Week 2: SPACE – written from a 2fl walkup in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

I was fortunate to coordinate my stay in Brooklyn with a colleague/friend’s vacation to Hilton Head, NC. Thanks Jonathan! From the moment I was tossed the keys to the bachelor pad, I knew good times were to follow. No not for the obvious reasons of having a man cave with a canvas for masculine thought and activities but rather sanity of spending time with myself. The first week of being homeless helped me in realizing that sharing space on a consistent basis, even with those you care deeply for, without time to be alone; to steep in your own thoughts, feels confining and crowded. Prospect Heights proposed “me time”; to see or not see people as I see fit, reminding me of a luxury lost in this transition; control of space.

Prospects Heights is a neighborhood I had known in the past but is changing rapidly in the shadows of the anticipated Barclays Center. My week’s stay allowed me to investigate places old and new. The Bearded Lady, an open-aired corner lounge, became my meeting place for launching or night capping an evening. When you go, try a cava and bourbon cocktail called Good Manners or Ginger Prince made with aged rum, lime and ginger. Should you wish to punctuate the evening with an adventurous combination; ask Patrick to pour your pet whiskey with a spicy pickle-back! Places to eat include brunch at La Gamin, lunch at Café Shane and dinner at Franny’s.    

Residing in this space also provided an occasion to unlock my artistic side; bare walls appeared like blank canvases, yearning for provocative images that would normally inhabit in the recesses of a bachelor’s vaporous memory, a silhouette of a tribute… “In the Shadow of a Woman’s Touch”.

I believe every space owned should be influenced by those we wish to occupy that space, be it brief or long lasting. As way of informing and being informed by those who matter. The source of light and aromas, introduced or generated in a space offers the most immediate manipulation of that space. Images offers the most dramatic persuade. However with limited permission and appropriate counsel, the images can be removed easily as the medium is matte black contact paper… so my work begins in earnest.

I decided that this vacant wall needed to recall the thoughtful role a significant person can play in informing a man’s being. And while the person is significant, the role is soft, sexy and suggestive. Suggesting which pants from the inventory would be most flattering; which shirt behind the door would compliment his frame as well as offering the slim fabric of a tie that would capture your attention.“In the Shadow of a Woman’s Touch” is a group of silhouettes that celebrates how softly or boldly the role of those who inform or influence us can. I am a huge fan of Kara Walker, whose technique I borrowed for this installation. Kara describes the use of silhouettes as avoidance of the subjects by not looking at them directly but rather the influence the subject has on the surrounding light and surfaces.

As a house guest, I would love to believe I have informed and influenced my leased space in the most positive manner; subjectiveness is noted. If nothing else, the man cave now has music playing through a set of speakers that is controlled by any Bluetooth enable device; phone, laptop, MP3 player. If you want to make a small change to the distribution of sound and easily share friend’s playlist wirelessly, pick up a Sony Bluetooth receiver and transmitter.