Lunch at La Catrina

Lunch with a friend at La Catrina in Croton-on-Hudson. I had no idea what La Catrina was so the very friendly owner explained it to me. I’ve since supplemented her information with addition information found on the internet:

Everywhere you look on the streets during Day of the Dead celebrations across Latin America, a familiar face looks back. A face that juxtaposes the macabre and the elegant, it’s in the makeup on children’s faces, the elaborate dress of the women, in the celebratory ‘bread of the dead’ and in every shop window selling souvenirs and emblems of this uniquely atmospheric festival.

This face has a definite aesthetic: a skull, wearing a much-embroidered bonnet resplendent with flowers. This is La Calavera Catrina – the ‘elegant skull’ – often simply La Catrina. And however superficially festive it may appear, La Catrina’s presence throughout Mexico’s Day of the Dead mythology makes a much deeper statement of mortality, destiny and the societal divisions of class. (From La Catrina: The dark history of Day of the Dead’s immortal icon)

The restaurant décor is very much in line with the above: Brightly colored paintings of La Catrina; figurines; skull light fixtures; skull beer mugs (I particularly liked these and bought two of them). The men’s room even had a stick figure with a skull as a head on the door.

It was a lovely cool, sunny day when we went so we sat in the pleasant outside patio (see picture above).

As for the food – it was wonderful, probably the best Mexican food that I’ve had.


Interior shot.


One of the numerous brightly colored paintings (more below).




A figurine.


Skull candle holder.


Skull light fixture.


More Figurines.


Gustavo.


Skull beer mug.

Taken with a Nikon D800 and Nikon AF Nikkor 28-80 f3.3-5.6

In Manhattan. A Mural

“An internationally known graffiti artist was visiting New York City last month when he spotted the perfect place for his next mural — St. Francis Residence I. Located on East 24th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, the six-story building provides a home for those who have a chronic mental illness and financially destitute.

Jacopo Ceccarelli approached Tom Walters, OFM, who was at Residence I that day, and asked if he could paint the wall,” said John Felice, OFM, co-director of St. Francis Friends of the Poor. “Tom spoke to me and John McVean, OFM, as well as the staff at the residence, and we all agreed it would be an exciting experiment.”

Ceccarelli, also known as “Never 2501,” is an Italian street artist who has painted distinctive monochromatic images on walls all over the world. His style usually includes a combination of circles, and manipulation of lines, resulting in a somewhat hypnotic effect.

Because Ceccarelli had four days to paint the mural at Residence I, Tom was skeptical “because nothing happens that fast in New York.” But on Friday, Aug. 28, a lift arrived in the plaza of the apartment building next to the residence and Ceccarelli got to work.

st-francis-residence“After painting five of the six stories of the Residence a brilliant white, he began creating a dramatic image of something like steel beams reaching up to the sky,” said John Felice. “Those beams then opened up, transforming into to birds that fly free skyward. All of us were amazed by the artist’s speed and skill.”

Tom remained with Ceccarelli through Sunday, when his work was completed. Ceccarelli interviewed and filmed Tom as part of an international documentary on his work.

“What most impressed Ceccarelli was the work of the residences,” John said. “He was deeply moved by the 85 men and women at Residence I with their long histories of homelessness and chronic mental illness. He even came into the residence to give an art class to some of the tenants.

“Tom found Jacopo to be a kind and understanding man with a real interest in the well being of others,” John added. “He flew back to Rome on Monday but left the residence a permanent image of his renowned skill.”

Originally a 100-unit single-room occupancy hotel, St. Francis Residence I opened in 1980 as a place for the chronic mentally ill homeless to live. The residence is one of three operated under St. Francis Friends of the Poor, a non-profit that was founded to care for those with nowhere else to go.” (Franciscan Friars Holy Name Province website, September 17, 2015).

Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XF 18mm f2 R

At ‘The Met’ – Surrealism Beyond Borders

Although we didn’t plan it that way we ended up spending most of the time at the Surrealism Beyond Borders Exhibition. For those who might be interested the exhibition runs until January 30. Above: Armoire surréaliste (Surrealist Wardrobe), 1941. Marcel Jean.


Landru in the Hotel, Paris (Landru en el hotel, Paris), 1932. Antonio Berni.


An onlooker considers one of my personal favorites: La durée poignardée (Time Transfixed), 1938. René Magritte


La durée poignardée (Time Transfixed) again. This time with no obstructions.


Le rêve de Tobie (The Dream of Tobias), 1917.Giorgio de Chirico


Nus (Nudes), 1945. Samir Rafi.


Pas de deux (Amanecer) (Pas de Deux [Dawn]), 1953. Luis Maisonet Crespo.


Towards the Tower (Hacia la Torre), 1960. Remedios Varo.


Viewers studying Construction molle avec des haricots bouillis (Premonition de la guerre civile) (Soft Construction with Boiled Bean [Premonition of Civil War]), 1936. Salvador Dalí


Construction molle avec des haricots bouillis (Premonition de la guerre civile) (Soft Construction with Boiled Bean [Premonition of Civil War]) again.


Finial from a Slit Gong (Atingting Kon), early to mid-20th century. Ambrym Island

Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XF 35mm f1.4 R