New York Social Diary

Shugah Sugah. You may remember, if you happened to read last Monday’s Diary, that I went to a party on New Year’s Eve at Nan and Gay Talese’s and ran into their daughter Pamela who is a painter and I asked her if she had some exhibitions coming up.

She sent me an article from last month’s New York Times about “art” in residential building lobbies. It’s not a new idea. Many residential buildings have some kind of art. 2 East 70th has some photographs by Jeff Hirsch which he took for the Diary.

What’s different about this new “art in lobbies” concept is the exhibition. Pamela Talese – who was mentioned in the Times article – just had one such exhibition called “Sugar and Fat.” This is something of a departure for the artist who is well known and notable for her city portraits which have the well known grit in all that beauty.

Pamela sent us a “virtual tour” of this exhibition. I asked her if we might run it on the NYSD. She was happy to. I don’t know if her comments with each painting were included at last month’s exhibit at the 350 Bleecker Street co-op lobby. I didn’t know what to expect, just from the title, although it’s loaded, so to speak. Looking at it, for me, evoked a lot of thoughts about a lot of things. But it was a little like eating one of those cupcakes that look like a swirling mound of pure pleasure that you know is bad for you but you don’t care. And it’s funny. The wit is definitely Talesian. I didn’t realize there was such a word until I saw this exhibition.

So have a look and read the artist’s comments. It’s a good way to start your week and all the calories are the good calories, brain-gain.