Stopped by the MoMA today, figuring it would be a good day to see the Richard Serra sculptures outside (although it’s the three titanic pieces inside that turned out to be truly mindblowing). Among the happy surprises there (including the automatic update show with a piece by our friend Cory) was a huge installation of drawings, “WHAT HAPPENED TO US?” by Romanian artist Dan Perjovschi, covering one side of the four story atrium.

The drawings, wry commentary on contemporary society and current events, are a version of something Perjovschi’s done in museums, newspapers and journals all over Europe since the 90s, and must have been a blast to watch him draw. While we were there, there were dozens of people doing the same thing we were doing, looking up and reading the wall and laughing and pointing out drawing after drawing to their companions. A free accompanying newspaper you can pick up at the show features pen and ink versions of many of the drawings (like the ones above this paragraph) in a tabloid format (PDF download).

Here’s a video of him drawing the exhibit, and there’s a Part 2 up on YouTube as well.

[Nick Douglas mentioned in the comments that this is “like a more obvious version of ‘Indexed,’” which was definitely a site I was thinking about at the show.]

Fred Seibert, one of my partners at Next New, let a pretty amazing thing slip the other day — that over at his other company, Frederator Studios, he’s making the new Castlevania movie with none other than Warren Ellis and James Jean.

The funny part was how I found out: in one of our regular, free-wheeling meetings where we talk about creative, I was showing him the mini-social network recently set up on Ning for members of Ellis’ message board, The Engine, as an example of an easy way to create basic community features around a show (which, by the way, our friends at JETSET just did) and Fred did a bit of a double take, and said, “Warren Ellis? I’m making a movie with him!”

Apparently Fred had no idea I’m a fan of Ellis’ writing and part of the loose (and large) community of people whom he’s pulled together on places like The Engine and the Bad Signal mailing list. And it wasn’t until Fred blogged about it tonight that I checked out the Castlevania production blog Ellis is writing and saw that James freaking Jean is providing art direction. This is the sort of thing I could completely geek out over, despite the fact that I missed Castlevania as a game growing up — hopefully, by knowing Fred, I’ll get a peek at the process every once in a while.

A little while back, I wrote about Nathan Fox here, and was super-pleased to get a nice note from him about it. We had a nice back and forth over email which led to him getting interviewed on the Pulp Secret Report today, but even better for me, he sent me this super cool self-portrait via email. I hope he doesn’t mind me posting it (I think fatherhood suits him, personally). 3D glasses not included.

Be sure to check out Nathan’s work on DMZ#18, on newsstands now at your friendly neighborhood comics shop. And check out the interview on Pulp Secret, embedded below.

I just realized I’m going to miss this. My old friends Cory and Lizzi are both headlining, and I’m literally stuck in San Francisco (flight cancelled). Don’t you miss it — go.

Painter Audrey Kawasaki just put another new beautiful giclee print up, Yume No Ato, pictured above, in a limited edition of 100. I’m still kicking myself over not having bought one of her Isabelle or Sophia prints on wood when they were available last year, but this latest series is on paper with a nice impression of the wood grain of the original painting.

Check out more of her work here; I especially love some of her latest paintings, like Osasoi and Komorebi, and some of her gorgeous 2005 paintings like Ratgirl and Blue Girls. There’s a new series in the works for an upcoming ThinkSpace show, which she’s been posting photos of on her livejournal.

more: MacTribe interview | LifeLounge.com | Juxtapoz (photo gallery - Copro Nason show)

Granted, I’m not religious, but I’ve got no issues with the chocolate Jesus sculpture that’s apparently touching off all the controversy this week, and from this photo (thanks for posting, Chuck) it seems like we’re missing out: it looks pretty beautiful, especially the way the cocoa butter seems to now be separating out under temperature differences (what chocolatiers call “bloom“), which is reminiscent of the oxidation of a copper or iron sculpture (here’s a shot of how it originally looked).

Chocolate’s a noble medium, as foods go, and well-suited for the theme of resurrection, as it can be so easily broken down and reformed. Not to mention, the concept of transubstantiation for many of us raised Catholic could be pretty confusing: we were taught to conflate Jesus with food, but not necessarily enjoyment. The artist’s title for the installation, “My Sweet Lord,” sounds like an attempt to reconcile some of that.

It’s starting to feel like the people of New York just like to have a big flareup over art and religious iconography every year or two, to pretend there’s still a line left to cross. Meanwhile, someone’s buying all those chocolate bunnies at Rite Aid every Easter, and tuning in to a special Christmas episode of that depressing E! show about Hugh Hefner and his houseful of girlfriends (saw a few minutes of this the other day: and you thought cable couldn’t get any more venal, banal, dull, dull, dull). Modern U.S. culture cheapens and appropriates its religions every day. So it’s hard to understand why an artist can provoke such outrage, unless it’s just that he’s an easy target.

(side note: is this site turning into some kind of odd food blog? –ts)

Haven’t read much yet about the story behind this, but digging this line from chocolate bar in NYC, featuring wrappers by “ten legendary New York City graffiti artists including Blade, Crash, Crachee, Crime 79, Dondi, Dr. Revolt, Iz the Wiz, Lady Pink, Spar One and Voice of the Ghetto (Stay High 149).” A portion of the proceeds go to the All Stars Project, a non-profit focusing on underprivileged youth and the performing arts. More images and background on the project here.

FLOATING | Floating barefoot. | via pulphope