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Showing posts with label Fall 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fall 2008. Show all posts
Thursday, January 01, 2009
2008
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
I do better in odd-numbered years.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Rods in the Fire
Moving backward before I move forward. I moved back home. Reorganizing my life and mind. Clearly neither has been interesting enough to write about over the last three months but now that I have literally nothing to do I guess I'll try to fill in a rough sketch of what I did/what I'm doing/what I will do.
I finished my senior thesis on the murals of San Bartolo. This has been my primary vocation for the last year. Thinking about and ultimately writing a way too long tome on this subject, I won't bore you with details but you can bore yourself by reading the whole thing (without images, which are semi-classified, email me if you want to see anything specific) here: Ancient Art & Contemporary Agency.
The process of nerding out included presenting a short paper on the same topic at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association in November. This entailed a pre-Thanksgiving flight to San Francisco, unexpected engagement as panel chair, one mission mission, and numerous museum trips with Belize friend Emily Gable.
Saw SF Moma for the first time, checked out this ladder that's forever as well as an ad or two.
Then at the Asian Art Museum we saw this crazy exhibit on ancient grave goods from Afghanistan, heavily funded by National Geographic so somewhat sensationalized but actually worth the hype. Pretty much all that exists in terms of Bronze Age Afghanistani art, so if you're in the area you should check it out. No photos allowed unfortunately. Was able to flick this cool Zhang Daqian forgery and a strange collection of miniature bottles from Japan.
After that it was a maelstrom of writing over thxgvg break, then several weeks of presenting and tying up loose ends. Boring stuff. So to continue the theme I'll wrap up with some highlights from my most recent visit to the Boston MFA. Went with Alex Dow et al to check out this Assyrian exhibit, which was unfortunately already closed. Instead saw an insane exhibit of portraits by Yousuf Karsh, who photographed pretty much every significant figure of the first half of the 20th century. Wandered around some chambers of the museum I usually avoid, which was cool, I took a class on Baroque art this semester so I had a somewhat heightened appreciation for a lot of the stuff I usually visually tune out, though European art still kind of bores me. This painting of the 7th plague of Egypt (above) is insane though. The artist studied early drawings of French explorers in Egypt to reconstruct the architecture, weird re-appropriation of ancient art. Also this steam google maps is cool.
So I guess that's pretty much it. Oh yeah, and I graduated. It snowed for three days straight immediately before my departure from Boston, a nice sendoff I guess. For now I am laying low. Looking for something interesting to do in somewhere interesting to be, let me know if you are on the same page with that. I have NO PLANS and no loan payments for about six months.
In texas for now,
Josh
I finished my senior thesis on the murals of San Bartolo. This has been my primary vocation for the last year. Thinking about and ultimately writing a way too long tome on this subject, I won't bore you with details but you can bore yourself by reading the whole thing (without images, which are semi-classified, email me if you want to see anything specific) here: Ancient Art & Contemporary Agency.
The process of nerding out included presenting a short paper on the same topic at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association in November. This entailed a pre-Thanksgiving flight to San Francisco, unexpected engagement as panel chair, one mission mission, and numerous museum trips with Belize friend Emily Gable.
Saw SF Moma for the first time, checked out this ladder that's forever as well as an ad or two.
Then at the Asian Art Museum we saw this crazy exhibit on ancient grave goods from Afghanistan, heavily funded by National Geographic so somewhat sensationalized but actually worth the hype. Pretty much all that exists in terms of Bronze Age Afghanistani art, so if you're in the area you should check it out. No photos allowed unfortunately. Was able to flick this cool Zhang Daqian forgery and a strange collection of miniature bottles from Japan.
After that it was a maelstrom of writing over thxgvg break, then several weeks of presenting and tying up loose ends. Boring stuff. So to continue the theme I'll wrap up with some highlights from my most recent visit to the Boston MFA. Went with Alex Dow et al to check out this Assyrian exhibit, which was unfortunately already closed. Instead saw an insane exhibit of portraits by Yousuf Karsh, who photographed pretty much every significant figure of the first half of the 20th century. Wandered around some chambers of the museum I usually avoid, which was cool, I took a class on Baroque art this semester so I had a somewhat heightened appreciation for a lot of the stuff I usually visually tune out, though European art still kind of bores me. This painting of the 7th plague of Egypt (above) is insane though. The artist studied early drawings of French explorers in Egypt to reconstruct the architecture, weird re-appropriation of ancient art. Also this steam google maps is cool.
So I guess that's pretty much it. Oh yeah, and I graduated. It snowed for three days straight immediately before my departure from Boston, a nice sendoff I guess. For now I am laying low. Looking for something interesting to do in somewhere interesting to be, let me know if you are on the same page with that. I have NO PLANS and no loan payments for about six months.
In texas for now,
Josh
Sunday, October 05, 2008
"Brand new city / Got my whole team with me"
Already a month deep into classes. It's kind of weird to be back in Boston after roaming so much over the past two years, but when I stop and think about it my situation right now is not really so different, I'm only based here for another two and a half months and my wanderlust hasn't been curbed.
So anyway I haven't been up to anything too terribly interesting. Not that travel necessarily makes one's life more interesting but there is an element of constant mindfulness and novelty, spontaneity and uncertainty that I'm missing in my currently domestic state. Which isn't to say I've stuck around here the entire time.
A few weeks ago I went to Texas for my friend Matt Chesnut's wedding. Somewhat of a milestone, first friend's wedding I've been involved in. The service was nice and there was some great food and dance before the couple took off in their matrimonial chopper. Met fellow travel head Joseph Kluger and enjoyed in between time with my family, but a very short trip.
Boston stuff, and I shouldn't imply that I've been bored here, I've actually been quite busy. Saw Dan Rather speak the other week, mostly just implored young people to vote and trotted out a few thoroughly Texan truisms. Last weekend my dad came up to see a Red Sox game, which was unfortunately rained out but we hit up a half dozen record spots, watched the first pres. debate, and ate some killer food, undaunted. Saw the game the next night with my friend Steph, had to go to Fenway once before I graduate I guess.
And this past weekend I was in New York. The occasion was the release of Radio Silence, a new "visual history" of hardcore punk. The book itself is really cool, heavy on photographs ranging from your standard issue (but still incredible) live pics to almost every aspect of hardcore's material culture: old vests and t's, flyers, sketches, album covers, lyric sheets. Mind Eraser played the cavernous publishing house hosting the event. Good reconnect with a ton of people I haven't seen in a while, including a few recent NY arrivals from Texas. I haven't been on the photo grind as much as I should so I have no cool things to show you, imagine that scene in Manhattan when they're sitting by the bridge but imagine yourself on the other side of the bridge and then go to a weird techno party in Williamsburg at 1 am.
Most of my time this past month has been taken up trying to figure out my life post-2008. A few fellowships and grants I've applied for, which I won't talk about so I don't jinx anything. Started an application to do media anthropology at Harvard. Looking into internships and jobs in Beijing, New York, LA, Marfa, Portland, Buenos Aires, et al. At the moment no real plan and no commitments, suggestions?
I don't think I like writing about my life. I'll try to think up something more interesting. Well I have to buckle down and write my senior thesis so maybe it's finally time to get down to some Maya murals talk...
So anyway I haven't been up to anything too terribly interesting. Not that travel necessarily makes one's life more interesting but there is an element of constant mindfulness and novelty, spontaneity and uncertainty that I'm missing in my currently domestic state. Which isn't to say I've stuck around here the entire time.
A few weeks ago I went to Texas for my friend Matt Chesnut's wedding. Somewhat of a milestone, first friend's wedding I've been involved in. The service was nice and there was some great food and dance before the couple took off in their matrimonial chopper. Met fellow travel head Joseph Kluger and enjoyed in between time with my family, but a very short trip.
Boston stuff, and I shouldn't imply that I've been bored here, I've actually been quite busy. Saw Dan Rather speak the other week, mostly just implored young people to vote and trotted out a few thoroughly Texan truisms. Last weekend my dad came up to see a Red Sox game, which was unfortunately rained out but we hit up a half dozen record spots, watched the first pres. debate, and ate some killer food, undaunted. Saw the game the next night with my friend Steph, had to go to Fenway once before I graduate I guess.
And this past weekend I was in New York. The occasion was the release of Radio Silence, a new "visual history" of hardcore punk. The book itself is really cool, heavy on photographs ranging from your standard issue (but still incredible) live pics to almost every aspect of hardcore's material culture: old vests and t's, flyers, sketches, album covers, lyric sheets. Mind Eraser played the cavernous publishing house hosting the event. Good reconnect with a ton of people I haven't seen in a while, including a few recent NY arrivals from Texas. I haven't been on the photo grind as much as I should so I have no cool things to show you, imagine that scene in Manhattan when they're sitting by the bridge but imagine yourself on the other side of the bridge and then go to a weird techno party in Williamsburg at 1 am.
Most of my time this past month has been taken up trying to figure out my life post-2008. A few fellowships and grants I've applied for, which I won't talk about so I don't jinx anything. Started an application to do media anthropology at Harvard. Looking into internships and jobs in Beijing, New York, LA, Marfa, Portland, Buenos Aires, et al. At the moment no real plan and no commitments, suggestions?
I don't think I like writing about my life. I'll try to think up something more interesting. Well I have to buckle down and write my senior thesis so maybe it's finally time to get down to some Maya murals talk...
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