Seinfeld

Who dis? It's been a while since I've mused on all things from products to art to travel and more. But with 25+ years in the beauty industry (hello, hot flashes and a whole lot of experience!), I'm jumping back in to share my Gen X voice and perspective on all of it. There'll be skincare, but lots more.

Will I use AI to help me write this? F*** yes, I will.

So, here goes... I hope you'll join me until I get my Substack running.

xo

Garry Winogrand. 'Fort Worth, Texas' 1974-77

Shooting street life is a passion of mine and at every chance I get I look for inspiring photographers (past & present) who are doing it well or built the foundation for what we see today. I'm looking forward to the upcoming exhibit at The Met on Garry Winogrand who took his ground-breaking street photos of NYC and beyond in the 1960's. Exhibit opens June 27, 2014.

I've been capturing streetart via Instagram for a while now and am thankful that NYC and the surrounding neighborhoods are always in constant supply. One artist whose work I'm always on the lookout for is DAIN. I love DAIN's use of collage, bright colors and pop culture to produce striking images that I'm always excited to find.  

DAIN, TriBeCa, photo by Kari Hansbarger

DAIN, Brooklyn, photo by Kari Hansbarger

DAIN, SoHo, photo by Kari Hansbarger

DAIN, TriBeCa, photo by Kari Hansbarger

DAIN, Brooklyn, photo by Kari Hansbarger

I love looking at old photographs of New York City. One of my favorite daily obsessions is the the Dirty Old 1970's New York City community page on Facebook where daily images are posted from the late 60's to the early 80's.  

Photo by Richard Greene with Gustavo Delamarques, taken from community Facebook page of Washington Street South of Chambers, 1979.

In a city that changes daily, it's amazing to look back at a moment in time and compare it to today. You can follow the photographs and nostalgia here: http://goo.gl/8PBAL5

New on-going photo series of small business, retro and mom-and-pop Storefronts.

14th Street, NYC. Photo by Kari Hansbarger

Tis the season in NYC...

... wishing you a wonderful holidays and happy new year! xo

It's a sad day for anyone who loved 5 Pointz in Queens. I wish the work could have been saved. I won't waste my breath on yet another vanishing landmark, it seem like these days it's a daily frustration. Here are a few shots I've taken over the years while riding the 7 train to Queens...

More write-ups and commentary:

gothamist.com
hyperallergic.com
nymag.com
vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com
 

This past weekend I was in the Chelsea neighborhood of NYC to check out the Yayoi Kusama exhibit when I stumbled on this lonely hot dog cart. My first thought was "Yay, food!" because if you're familiar with this area you know there isn't a whole lot to nosh on while you take in the exhibits.

When I looked closer I realized this was not your typical dirty water hot-dog situation at all, but it's own exhibit/project. You can read more about Alexis Dahan's project entitled "We Serve Selected Texts" here and on his website. I sadly didn't stop to really investigate but it looks like the project will be around on Saturday's for a bit longer and I plan to check it out. Be sure to check for the next location and to see more of this cool idea.

It seems strange to call JR a "street artist" because his work is so much more. Visit his website here to read more about him and his work.

JR often has his work around NYC. I've been lucky to catch some amazing pieces, and one time I caught JR himself putting up a new piece in Chelsea.

Here are some Instagram's i've shot of his work around NYC... 

Chelsea, NYC

SoHo, NYC

SoHo, NYC

SoHo, NYC

SoHo, NYC

NoLita, NYC

The Highline, NYC

I've recently been combing through my Instagram images and discovered that I have a nice collection building of HOTTEA pieces. The HOTTEA PROJECT comes from Minneapolis originally and it's streetart made with yarn. I loved it immediately and started noticing the work around the city. I'll keep looking out for more.

Read more about the history and mission of the two artists here.

Below are a few HOTTEA pieces I have caught around Manhattan.

The boardwalk is back in Long Beach, New York. Superstorm Sandy took the 100 yr old structure but it's been beautifully rebuilt. I've been enjoying Long Beach for over 10 years and I am so happy to see my adopted summer community bounce back from the storm.

August 2009, Long Beach, L.I.

June 2013, Long Beach, L.I.

July 2013, Long Beach, L.I.

I've been a New Yorker now for 12+ years and in that time the city has changed quite a bit from where it was was I planted roots here, and different yet from the first time I visited in the early 90's.  

Thunder Lingerie (now closed), 2009. Photo by Kari Hansbarger

New York City is constantly changing in such a way that before long your favorites will be lost and new gems will take their place and become favorites in their own right. To live here is to adapt to change and embrace it, but that doesn't mean that the oldschool NYC that is vanishing is not missed. It is.

From gritty Times Square to CBGB's to Empire Dinner and more...chances are if you've lived here for a while you have a favorite that may not be around anymore.

Thankfully, a few online resources are keeping the vanishing past alive through photos and stories so we can remember and appreciate how we got here.

Here are a few of my go-to's:

- Vanishing New York
- Lost City
- Forgotten NY
- Scouting NY
- Ephemeral New York
- Gotham Lost and Found

Do you have a favorite blog or website that chronicles NYC (or your city) that you want to share? Leave me a comment or send me an email, I would love to hear from you!

I have always loved light and lighting. From Lite Brite to black light to neon signage, light is everywhere from toys to sculpture and beyond. Looking at how you light your living room or how you light a skyscaper is fascinating to me and I keep an eye out for unique ways light changes our environment.

In anticipation of the upcoming James Turrell exhibit opening at The Guggenheim on June 21st I've curated a few of my own Instagram images taken over the last year that capture the beauty of light in unexpected ways.

Dan Flavin

Glen Ligon

Ceiling on the lower level of The Whitney in NYC

Empire State Building, Valentines Day 2013

Winter Garden Theatre, NYC

Airan Kang

Xmas lights, NYC, 2013

Military Tattoo Show, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Scotland, 2013

BookingDance Festival, Lincoln Center, NYC

Neon sculpture, Chelsea gallery, NYC