Tamara Stephas

I watched the movie “Aliens” last night, but really this has nothing to do with that.

I recently shipped a small, delicate sculpture called Predatory Lending to a purchaser in the next state.  Packing it was an adventure.

One small predator, one sturdy box.

Packing materials. A cradle is already built in the bottom of the box.

Predator snuggled all tight in its bed.

I really shouldn’t have watched Aliens last night, because “bed” rhymes with “dead.” Anyway, the packing material will hold it down.

Some final bracing to guard against crushing. The final box weighs less than 3 lbs.  Ship it!

Predatory Lending, balsa, graphite, coins. 8.25 x 5.5 x 11 inches, 2008. Private collection.

I’m still inspired by (and trying to process) everything I saw on a recent visit to New York City.

It was the classic whirlwind tour: museums, galleries, the city itself, seeing friends, an art school open house.

Highlights include the Metropolitan Museum (twice. My 5th visit and I’m still discovering entire new wings???), MOMA (Marina Abramović in performance, Tim Burton retrospective, all of modern art laid out for digestion), Whitney Biennial, Antony Gormley sculptures scattered like sentinals around Madison Park, a Susan Hauptman exhibit at the Forum, visiting the New York Academy of Art, discovering the Highline trail, buskers, jazz saxophone floating up the airshaft to our hotel window (total noir), piano & strings in the mezzanine bar at the Met, and street vendor hotdogs.