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Your Holiday Guide to Secret Santa Gifts That Don’t Suck

By Rozalia Jovanovic on

Holiday-party season is upon us, which means you’ve probably encountered at least one round of Secret Santa, whether it’s at work or among friends. Of course, this also means you’re faced with the conundrum of finding something cool without spending too much. Because we all know that the two things most important with Secret Santa gifts are that 1) they shouldn’t actually set you back financially, and 2) they need to demonstrate your thoughtfulness, creativity, and utter coolness, impressing the pants off the recipient and everyone involved. We already took inspiration from the release of Madden NFL 12 from our friends at EA Sports to give you ideas on how to enjoy the holidays at home; now we’re using it as the jumping-off point to help you find some top-notch gifts that will leave you feeling smugger than Mr. Claus himself. Whether your recipient is a football fanatic, a culture vulture, or a sartorial junkie, here’s a plethora of thrifty gifts that will make you wish your own Secret Santa had this list. … Read More

Pop Culture

Contemporary Pop-Culture Phenomena Andy Warhol Would Love

By Judy Berman on

If Andy Warhol were still alive in 2011, tomorrow would be his 83rd birthday. Although he’s been gone for over 25 years now, it seems his influential pop sensibility only grows more relevant as the years go on. With that in mind, we’ve attempted to identify ten contemporary pop-culture phenomena that would entertain, fascinate, and delight one of art’s greatest enigmas. As with Warhol’s body of work, we love some of these people and things, while others simply frustrate us. Read through our list after the jump and let us know if you agree. … Read More

Art

What to Expect from Ryan Trecartin’s New Show at MoMA PS1

By Rozalia Jovanovic on

If you have encountered the videos of artist Ryan Trecartin — whose work is like John Waters meets after school specials for the internet age — then it has most likely been online. This is why experiencing Ryan Trecartin: Any Ever, the new exhibit of seven of his videos at MoMA PS1, each of which has its own theatrical installation, is a unique opportunity that should not be missed. The “theme-park like experience,” conceived with artist and collaborator Lizzie Fitch, and the first large-scale exhibition in New York of Trecartin’s work exquisitely realizes the haunting and timeless suburban dreamscapes of the movies. … Read More

Film

Young American Bodies Director Joe Swanberg’s 5 Filmmakers to Watch

By Judy Berman on

Joe Swanberg may be best known as the lo-fi filmmaker responsible for such features as Hannah Takes the Stairs, Nights and Weekends and, most recently, Alexander the Last. But, since 2006, he’s also been directing and c0-starring in IFC.com’s addictive web series, Young American Bodies, which chronicles the romantic lives of a group of 20-something friends in Chicago. While the show’s subject matter — marriage, infidelity, long-distance relationships — doesn’t differ greatly from what we’re used to seeing in more mainstream sex comedies, its style is pure Swanberg: spontaneous, vérité and, above all, authentic. In fact, those of us who happen to be in our 20s may find the resemblance between YAB and our own lives uncanny. And that’s no accident. As Swanberg says, “If we don’t represent ourselves in the media, no one else is going to.” Oh, and did we mention there’s full-frontal nudity,… Read More

Art

Exclusive: We Chat with The New Museum’s Generational Curator Massimiliano Gioni

By Cecilia Estreich on

The generation born after 1976 is notoriously difficult to define. Sociologists have described us as everything from optimistic forward lookers to dead-eyed consumers. At once, we are the narcissists who spend hours each day pouring over Facebook and the do-gooders who entered New Orleans in droves after Katrina. One thing we are not, however, is a movement. Maybe we can point to shared technologies or products, but we struggle to claim an agenda either social or creative that unites us. … Read More