Recently in “Window Display”

This incredible, unique and inspired site specific installation was created by Texas Collective OKAY MOUNTAIN and was commissioned by Arthouse. "Arthouse at the Jones Center is a non-profit, non-collecting, contemporary art space located in downtown Austin, Texas, whose mission is to create meaningful opportunities to investigate and experience the art of our time through exhibitions, programs, and commissions of new work." 

The best description of the piece is by the artists who created it ........"Mixing absurdist humor with a fascination, with consumer culture, the Austin-based collective OKAY MOUNTAIN presents CORNER STORE, a fully immersive micro-convenience store that serves as a tongue-in-cheek critique of the art fair environment. Based on the eclectic and quirky independently-owed convenience marts found throughout Texas and the greater southwest region, the store offers fairgoers a variety of handmade products at "convenient" prices, thereby providing a memorable rest stop on the hours-long journey of the art fair trail."

Everything in the "mart" is a work of art, fabricated by the 11 artists living in Austin, Boston, and Chicago, that make up the collective. From the magazines that are for sale......the coffee machine, the frankfurter case, the pickle dispenser, and the ice machine......the cash register....as well as all the bags of chips & cookies, candy bars, and packs of cigarettes....and the various cans of food, boxes of detergent, and condom packages......the "building" and everything inside was created by the artists and is for sale!!! Creating the store and its contents to scale in Texas, trucking it to Florida, and then re-installing it in Miami in two days, was a monumental task!!!!

I think that my absolute favorite pieces are ........ the "stuffed" ash tray in front of the store .... the telephone outside  ...... the door with the lost dog poster ....... and the printed newspaper insert advertising all of the contents of the store!!!!  BUT, most of all, I wish I could bring the whole thing back to NYC ....... and install it in my backyard and invite everyone to do their Christmas shopping at the ultimate "pop-up" store ...... Arthouse's Corner Store!!!! 

Standing in front of Barneys windows yesterday, as the last bit of "fluffing up" took place, it was Bill Cunningham and "moi"!!!!!! Oh yes .... just the two of us taking pictures of the Christmas 2009 Windows ........ 35 Years of SNL!!!!!!! And here's the first view ........ mine are up before Bill's!!!!! YIPPEEEEEE for "the accessorator" and thank goodness for computers!!!!

I have to be honest and tell you that the Saturday Night Live windows aren't my most favorite of all times .... But, I was "cracked me up" by the Cone Heads.... remember them???? ........they were the best!!!! I also loved the papier mache ornament-heads of all of the great old characters from the last 35 years ..... Roseanne Roseannadanna, I loved her!!! Pat.... was he he or was he she????  The Killer Beeeeezzzzzzzzz!!  And my personal favorite SNL line ..... "CHEESEBURGER, CHEESEBURGER, CHEESEBURGER"!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

When I think back.......the "Queen's" windows on Seventh Avenue and 17 Street were fabulous .......... and remember the "Doggies"........pretty great!! But no matter what, Barneys always has an incredible Christmas and Simon Doonan always has the hippest, chicest, and tastiest ideas!!!! So..... Ho, Ho, Ho....Santa's on his way!!!!!

Books, bookcases, book jackets, book stores and especially stacks of books......... I love 'em all!!!! I live surrounded by books, the floors are covered.....there are no table tops left...and bookshelves, of course they're gone too!!!! This spectacularly "propped" window at Barneys screams my mantra......"there can never be tooooo many books!!!!!!!!"

I love great window display almost as much as I love lotsa' books and Barneys is the best!!!!!!!!