A Day At Dia Beacon

The Dia Foundation has a great museum up the river Hudson a-ways from New York City and it's well worth a visit. It specializes in artists from the 1960s onward, showing work that's high in concept and site specific. It's a primal experience.

One of the heavies, Richard Serra. His work seems like ship steel bent to his whim.

Art that sums up Dia's purpose, white on white (ode to Bob Dylan?) and a painting that depicts the day it was painted. 

Dan Flavin, who worked in fluorescents. Impossible to photograph faithfully, which is probably part of the fun of seeing the art transformed as an image. Art that keeps evolving.

Surveillance footage of a loft studio and a pile of broken glass works as art.

Sarah, getting green.

Selling The Life In An (Un)Real Estate World

Forget a big sign that says, "Now Leasing." That's not going to get your big, new apartment building filled. In the Arlington, Virginia area, landlords show sought-after renters what their life will be like if they choose a specific building. They need to push the fantasy.

So what is the fantasy?

Plaster the ground floor with images of a perfect life.

OK, so what specifically is the fantasy? You want to know? Evidently, women working on laptops.

Maybe also a hunky guy. So that's the life, on your laptop.

Wait! All that sitting and finger dragging means you're going to have to exercise. Feeling the fantasy yet?

Right, there must be kids. There's no life without family, kids. Right?

Slow down, slow waaay down. OK, let's go with the dog, you can handle the life with a dog. Still too fast? Back to work, always work. Hey, it's your life.

Is it a life or just a ghost of one?