Buddy Beaverhausen's Excellent Halloween Adventure

When I travel up to Sandy Hook these days, I'm forever reminded that gun control is the real American horror story! Yet that's where I connected in Connecticut for my Halloween get-together with my coven (Tracey and Merv) this weekend. I won't even mention the horror of Saturday afternoon's commute to get to this Final Destination.

Tracey and husband, Merv, always put me up in style and I am so eternally grateful to their hospitality. There were some cheese and crackers after the prolonged commute; the bewitching, home-made lasagne for dinner; the very comfy guest bed and our movie marathon on big-screen tv. Can it get better than that? I, for one, think not.

Our film line-up included Whoopi's Moms Mabley documentary (HBO) , the macabre (Halloween appropriate) Suddenly Last Summer and Hocus Pocus.

The final title is a Bette Midler vehicle from 1993. Bette openly loves it, it's become a family Halloween fave and is on Facebook's witch-movie top ten list.

My opinion is that that film is best seen by tweens and teens, though Bette dominates this Disney doozer like nobody's business if she do! The special effects are still pretty state-of-the-art in this day and age. The acting is all-around solid (including the young ones). Bette's "Put a Spell on You" muscal number is classic, certainly. And I adore any movie in which I can lay my eyes on the late 6'5" cutie, Charles Rocket.

The sequence with Garry and Penny Marshall is singularly hilarious! More reasons to watch than not, though this is one of those films that doesn't know when to end. It seemed to have at least three more climaxes than necessary, though Buddy B can never have enough climaxes, personally, as a select few may well be aware.

 

Early afternoon today, I traveled back to NYC and bought the latest pre-releases of Aretha and Annie Lennox albums at Rebel Rebel in the Village, then visited John Azelvandre's exhibit at the Gowanus art event. Kowabungus, Gowanus, and Ungoowa! It is always a delight to see John's work and his evolution as a painter.

Asked how his art has evolved since I last went to his last exhibit, John told me that he's gotten much more into physicality and water in his very expressionistic style. You can see more of it below:

Dj Buddy Beaverhausen Goes to Art World

John Azelvandre

The Gowanus Artists Studio Tour took place this weekend, at the juncture of Park Slope and Carroll Gardens. "[A]ccessible by foot, bike, kayak, LIRR, bus and subway," explains their website and, my kayak still in storage, I took the subway, arriving at the very spot where, previously, I caught the shuttle to Ikea. Who knew?

I began my excursion into the world of Art, stumbling across green balloons tied to a 9th Street fence featuring a discrete sign essentially saying "Gowanis Art Tour Here," so I entered a courtyard that led into an apartment, where I was greeted by artist Leah Schrager [http://leahschrager.com/], an attractive and pleasant young woman who not only graciously talked to me about her exhibited art adorning the walls, she went on her computer to look up where my friend, John Azelvandre, could be found along with his work. I was curious about her influences, and Leah named Laurel Nakadate and Frances Stark. (Look 'em up, honeys.)

7th Street quarters.

I then proceeded to 7th Street and this building, where bohemians and swells (and I) converged. Lots of people carrying their doggies around. For the life of me, I did not realize dogs like art, but obviously it must be the case.

Weaving my way up and down three flights of stairs, along corridors, and through various rooms, I viewed the participating artists' works.  I was particularly impressed by a woman who painted pictures based on family scrapbook photos from the '60s. Buying might be an issue, though, if you need to explain to guests that the images are of someone else's mom, dad and little brother. Could come across as kind of weird.

Finally, I discovered John, perused his artwork, which I love for its austere simplicity and Cubist style. However, John told me he felt more aligned with German Expressionism. He also said, when I asked about artistic influences, that he was a fan of Egon Schiele (though stopped short of calling him an influence) and of trees. Winter trees with their bare branches are a leitmotif throughout John's paintings.

I asked about the geometrical look of his artwork, and John explained that the images he paints reflect living in New York. Mr Azelvandre moved to the City in '89, and said his images reveal the gridlocked nature of the city, the man-made structure of things, and the juxtaposition of that with trees representing a vestige of nature.

John added he's been more than casually interested in art and painting since childhood, and has been working in this particular style he's mastered over the past five years.

It was great to see John surrounded by his life's passion. And, as I left, into the sunny, warm Octoberry day, I indeed felt the uplift that the visual arts can instill in us.

About this last pic, John, an avid and accomplished shuttlebug, asked for a look of my iPhone picture, then said, "Hmm, kind of blurry. Can we take it again?"

We did. Now, where's the shuttle to Ikea again?