Friday, June 4, 2010

Tibetan Art

Recently I've been all over the map in terms of cultural artistic inspiration.Yesterday we were in Cuba, last week Burma, today Tibet. The images starting at no.5 and down are Tibetan sand mandalas ( yes, painstakingly made from colored sand) that can take several weeks to create and are traditionally destroyed shortly after completion to illustrate the Buddist belief in the impermanence of life. Absolutely incredible........

Women's Fashion and National Identity

There's a wonderful show on right now at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC called American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity. It's an exploration of "archetypes of American femininity through dress" and features costumes worn from 1890 to 1940, all  beautifully exhibited in appropriate period settings. I really have to make it there to see this as I'm a big fan of vintage fashion.
This is an exhibit in the process of being set up.....Love the ornate decor.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Cuban Rum Bar

A new rum bar is opening in the East Village called Cienfuegos that caught my eye, primarily because the decor which is reminiscent of old Havana is absolutely stunning.They offer exotic rum cocktails (natch) served in tin cups with vintage Cuban music in the background and Cuban side-dishes to nibble on.Sounds delightful.I'll be sure to report back when I check it out.
Images from Urban Daddy.

Viejo Cuba

I was intrigued enough by the previous post to investigate some images of Cuba. Old Cuba ....And what a treasure trove of wonderfully decayed grandeur, beautiful "azuelos" , saturated colors and european style architecture I found. Romanticism is definitely palpable here, although I suppose if I had to deal with the poverty and strife on  a daily basis I might have a different view. At any rate, here is an extended tour of Old Havana and Trinidad, Cuba. I am very much in love.