Some of my students making me proud with a quick performance of the intro to So Hot by Big Bang.

So Hot from russ martin on Vimeo.

Samsung cell phone art

Viewed the excellent house collection at Leeum Samsung the other day, then stumbled upon a couple nice pieces on the street. Highlights: a Hirst pill cabinet, the best yet from Nam Jun Paik, and panels by Gilbert & George. Details in the next column for 10. (Last column in yesterday's post).

(pictured: video by Jenny Holzer, sculptures by Takashi Murakami, Louise Bougeois, Donald Judd.)

Summer art and Starry Night, still life with silver bowl

Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Van Gogh, and Jeff Koons: in Seoul this summer and my July art column for 10. Enjoy.

Love/sympathy letters to Steve Jobs.
-Hongdae, Summer twenty-eleven

Back alley boredom

In the final hour, my comrades took off on a flight to another part of the country. They to the trees of their eco pit stop, I to troll the streets that had so quickly become familiar. Down those skinny alleys I found children to play with, art to stare at, and clothing for my back.

The trip was had.

Elephant Eyelashes

We walked out the wooden plank and jumped onto the hefty grey abyss. Taylor’s feet disappeared behind floppy ears as she straddled her neck. I climbed on next, holding on between a plastic bar and deeply wrinkled flesh.

Down between sets of trees we descended to the river. Our elephant walked right in and let us down. The trainer handed over brushes for the bath. We scrubbed roughly on the belly and underneath the ears.

They let us climb back on and stood up tall, telling us the animal couldn’t feel a thing. She pulled us up and down and dropped us in the water, spraying thick mist with her trunk.

And before the ride was over, we pushed our bodies into the mighty grayness for one last mammoth hug.

Animal Farm

The gaggle of cattle leers lazily in the sun. The mid day shadows drag out below their bellies towards our feet. The slobber slides down the jaw of one, as he slides his mouth back and forth with a smack.

The slender deer lift their heads and eat out of our palms. They toe up and down the steps, plucking fresh leaves from our hands. We run from animal to animal happily, thinking of the trip’s other afternoons, spent so sluggishly stretched out in the mud as the wild boars.