I visited AD HOC ART Gallery in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn today to see what it’s like and to film it for friend Amy Crehore who’ll at the opening on July 25th, where she’ll have several works in the opening - 5 Identities 5 Destinations, with Jenn Porreca, Amy Crehore, Molly Crabapple, Ewelina Ferruso and Lizz Lopez.

Here’s the video I made, Enjoy.

Went by Jack Pelican Gallery to talk to artist Jay Van Buren and visit his interactive Second Life Installation / Art Piece called Brooklyn is Watching on Friday night, June 13th (no, nothing bad happened on Friday the 13th), actually going to Williamsburg was good, and lately, I’ve been there more often.

Second Life News wrote about Brooklyn really IS watching last month:

POPCHA - What happens when a visionary artist decides to make Second Life art and artists available for viewing in a Real Life art gallery? The result is Brooklyn is Watching, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Popcha/72/140/27 a four-part conceptual art project sponsored by New York City based Media technology company Popcha. And the mastermind behind BiW is SL resident Jay Newt, aka RL artist Jay Van Buren.

I took a bit of footage while talking to Jay Van Buren, and I found the work in Jack Pelican to be somewhat provocative, though not my taste - some of it feels like I’ve seen it before - not so much the artists, but the ideas - however, I can see how Europeans seem to like this gallery - it appeals to a certain type of audience - but I am certain it’s not me.

However, the Second Life Art piece, Brooklyn is Watching, was good and worth going to - except, in a way, Jay Van Buren could have carried the idea further - and I cover that in the movie (watch part 1 & 2).

Lester Afflick was one of my best friends, and before his untimely and sudden death January 2000, I considered him my best friend. Lester was a poet, and while he seemed to live on the fringes of society, and on side jobs and family help, he was sought after by many for the parties and good times surrounding him.

It was weird how Lester Afflick passed on - he had a twin brother who lived in England who died the day before he did - he had been out, partying, as usual, right after the turn of the century and all of a sudden - he was found dead in his bed.

And I went to his funeral about a month later in Queens, and many people came to it, even on a cold, snowy February night - hundreds came.

I was at a reading tonight for I Dream About You Baby - Poems by Lester Afflick and I bought a copy - I also had dinner with a few friends; there were about 30 or more people who attended the reading tonight - here’s two videos I made from the Lester Afflick reading:

After leaving the reading I went to another parted on 5 Spring Street - for Wired Magazine - briefly connected with a few people at the party, and then left and came home, eager to blog about all of this.