Friday night I went to the Museum of Modern Art and viewed Lost Vanguard: Soviet Modernist Architecture, 1922–32 Photographs by Richard Pare, which I liked alot; the photos were the art here, as much as the older Modernist Architecture.   I also saw Picasso’s Demoiselles d’Avignon at 100  which is no big deal as I see that painting most times when I’m at MOMA and I’ve never really liked it.   But then, Picasso, while a truly great artist - is not a very likable one and, overall, I prefer Matisse.  

In fact, most of Picasso’s work is simply not like-able - it’s a little emotionally removed and distant - except for his early work - after 1907 something happened to him and he spent the rest of his life, shoving his vision and experimentation down our throats; I can connect much more easily with his early work - and I’m guessing Demoiselles d’Avigon is really borne out of a reaction to the work he did before (the blue and pink paintings) - at least, that’s the way it looks to me.

So when I left the museum I felt like having a desert and sketching, as I often do, in one of my black notebooks - and I strolled over to 57th Street between 6th and 5th Avenue and found a coffee shop that was actually not too expensive.  I sat down and had Carrot Cake an a black coffee as I sketched the front of the restaurant - people came by and said they liked what I was doing - people usually don’t talk with me when the see me sketching and I like it that way - but this time people came over to me, Waiters and …. an old man who said he was Paul Steiner.

I don’t know anything about Paul Steiner, but my friend, Amy Crehore did know who he was.  Anyway, to make a long story long - Paul liked my drawing and we talked for about a half an hour and he told me he used to be a reporter for the New York Post and the Daily News and is still connected with Zingmagazine.com

Paul Steiner said he know Dali, Balthus ( I think ), Larry Rivers, one of Picasso’s wives and also wrote 17 books (on Art).  We spoke about Art and he mentioned to go and see a show at Marlboro Gallery that’s running though the summer.   

Paul walks with a cane, and with difficulty and I managed to help him cross 57th Street, back to his home, I guess.  I gave him my card in case he wants to stay in touch and perhaps his girl friend, who he says is much younger than him, will look at my blogs, including this one.

And then I left and went home, feeling pretty good …. because my life is full of interesting people that I meet, pretty much, all the time.

In fact, in my life now - it almost feels like I’m seeing my life unfold, like it’s a movie - and the scenes are not totally unexpected … that I’m in the right place at right time and my heart is wide open, at least, in respect to my Art and to many of the people I meet; I seem to be able to attract interesting people - the people, I feel, I am supposed to know.

And now it’s time for bed - I’ve been up all day and got done with the paining tonight of Christine Boulet, another person I met, in Aix-en-Provence, because my heart was wide open (I did not have my heart open this way earlier in my life, but I’m sure glad I lived to the point where I got to experience what I’m going though now - it makes a lot of the hardships I’ve gone through in my life so far, worth it).