Art or Artifice: Say Hi to Hitler the Gnome

See what all the ruckus is about

Whitney....Are You in There Somewhere?

After seeing this album cover I can say 2 things:

1. There is a God
2. Never again will I doubt the power of Photoshop.
   

A Muse Among Us

Say hello to Leonore Scherrer

Wanna Roll with Tha CLIC

In this ever evolving metropolis its so easy to look up from your daily hustles and realize that your surroundings have completely changed. Often while bullshittin my way around south of 14th st, I'll stumble upon a new hotel or a new boutique, or sometimes if I'm really caught up in my head, I'll suddenly realize that a whole block has been wiped out: scaffolds and cranes and dust lay in its place. New York is in an eternal state of change which is probably why we're all in a rush all the time. Gotta see this or do that or go here before its all gone. This whole city is one of those 'LIMITED TIME ONLY' deals.

Pay homage to the past lives of NYC at CLIC Gallery this Wednesday with the opening of STOREFRONT: The Disappearing Face of New York. Featuring the work of urban photographers James and Karla Murray.

STORE FRONT is a photographic survey documenting the fast disappearing mom-and-pop stores of New York City. JAMES AND KARLA MURRAY spent more than ten years photographing the distinctive storefronts of family-run shops in neighborhoods throughout the city. From cheerful Italian bakeries with hand-painted murals to the dingy dive bar that became a local institution, the Murrays’ bright photographs are a striking visual record of how colorful and idiosyncratic each block of New York’s streetscape once was.

STOREFRONT
Opening Reception
Wednesday July 15
from 6-9
Clic Gallery
255 Centre Street

And while you're there pop around the corner and check out the Clic Bookstore at 189 Lafayette St. Its a well curated space, stocking only a handful of photograpy and art books. They keep the real goodies, their rare first-prints and collectible items, on the upper shelves. Make sure to peep them. Stylists, designers, photographers, and artist pay attention, Clic Bookstore is a gem for all kinds of amazing visual references.
Trust me. Go. You'll thank me later.

The Real Hood Wives: Round Two

For the arm candy of some alleged "ballers", these "housewives" sure got some hood shit going on.
Foreclosures!!
Paternity Tests!!!
Phantom Record Deals!!!!
Wig Snatching!!!!!




Mark your calenders!
Set your alarms !!!!
Call your Mama!!!
JULY 30 @ 10pm

PS: I'm sure Anderson Cooper is jizzing with excitement as we speak! He know wassup!!

We in 'Dere!!!

This bullshit-ass rain is finally starting to peace out. So celebrate the CP* Start of Summer at JAMS at Le Poisson Rouge. Throw on some of those cute summer looks that have been gathering dust in your closet, get u a drank and act like you aint got bills to pay.

*as in Colored People....This year summer came all late like a rent check!!

I Learned From Tha Best

Though you probably can't tell....I have earned a Bachelor's Degree
....and no, its not in party n' bullshittin.
While toiling my days away in undergrad I had the pleasure of having Michael Thomas as one of my Literature professors.

In a sea of old pasty white faces....Prof. Thomas was a little island of Milk Chocolate. A welcoming oasis in the arid dessert of ugly City University professors.

Needless to say...I sat in the front row. Everyday. Even if I was Late. And woe be unto the hoe that tried to take my seat.
Bigger than his chiseled face and hot bod, Thomas was an amazing professor. He possessed a voracious ability to analyze and ferret out the hidden meanings in text; in a manner that was more akin to my Media studies classes more so than the average English course. Prof. Thomas had us reading Slave Narratives, something that I would've never picked up on my own. And because of this my understanding of what it means to be Black in America is what it is today.....minus my love for semi-ignorant rap songs (Halle Berrryy Halle Berry!!).While browsing my fave book store of all time McKnally back in 2007-ish, I was so excited to see that Prof. Thomas had published his first book MAN GONE DOWN.

“Man Gone Down” focuses on four increasingly desperate days in the life of an unnamed black narrator living in Brooklyn, whose marriage seems to be falling apart. Brilliant and troubled, he is on the eve of his 35th birthday but is broke, struggling not to lapse back into alcoholism and burdened by the knowledge he has fallen short of the promise he seemed to show as a younger man.

Like a trend that you just picked up on, then started noticing it everywhere all of a sudden, this book was popping up on top 10 lists and most notably that of the New York Times Book Review.
So you can imagine how overjoyed I was for Prof. Thomas when he received the Impac Dublin Prize.... and by prize I mean somewhere around $138,00.

The Impac Dublin award is often described as “the largest and most international” literary prize in the world after the Nobel. It is open to fiction written in any language, with nominations made by libraries; in the 2009 competition, 157 libraries in 41 different countries offered 146 candidates. The prize, first awarded in 1996, was established by the Dublin city government and is financed by Impac, the multinational business consulting company.

Man Gone Down is currently in its fourth printing with 65,000 copies shipped. The Arts section of yesterday's NY Times ran a piece where Michael Thomas touches upon race in America since Obama, his plans for the future and the similarities between himself and Man Gone Down's protagonist. Peep the article.

Sending a major congrats and a 3-gun salute (buk, buk, buk) to Michael Thomas. We'll definitely be in touch as I will be ridin your coattails to THE TOP. Thank you and you're welcome.

Cop the Product

Watch and Discuss.....

I haven't forgotten about y'all, my beloved Snobbers!!
Under deadline and hustlin to get some thangs done.
Greatness is in the works.....
In the meantime watch this clip of My So Called Life, take a shot of Colt 45 each time Claire Danes gives a dramatic blank stare then say I-LOVE-JORDAN-CATALANO!! ten times as fast as you can.

Watch and Discuss!!

Short n' Sweet

Remember that game 5 Minutes in Heaven, where you were trapped in closet with a boy/girl....or both, if you were really ahead of the learning curve. Not Judging. Just saying. ANYWAY this mixtape is like 20 minutes of that minus the guilt and everybody asking what y'all did in there. No while I rarely (ie: never) big up mixtapes and shit like that.....This is different. I mean who puts Paul Simon, El Debarge, Sting and Jodeci on a mixtape?

NinaSky must be out to increase the population
....cuz this ones a BABY MAKER!! HOTT DAMN!!!

Today's Lesson: Get you some chocolate and download this mixtape.
That's all....

Food Porn: Hot Coco meets High Tea

On a random rainy Friday my dear friend, The Chocolate Muffin (yes, all of my friends and I have aliases), introduced this 2.47 oz square of awesomeness to my humble existence. The richness of dark chocolate, a hint of spicy bergamot and tiny morsels of solid cacao.

Who knew a mere $3.75 could bring such ecstasy?

Dark Chocolate + Earl Grey= A big O for my lil tastebuds

Get your O-face on at Dean and Deluca

Its All So Complex

In an attempt to salvage what hip hop has done to destroy the enitity that is the White Tee

Complex Geometries and JakandJill.com

present

The White Tee Project

Comprised of 100% cotton, Complex Geometries has reimagined The White Tee.
With an emphasis on draping, this wardrobe basic takes has been triumphantly resurrected from the death blow it suffered at the hands of hood dudes everywhere.

Git ur Icy Whites at Complex Geometries

and

Stay up on that NewNew at Jak & Jil

Happy Birthday Boo!!

In all his androgynous Purple glory.
I'm still trying to get my hair to look like that......

Une Style Moment

Hey Snobbers,
While I sometimes comment and praise the fashion choices of others, and by comment I mean trash, I would never consider Critique de Culture a FASHION blog. There are millions of those out there in the blogosphere and I'd figure I'd leave that to the professionals like this one and this one and oh yes this one.

But I must acknowledge my humble beginnings in the fashion rag world. For the major portion of 2006, I slaved away as a fashion intern at NYLON MAG. Yes, back when the interns really had to work and didn't have TV shows. Anyhoo, I interned under some pretty amazing people, one of them being Aya Kanai.

This was the first shoot that I assisted Aya on:

The Denim Issue Ashley Olsen August 2006 cover.

Here at Critique De Culture We heart Aya.Just chillin in the tub like its a Tuesday

Peep this Style Profile that The Sartorialist did on Miss Kanai.
Also check out The Selby when he invaded the beautiful house that she grew up in.

Yaassss!!

Tasteful Booty cleavage.... file under: Yes, Please!!

Thou Shalt Not Covet...

Flew into New York on a chopper for a few hours.
Dinner at Blue Hill Farm in the West Village
Sistah-Girl First Lady had Two Martinis
Went to see August Wilson's "Joe Turner's Come and Gone"


I'm really trying to hold it together y'all.....
But Obama is making thangs difficult for the next dude that tries to holler.
Consider the bar officially raised.

Whole in the Wall: Redux

Hey Snobbers,
Quit playin' ya selves and go see the "Whole in the Wall" exhibit at the Helenbeck Gallery.



Its multimedia


Its old school

Its new school

Its furniture

Its money

Its Porsche hoods

Its NYC in the 80's

Its Paris circa Now

Its London of the moment

Whilst I was art sluttin it at the opening night, ran into the good peeps from The New Pop.
Peep their amazing video-thingy....and see if you can spot Snobette ( lookin crazy BTWss).





Even the NY Times got all up in the Whole in the Wall;
peep their article entitled : Where Louis XIV Meets Crash and Blade
God Bless their genius Copyeditors

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Union Square

I ran into Alice Smith in the train station!!

She informed me that she'll be performing at Joe's Pub this weekend.

GO
SEE
ALICE.

SEE
ALICE
SING.

SUPPORT THE ARTS!


Alice Smith: giving you high fashion!

Gimme Gimme Gimme !!!

Frank Lloyd Wright LEGO sets!!!

the first two from the collection are the Guggenheim New York

and the Falling Water House

The retail whore in my says "Must. Buy. Now. Forget. Bills."

Read the NPR interview with Lego collaborator, Adam Reed Tucker

Just call me Macaroni Toni

I don't know what it is about Mac and Cheese that makes people so happy.
Little kid and full grown adults go CRAZY for a bowl of mac and cheese.

I guess having S'mac, the East Village eatery dedicated to the stuff, just wasn't enough; so the good folks at Cafeteria and Delicatessen seem to be putting the finishing touches on Mac Bar.



Wedged in between McKnally bookstore and the already-open Delicatessen, Mac Bar is rumoured to be dishing out 12 unique varieties of Mac and Cheese.
While Delicatessen is a depository for douche bags with so-so cuisine, I hope the comfort food at Mac Bar will be well-worth the trouble of fending the lame and drunken masses.


The first week of July is the tentative date for the opening.
Mark your calendars Gluttons.....I sure did!
And stay tuned for a full-on Food Porn Review

We in 'dere