunch/Dinner (salads, sandwiches, rice bowls), and High Tea (the mix of everything for 20 dollars). I ordered the Royal T Milk Tea black tea with rose petals, pieces of fruit, and vanilla brewed in soymilk. As you can see in the picture, those are the bodum’s double walled glassware that is talked about highly throughout yelp reviews. It makes the experience very aesthetically pleasing. The tea was copious and delicious. I have a habit of finishing things even when I am full because I don’t like to waste. This was worth it though.

Although my maidtress told me that the brownie was probably the best dessert to order, I had to order the Sesesame Bean Sensation, a sweet sesame cake with tons of sesame oil and sugar. I am not the most knowledgable on these little squares of goodness, but I was able to recognize that it tasted very good. I would order it again, but I did see out of the corner of my eye someone else’s brownie and it looked quite decadent and delicious. So who knows what will happen next time I am there.

Hopefully, I will be able to return again soon. Not by myself. With enough money to buy Chanel matches.

Royal T
8910 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 559-6300

A Dozen Walrus

I also am getting Jay Ryan’s A Dozen Walrus for my walls:

One day a year or two ago I completely forgot what a walrus was. I knew I was supposed to know the word. I mean, everyone knows what they are! But, that one day it just did not register. I repeated the word over and over again…walrus, wallruss, wall-rus…but nothing came to mind. Tomato.

Must be a case of the…

Spent most of the day in bed. Tried writing a post, but didn’t have the energy to finish it. Will make another attempt at it tomorrow. A lot on my plate, but unfortunately it’s not food. I’m going to watch Heroes right now. However, today I registered for the 31st Annual Santa Monica - Venice Christmas Run (10K). And, I am also going to be getting this poster by Jay Ryan that I fell in love with to decorate my walls: Swimming Diplodocus.