all or nothing #21 - how do you see yourself?
table of contents
1.events 2.words 3.missed connections 4.horoscope 5.listen
»looking forward
tapestry: collective liberation & solidarity
The tactility of textile art weaves us together and creates a familiar embrace. In Tapestry, curator Syeda Tabassum spins a thread that connects artists across the globe who center textiles in their work. The exhibition will be on view at our East Village location (77 East Third Street, New York, NY, 10003) on view through May 25.
»looking back
here today, here tomorrow by belowkey
New York has many layers and the artist belowkey has his fingerprints on various layers of the city’s art scene. His tag is everywhere, he has murals scattered all over the five boroughs, and his artwork hangs in both galleries and apartments. His creative impact will be felt today, tomorrow, and for many days to come, but, unfortunately, his exhibition at All Street’s East Village location came to a close on Sunday, May 19. Don’t fret, though, because if you just take a walk and keep your eyes open, you’ll be sure to see his work.
words
+are we still entertained?+
Even if you don’t actually know who Vin Diesel is, you kinda know who Vin Diesel is. I haven’t seen the past couple of Fast and Furious movies, but I know they came out and I know Vin Diesel starred in them. And even if you’re not an in the know gearhead like me, you’d probably at least recognize the action star. He has a very particular look and strong presence. Vin Diesel* exists in a very specific place in the entertainment world. He’s not exactly an actor, but more of a caricature that represents the idealized masculine in the form of big muscles, fast cars, and racial ambiguity. Vin Diesel is in a lot of movies, but he doesn’t necessarily play characters, he just plays himself or at least the public’s imagined version of him in different settings. We’ve seen Vin Diesel in space fighting monsters, we’ve seen Vin Diesel jumping out of planes fighting terrorists, and we’ve, of course, seen Vin Diesel tearing up the road fighting against red lights. Regardless of the setting, storyline, and supporting characters, it's always just Vin Diesel probably wearing a tank top and doing Vin Diesel things like punching, shooting, driving, and yelling. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that because, based on box office numbers, people obviously enjoy it and that’s the point of entertainment. I, myself, have enjoyed many of his films. However, despite his aggregation of an absurd level of success, money, and public admiration, I’m not sure how much Vin Diesel enjoys this life of extended performance art and extreme typecasting. I don’t mean this disrespectfully at all, but I’ve never considered Vin Diesel to be an artist. I always assumed he was just an actual badass that ended up being a badass in movies. That was until I came across the 1995 short film Multi-Facial, directed, produced, and starring Vin Diesel. The film follows a mid 20’s Vin Diesel’s life as an up and coming actor, struggling to find work due to his racial ambiguity. The film is bookended by Vin Diesel performing two very insightful monologues, highlighting the depths of his acting range. The film provides a very vulnerable and nuanced look into his mindset as an artist desperate to showcase his ability. He essentially made the piece as a means to break into Hollywood by literally creating a role for himself, which could then serve as a calling card for what he was capable of as an actor, and it worked. The short film put Vin Diesel on the radar of an unknown indie director named Steven Spielberg who then offered Vin Diesel a role in Saving Private Ryan, which started him on a meteoric rise to become the box office juggernaut we all know today. It’s a classic Hollywood story and, frankly, extremely inspiring, with Vin Diesel putting his success in his own hands and getting rewarded for not only taking a risk, but also having genuine talent. There is a certain disconnect, though, when you look at the before-the-fame Diesel and the current action star, as his motivations seemed to have totally morphed. How did he go from the young artist in Multi-Facial who begrudged the concept of doing soap operas because they aren't “real acting” into reprising his role of Dom Torreto, the mainstay character in The Fast and the Furious franchise for like ten straight movies? It would be wrong to say the Fast films don’t have an emotional center. They do. They focus on family, particularly, found family, and the development of long lasting bonds. That theme is present, but after Paul Walker tragically passed away, the plots of the movies have stagnated quite a bit and now follow a pretty standard formula requiring a shallow range of emotion from their actors. It’s really just joy, then shock, which then turns to anger, and then is restored to relief, and, ultimately, joy. I’m sure the the stunts in these films are extremely physically demanding and Vin Diesel must remain in ridiculous shape in order to keep up his persona, but no one goes to his movies to watch him reach deep in his emotional bag, and that must eat away at him a bit. Or not. He’s insanely rich and has a beautiful family. For all intents and purposes, his life is perfect. Well, perfect except for one thing: he’s an artist. As an artist, he has a little hole that none of the money or success in the entire world will ever fill. As an artist, he wants respect and, not only respect, but also recognition. He craves being seen and understood for his craft, acknowledged for his dedication, and celebrated not simply as a star, but as an actor, as well. Maybe Vin Diesel came to a place of peace in his life. After all, his work in blockbuster franchises have situated him as a global influence as great as any revered actor. Ultimately, awards and positive reviews from critics are completely subjective, but his impact on people cannot be denied nor questioned. Frequently, many of my peers and I remind each other to live our lives a quarter mile at a time and, although it’s usually in jest, we still say it. I genuinely hope Vin Diesel has taken his own advice and remains in the present, unperturbed by outside perceptions of his career, but I’m not sure a man who literally tried to physically fight Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has found any sense of acceptance in who he is.
*a little known fact is that the more you say Vin Diesel, the less it sounds like a name and the more it sounds like a rock band, tire company, and brand of gasoline
missed connections
+5.16 abe the kid concert at arlene’s grocery
You: a glimmer of hope, maybe?
Me: a chronic self saboteur
Description
I don’t know if you were actually looking for your friend, but the room wasn’t that big and they clearly weren’t hiding below, behind, or in front of me. Yet you kept ending up next to me and I couldn’t tell if you were looking at me or looking past me, but I was too shy to look back, so I just stood there staring forward. Maybe if I had just met your gaze, we’d be in love now.
+5.17 belowkey reception
You: kept the kilo
Me: kept it lowkey
Description:
You’re a mischievous little demon, aren’t ya? Battling with toothless expressions and secret glances. It’s an intoxicating volley of give and take. And it would appear, as I peer down into the gaping hole in my chest, you have taken my heart. Will you give it back? Or do I need to come get it?
+5.18 soft opening at close up (154 orchard)
You: pure jazz
Me: a bent ear
Description:
Doo-doo-doo, be-bop, be-bop, be-bop, ooh-shoooooooo, bam! dee-ba, dee-ba, shoo-bap, shoo-bap, bup-zoo, vah-ooh, yeah!
horoscopes
+Aries+
Find yourself in the eyes of a stranger. If you put out to the world, the world will put back into you tenfold. So, set up camp and keep your eyes peeled for opportunities. Every moment offers the chance to yield profound connection to the earth and, by proxy, your internal will unite with the external, creating an equilibrium of self that will re-situate the weighted balance of straddling different spheres of influence that may or may not lead to your impending success, as defined by your past failures when you shed the skin of self-identification.
+Taurus+
Avoid eating gluten this month. It brings out a side of you unfit for the world to see.
+Gemini+
Tear the Band-Aid right off and dive into the salty waters of the day that have yet to unfold. It’s getting hot out there. We’re on the cusp of summer. Can you feel it? So, how do you want to spend your next season? Lustfully longing for the solstice to follow, or finding states of euphoria in the sweaty haze that is now? Well, follow along closely and your tomorrow will soon become abundantly clear. Off rip, you’ll need to strip yourself of all metaphysical connections to this ethereal plane that perpetuates notions of ego, being, and the past, because where we’re headed, there’s no looking back. Go to the smallest closet in your apartment. Clear out the bottom of it. Lay down a nice blanket and arrange some pillows on the floor. You’re going to want to make it real comfy. Get a notepad, pen, your phone, headphones, a portable charger, and a glass of water if you’re soft. Enter the closet and close the door. Open a voice memo on your phone and hit record. Scat-sing for five continuous minutes straight. Make sure you don’t use a single real word, just rhythmic sounds and mouth noises. Then, listen to the recording five times straight. Close your eyes and draw a picture interpreting the sounds you heard. Once the drawing is finished, record another scatting voice note and repeat the following steps. Run it back again and again until you have five different five-minute recordings with a sketched picture for each. Once finished, you must take a picture of each drawing and send that accompanying picture and the recording to the last five people you texted. After sending the texts, you may leave the closet, but your phone must remain in there for the next twenty-four hours.
+Cancer+
“They” say the typical person is the average of the five people they spend the most time with, but, luckily, you’re not typical, so be less concerned with averages and focus more on the outliers because within the margins is the greatest room to grow.
+Leo+
No matter what you do, you’ll exist in others’ minds as a version of yourself likely suspended in a series of both significant and insignificant moments. This version of you will be entirely imagined yet very much rooted in reality. So, instead of trying to change their perception of the past, be present in the moments you still have left.
+Virgo+
Storm clouds may be hovering over your head in the days to come, but with rain comes puddles, and puddles enable reflection.
+Libra+
To perceive is to believe what you hear, touch, and see, so listen to yourself, hold your heart, and look within. It’s not about the result, but the attempt.
+Scorpio+
On three separate occasions, a famous Canadian said, “Who am I?” The age-old question. Recently, to the delight of the public and the ire of the famous Canadian, many have tried to answer this question for him. Although no definitive answer was found, we have deduced that you should not ask the world to tell you about yourself because you won’t like the answer.
+Sagittarius+
You can’t find yourself because there’s nothing to find. To be lost is not a state but an action. In reality, your states of being can’t be found on a map, so the only path you can actually follow is the road within.
+Capricorn+
Instead of trying to be everything for everybody, try being something for somebody. The sum of all things is greater than the whole of no things, also known as nothing.
+Aquarius+
That itch in the back of your throat is your real voice clawing to finally be freed.
+Pisces+
You’re not who you say you are.
playlist
+Send us your writing, ideas, notes, observations or anything you want to gallery@allstnyc.com to be considered for future editions of all or nothing+
image credits
Tapestry: Collective Liberation & Solidarity, Group exhibition curated by Syeda Tabassum