A GREAT DAY IN HARLEM FOR PHOTOGRAPHER MING SMITH AND THE BLACK DOLL SHOW

Art in Review - Ming Smith - ‘Photographs - 1977-2010’ - NYTimes.com
LAST FRIDAY BEFORE I LEFT THE STUDIO AT PACE, I CALLED MARIE BROWN BECAUSE SHE HAD TOLD ME EARLIER IN THE WEEK THAT SHE HAD SOME NEWSPAPERS FOR ME THAT I COULD PICK THEM UP ON FRIDAY.

SO...

AS I WAS WALKING ACROSS 14TH. STREET AND UNION SQUARE... (MY OLE SPOT LAST SUMMER) I RAN INTO SANA MUSASAMA AND HER NIECE ALIYAH....

WE MADE A QUICK STOP AT ONE OF THE ICE CREAM TRUCKS SO SANA COULD PURCHASE A ICE CREAM CONE FOR HER NIECE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PHOTOGRAPHER MING SMITH PAST BY, TELLING SANA AND I THAT SHE HAD JUST GOTTEN THIS AMAZING REVIEW THAT DAY IN THE NEW YORK TIMES FOR HER EXHIBIT AT THE JUNE KELLY GALLERY IN SOHO.

THIS GRACIOUS REVIEW BY NEW YORK TIMES ARTS CRITIC HOLLAND COTTER, HAD THE IMAGE OF THE SEREAL PHOTO TITLED

"JAMES BALDWIN IN SETTING SUN OVER HARLEM". BY MING SMITH 1997-2010 AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.


ON HEARING THIS, ALL FOUR OF US FOUND THE CLOSEST NEWS PAPER STAND AND GOT THE PAPER AND CONTINUED TALKING ABOUT THIS EXCITING NEWS (NOT EVEN NOTICING WE WERE SOLD THURSDAYS PAPER INSTEAD OF FRIDAYS.

I SAID ALL THAT TO SAY... I DID NOT MAKE IT BY MARIES HOUSE THAT NIGHT, MING AND I SAID GOOD-BYE TO SANA AND HER NIECE WHO LIVES IN QUEENS AND MING AND I GOT ON A SLOW BUS TO HARLEM WHERE WE FILLED THE RIDE WITH OUR ARTIST "BACK IN THE DAYS" MEMORIES.

THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED MARIES AND TOLD HER WHAT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE "THE DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK" STORY ABOUT WHY I DID NOT GET BY HER PLACE TO PICK UP THE NEWSPAPERS LAST NIGHT.

NOW... HERE'S WHERE THE ERIE MUSIC SHOULD BE COMING IN.....

THERE WAS THIS BEAUTIFUL SITTING SPOT IN MARIES LIVING ROOM, WHERE SHE HAD JUST BEEN SITTING.... BEHIND THIS TEXTILE ADORNED AND COMFY CHAIR, DRAPED IN NOONLIGHT WAS THIS PRINT ON A EASEL OF A PASTEL DRAWING FROM JAMES BALDWINS GARDEN IN PARIS.

AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EASEL WAS A PHOTOGRAPH OF MINGS EX-HUSBAND/(HER BABIES DADDY), JAZZ MUSICIAN DAVID MURRY HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THE WRITER JAMES BALDWIN IN HIS GARDEN IN PARIS.


AND THEN.... I WALKED OVER TO THE COFFEE TABLE AND WHAT DID I SEE!?!... ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPH OF JAMES BALDWIN AND HIS BROTHER DAVID BALDWIN (THANK YOU SO MUCH LAURA HARRIS FROM WASHINGTON D.C. FOR THE CORRECTION, DO YOU APROVE?)....

AND I AIN'T THROUGH YET... THEN MARIE SAID SHE HAD JUST READ MINGS REVIEW AND DISCOVERED THAT SHE HAD TWO COPIES OF THE REVIEW INSTEAD OF ONE AND SHE GAVE THE EXTRA COPY TO ME SO I FINALLY GOT TO ACTUALLY READ THE HARD COPY....

NOW... I ASK YOU... IS THIS COSMIC OR WHAT!?!....

YET ANOTHER ONE OF THEM TRUE TALES, FROM THE "UPTOWN" SIDE OF THE COTTON CURTAIN FOLKS!!!

AFTER LEAVING MARIES HOUSE WITH MY NEWLY GOTTEN NEWSPAPER & TALL TALE, I HEADED OVER TO THE BLACK DOLL SHOW AT THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH.

I MET UP WITH A LONG TIME MASTER DOLL MAKER LORNA PARIS, WHO HAD JUST SOLD THIS BEAUTIFUL ALL LEATHER DOLL SHE CREATED

HERE IS A CLOSER VIEW OF THIS ADORABLE CREATION.


I LOVED HOW LORNA HAD CREATED HER OWN BUSINESS CARD WITH HER CHARMING TOUCH.

CONTACT INFO FOR LORNA PARIS

THIS IS LORNA DISPLAYING HER DOLL TO ONE OF HARLEMS DYNAMIC CULTURAL DIVAS!! MAMA RAHSHEDAH.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE DOLL ARTIST WAS THERE WITH HER BEAUTIFUL FIGURINES, THANKS FOR THE TICKET TO THE SHOW.

EVERY WHERE I LOOKED, THE LITTLE ONES WERE LOOKING LIKE LIVING DOLLS.

I WAS TOO PROUD OF THE YOUNG SIS WITH THE CUPCAKE BUSINESS... SHE WAS PROUD ALSO..

THANK YOU ARTIST DIANE SMITH FOR THE LOAN OF YOUR CAMERA SO I CAN POST MY RECYCLED WEDDING BROOM

I'M BACK IN THE SADDLE FOR A MOMENT, TAKING PHOTO'S. THANKS TO MY TALENTED, DEAR ARTIST FRIEND DIANE SMITH WHO IS LOANING ME HER MINI DIGITAL CAMERA UNTIL I GET MY BUSINESS STRAIGHT WITH A NEW CAMERA.

SO... HERE FINALLY IS MY WEDDING BROOM THAT I ADORNED FOR THE JUMPING THE BROOM WEDDING RITUAL.

THIS BROOM IS ADORNED WITH RECYCLED FASHION MAGAZINES BECAUSE OF THE PAPERS STRENGTH AND COLORS.


I ADDED COIN DOLLARS AND BLUE CRYSTAL TO THE BROOM STICK.


THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS THIS WEDDING BROOM CAN BE ADORNED, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW THE DECOR OF THE WEDDING.

MANY THANKS TO THE AFRICAN DANCING, LITERARY JEWEL MALIAKA ADIRA FOR DONATING ALL THE WONDERFUL FASHION MAGAZINES TO THIS ECO CHIC GREEN, RECYCLED PROJECT...


I'M STILL IN THE PROCESS OF PROBLEM SOLVING & DEVELOPING THE HAND SPUN NEWSPAPER FOR THE WEDDING DRESS, STAY TUNED.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE SUPPORT TOWARD THE NEW CAMERA...

XENOBIA'S PACE UNIVERSITY ARTIST RESIDENCY PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

GREETINGS EVERYONE, I AM FINALLY IN MY STUDIO AT MY PACE UNIVERSITY SUMMER RESIDENCY. IT LOOKS LIKE I AM GOING TO BE DOING A LOT OF RECYCLED WORK.

THE OTHER DAY I WAS TALKING ON THE PHONE TO MY DEAR ARTIST FRIEND SHIMODA, I STATED TO HER THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN SPINNING NEWSPAPER INTO YARN, I TOLD HER I DID NOT FIND VERY MUCH INFO ABOUT IT ON THE INTERNET, SO, IT WAS REALLY HARD FINDING INSTRUCTION.

SHIMODA SUGGESTED I GET IN TOUCH WITH THE FABULOUS SPINNER, KNITTER AND CROCHETER SAHARA BRISCO. BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN SPINNING AMAZING YARNS FOR OVER 20 YEARS. (I DO'NT KNOW WHY I DID NOT THINK OF THIS MYSELF)

I CALLED SAHARA, AND TO CUT TO THE CHASE,... SAHARA BEING THE BEAUTIFUL SPIRIT THAT SHE IS,... NOT ONLY SHOWED ME HOW TO SPIN THE NEWSPAPERS.... SHE FIRST, IN THE MATTER OF A FEW MINUTES, SHE TAUGHT HERSELF HOW TO SPINNING A WONDERFUL EASY TO CROCHET NEWSPAPER YARN,... SHE DID A MAJOR LOAD OF PROBLEM SOLVING,... THEN SHE LOANED ME ONE OF HER SPINDLE, SO THAT I COULD GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY SPINNING RIGHT AWAY,... THEN SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO SPIN THE NEWPAPER INTO YARN

NOW TELL ME... IS THAT SISTAH LOVE? OR, IS THAT SISTAH LOVE?...

SO, (MY ANGEL OF THE MOMENT) SAHARA AND I WERE IN THE STUDIO, IN SPINNING NEWSPAPER NTO YARN AND SHE WAS SPINNING A PROJECT OF HERS OF THIN SILK THREADS UNTIL THE SECURITY GUARD CAME AND TOLD US THE BUILDING WAS CLOSING..



HERE IS A VIDEO EXAMPLE OF THE BEAUTIFUL, THIN, EVEN BALL OF NEWSPAPER YARN SAHARA SPUN.

AND A EXAMPLE OF MY FIRST SKIEN OF NEWPAPER YARN BELOW SAHARAS, I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT SPINNING THIS NEWSPAPER YARN, IT TOOK ONE SHEET OF THE NEW YORK TIMES TO CREAT SAHARAS BALL OF YARN AND ONE PAGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES TO CREAT MY SKIEN OF YARN.

SO... NOW I HAVE MY FIRST SKIEN OF NEWSPAPER YARN THAT WILL BE CROCHET INTO A WEDDING DRESS TO GO ALONG WITH MY RECYCLED WEDDING CAKE ADORNMENT.

I AM ALSO WORKING ON THE PAPIER MACHE FURNITURE PIECE, THERE IS A LOT OF CARDBOARD BOXES IN THIS AREA AT NIGHT SO I HAVE PLENTY TO BUILD WITH.

I AM SO VERY!! VERY!! GREATFUL TO (MY ANGEL OF THE MOMENT) SAHARA BRISCOE AND HER AMAZING SPINNING HANDS.

PIANO IN THE PARK, ST. NICHOLAS PARK, 135TH. ST. & ST NICHOLAS AVE. HARLEM

ONE OF THE ADDED UNEXPECTED TREATS AT THE BLOSSOMS OF FIBER ARTS EXHIBIT WAS A MINI CONCERT ON THE ST. NICHOLAS "PIANO IN THE PARK" BY ONE OF THE FIBER ARTIST.

ALL OF US LAYING ON THE GRASS IN THE PARK WAS REALLY FEELING HARLEM WHEN SHE PLAYED ALL THE UPTOWN CLASSICS.

A REAL NEW YORK MOMENT!!!

HARLEM NEEDLE ARTS, INC. PRESENTS A PUBLIC ARTS EXHIBIT: THE BLOSSOM OF FIBER ARTS. CURATED BY MICHELLE BISHOP

THIS PAST SUNDAY I HAD THE JOY & PLEASURE OF VIEWING SOME OF THE MOST CREATIVELY CHARMING 3-D, POTTED FLORAL,  NEEDLE ART WORK I HAVE SEEN THIS COMING OUT OF HARLEM SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE...

PUTTING A REAL UPTOWN SPIN ON THE DECORATIVE ARTS...

MICHELLE BISHOP, FOUNDER & VISIONARY DIRECTOR OF HARLEM NEEDLE ARTS. A ORGANIZATION OF SKILLED, HARDWORKING QUILTERS, KNITTERS, CROCHETERS AND OTHER NEEDLE ARTIST,

...(AND I MUST ADD) WHO ARE FORGING A NEW PATH IN THE INTERNATIONAL FIBER ARTS WORLD...

PRODUCED AT SMALL BUT VERY EMPRESIVE EXHIBIT OF NEEDLE ART CONSTRUCTIONISTS:

EMERGENCY EQUIPTMENT FUND RAISER FOR XENOBIA BAILEY: MY DIGITAL CAMERA WAS DESTROYED LAST NIGHT!!!!!

GREETINGS EVERYONE, I'M IN A BIT OF AN EMERGENCY FUND RAISING MODE AT THIS MOMENT!!

THIS IS A EMERGENCY SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE ANGLES IN THE WORLD THAT WOULD LIKE TO HELP AN ARTIST OUT (ME!!) WITH A FUND RAISER TO REPLACE MY DESTROYED MINI DIGITAL CAMERA "ASAP", BY PURCHASING A IMPORTANT WORK OF INSTALLATION ART (IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF) CREATED BY ME.

AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY BLOG,..  MY CAMERA IS MY LIFE LINE AS FAR AS DIGITAL COMMUNICATION, CULTURALLY & FINANCIALLY,...   SO RIGHT NOW I'M LIKE A SHIP WITHOUT A SAIL...

WHAT I AM USING TO FUND RAISE TO REPLACE MY CAMERA WITH, IS ONE OF MY ART PRODUCTS SELLING IN MY etsy.com STORE... "MY STATE OF THE NATION EMERGENCY JU-JU BAG". IT SELL FOR $10.00.

HERE IS A DETAILED VIEW OF MY GRASSROOTS,  NATIONAL -STATE-OF-EMERGENCY:  "MORE POWER FROM THE PEOPLE TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION", "JU-JU"  START UP KIT"     THE BROWN PAPER "JU-JU" BAG CONTAINS A 1 1/2" SQUARED, "MORE POWER FROM THE PEOPLE TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT BUTTON,A 2" x 3"  "MORE POWER FROM THE PEOPLE TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION", BLUE GLASS INSPIRATIONAL CANDLE HOLDER WITH A WHITE TEA CANDLE.

A SMALL PLASTIC BAG CONTAINING A HEAPING TABLE SPOON FULL OF VIBRATION ENHANCER FOR THE ALTER TOP, FILLED WITH SEED BEADS, A COWRY SHELL, A BUTTON, MULTI COLORED SEQUINS AND OTHER ENHANCING "STUFFEDNESS".

A HAND WRITTEN URBAN ROOTS INSPIRED PRESCRIPTION ON A BROWN PAPER BAG SIGNED AND DATED BY ME.THE PROTOTYPE FOR THIS SERIES HAS BEEN INDUCTED IN MY ARTIST FILES IN THE ARTS AND ARTIFACT DEPARTMENT OF THE SCHOMBURG LIBRARY IN HARLEM NYC. FOR THE HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION ON THIS EVOLUTIONARY TRANSFORMATION OF THE URBAN AMERICAN MATERIAL CULTURE IN THE AESTHETIC OF FUNK.

THIS IS THE PERFECT WORK OF ACTIVIST ART FOR THE OBAMA MEMORABILIA COLLECTORS & FOLKS THAT WANT TO HELP OUT THIS ADMINISTRATION.

SO PUT YOUR ORDERS IN TO xenba.etsy.com AND I WILL GLADLY GET YOUR "STATE OF EMERGENCY JU-JU BAG" RIGHT TO YOU...

FUNKY-CHIC ECO WEDDING, BIRTHDAY, NEW HOME, WELCOME HOME, ANNIVARSARY, GRADUATION, WHAT EVER CELEBRATION CAKE FOR ALL THE SUPER-NATURALS

I HAVEN'T LEFT CROCHET FOLKS,.. THIS IS A AREA I SEEM TO BE DROWN TO THESE DAYS, WITH ALL THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AND ALL...

I GUESS MY SUBCONSCIOUS IS TAKING CONTROL IN MY ART MAKING.  

I AM CREATING ALL OF THESE RECYCLED ITEMS FROM NEWSPAPERS, FASHION MAGAZINES, CARDBOARD BOXES AND SO FORTH.

I AM STILL CROCHETING DAILY...

THIS IS THE LATEST ECO-CHIC WEDDING CAKE ADORNMENT CREATION MADE FROM NEWSPAPERS AND FASHION MAGAZINES IS FROM "THE PARADISE FAITH MISSION" (THIS IS MY LIFE'S MISSION AS I RECONSTRUCT PARADISE)

THIS IS A SET OF TWO ECO-CHI CAKE ADORNMENTS, THAT HAVE TWO LAYERS EACH... THE LARGEST BOTTOM LAYER IS 20 INCHES, THE TOP LAYER IS 6 INCHES. 

THIS ADORNMENT IS MADE FROM FASHION MAGAZINES.

I AM GOING TO BE PARTNERING WITH A ORGANIC BAKER FOR THE CREATION OF THE CAKES.

YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ORDER THE CAKE ADORNMENTS FROM MY ONLINE ETSY STORE IN A FEW DAYS.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION, YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT XENBA.ETSY.COM.

FIBER ARTIST XENOBIA BAILEY'S "PARADISE FAITH MISSION'S" HOMESTEADING EARTHY-ECO-CHIC WEDDING CAKE ADORNMENT

GREETINGS EVERYONE... HAPPY SPRING, I AM SO VERY SORRY FOR THE LONG BREAK FROM THE BLOG... I HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD LATELY,... HARDER THAN USUAL,... CREATING PROJECTS TO KEEP "THE PARADISE PAITH MISSION" FLYING HIGH...

MY LATEST PROJECT IS JUST IN TIME FOR ALL THE JUNE WEDDING.

SO... WHAT I AM ADDING TO THE "PARADISE FAITH MISSIONS" IN THE AESTHETIC OF FUNK IS A NEW SERVICE AND PRODUCTS IN THE FORM OF A WEDDING CEREMONY...

THIS WEDDING IS CALLED THE EARTHY-ECO-FUNKY-CHIC WEDDING CAKE FLORAL ADORNMENT & FLORAL ACCESSORIES. THIS IS GOING TO BE A WEDDING FLORAL ARANGEMENT MADE OUT OF NEWSPAPER ROSES.

I GOT A LITTLE CARRIED AWAY WHILE I WAS MAKING THIS FLORAL WEDDING CAKE ADORNMENT. I AM GOING TO MAKE ANOTHER OPTION FOR THE WEDDING CAKE TOP WITH A SINGLE ROSE WITHOUT THE LONG STEM AND THE PLANT POT.

I REALLY LIKE ALL OF THIS POTTED SINGLE ROSE WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT IT BUT WHEN I CREATED IT, I SAID TO MYSELF, "I THINK I'M GOING TO BE THE ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD THAT LIKES THIS.

I REALLY SAW ANOTHER POSSIBILITY WHEN I STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING TODAY. I SAW WHAT THE CAKE COULD LOOK LIKE WITHOUT THE POT AND LONG STEM ON THE ROSE.

I PHOTOGRAPHED THE ADORNMENT IN LAYERS SO A BRIDE COULD HAVE CHOICES AS FAR AS ARRANGEMENTS OF THE LAYERS.

THIS BOTTOM LAYER CAN BE MADE IN SEVERAL SIZES. I AM GOIMG TO MAKE THE BRIDE BOUQUET, THE CORSAGE FOR THE MOTHER OF THE BRIDE & THE MOTHER OF THE GROOM, SMALL TABLE ADORNMENT, A ADORNED BROOM. AND BOUTONNIERES FOR THE GROOM AND BEST MAN.

THIS WEDDING FLORAL ARANGEMENT IS FOR THAT VERY SPECIAL COUPLE/FAMILYS THAT ARE CELEBRATING A UNION FOR THE "LOVE OF LIFE" AND EACH OTHER.

I WILL HAVE THE OTHER ITIEMS POSTED IN A FEW DAYS... I JUST WANTED TO GIVE EVERYONE A QUICK PEAK AT MY NOTES AND PROGRESS WITH THE WEDDING RECONSTRUCTION.

MORE STUFF COMING SOON.

APRIL, 2010, Maimouna Keita School of African Dance 18th Annual Conferences at Baruch College: The Lovely Beautiful People & Their SuperNatural Style

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/CO-FOUNDER MARIE BASSE WILES & CO-FOUNDER OLUKOSE WILES FOR YET ANOTHER SURE-FIRE AFRICAN DANCE EXPERIENCE,www.maimounakeita.com

ONCE AGAIN THE SUPER-NATURALS CAME OUT FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO DANCE UP A STORM.

I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET ALL OF THE DANCING STARS BECAUSE I WAS PHOTOGRAPHING BETWEEN CLASSES AND FOLKS CHANGING THEIR CLOTHS.