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1st Vows' 'Desperation' Is A Soulful First Step Into Subtlety

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Ryan Hunter has long been a player in the Long Island rock scene, formerly fronting Envy on the Coast and offshoot NK. But Hunter's newest project, 1st Vows, sees him turning the dials down from 10 for creations with subtlety and dynamics in mind. The Huffington Post is pleased to premiere the debut track, "Desperation."



"I felt like I was using all these tools and all these sounds because I knew them and I grew up with them and that was what I did, but it wasn’t me," Hunter explained of his previous creations. "They weren’t speaking to any of the emotions that I wanted to portray, or they just didn’t feel right."

In place of distorted guitars and relentless drums are careful bursts of deep, crackling synth and an entrancing hi-hat metronome. The technique of Hunter's that has been carried over into "Desperation" is his penchant for aptly timed harmonies, finally positioned on a platform that is designed to keep them the focus. “They want me to pray ’til hands fall off / What if I don’t really care at all? / Maybe I do, but it feels so wrong / That’s that desperation," Hunter croons in the chorus, although, as he points out, “it’s not as literal as you think,” opting to hold off further explanation until listener's have had their chance to form their own interpretation.

"I consider this project to be everything that I have been working toward for the past three or four years," Hunter said. "Even my other projects included. Everybody who has been involved with anything I have done over these years knows that I have been constantly writing, recording and producing material and then throwing it away or putting it on a hard drive for no one to ever hear.

"If you think of it as for every 20 songs you do, you keep one, this is that material," Hunter added. "With that comes the whole notion of, 'Okay, cool, I think these go together, I think I’m on to something.’ I think I’ve fought off all of my agendas and just made something that is purely me. It doesn’t mean that I know what it is, I just know that it feels right."

All of the music finally finished, Hunter is still configuring the rollout, although the current plan is to put out a body of songs in January, followed by another in February.

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Before The Beat Drops is an artist introduction series dedicated to bringing you the rising acts before they make their break. Our unlimited access to music of all kinds is both amazing and overwhelming. Keeping your playlists fresh, we'll be doing the leg work to help you discover your next favorite artist.

The Best New TV Shows of 2014

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The other day I published my list of the Top 10 TV Shows of 2014, but it was a list that cried out for a sequel or two. There was just so much great TV this year that one list could not possibly hold it all, hence this roster of Best New Shows and a soon-to-be-published list of Best Returning Shows.

You're going to look at this list of 25 of my favorite new shows and say, "But that show should have been on your Top 10 list!" And I will reply, "You may have a point. Please invent the kind of TARDIS that will allow my Top 10 list to be bigger on the inside and let me know when it's ready for use."

Without further ado, here are the 25 Best New Shows of 2014:

"The Affair," Showtime: I can't disagree with those who think this drama has run into some trouble as the season has progressed (I'm a couple of episodes behind, but the show's sluggish pace and one-dimensional supporting characters definitely became problems as the first season progressed). That said, the drama has a fantastic core cast and, at times, its examination of the tenuousness of "the truth" is well-realized and thoughtful.

"Benched," USA: This is a nicely calibrated workplace comedy with a wonderful cast. Jay Harrington and Eliza Coupe are terrific together, and everything else about the show just works.

"Black-ish," ABC: It's not easy to create a show that works as a family comedy and as a smart examination of class and race, but "Black-ish" manages to efficiently hit all those notes more often than not.

"Cosmos," Fox: Easily the year's best piece of televised entertainment in the nonfiction division. At once magical, wondrous and scientifically rigorous, this new version of "Cosmos" retained the original's energy and intelligence and merged those qualities with lovely visuals and Neil deGrasse Tyson's avuncular presence. It was just a delight. (Is this show actually "new" or does it belong on my Best Returning Shows list? I couldn't quite decide, but the point is, watch "Cosmos.")

"Death Comes to Pemberley," PBS: Men in waistcoats, women in Empire-waist dresses, fabulous country homes and a diabolical murder mystery. Yes, please, sign me up for all of that. Beyond those attractive accessories, the performances by "Pemberly's" cast, especially by Matthew Rhys, Matthew Goode and Anna Maxwell Martin, were intelligent, nuanced and effective. I say, "Downton Abbey," old chum -- you got served.

"Enlisted," Fox: Written up in my Top 10 of 2014 list.

"Fargo," FX: It was a little chilly for my tastes, but this smart expansion on the world of the film was certainly worth watching, and it undoubtedly did a couple of wonderful things: It gave us a terrifyingly great performance by Billy Bob Thornton and it introduced the world to the fantastic Allison Tolman, who should be in everything, always.

"The Flash," CW: It's fast, it's fun and it's light on its feet, which is all you can ask of the story of Barry Allen. Like its older cousin "Arrow," this is solidly crafted entertainment (and the crossover between the two shows has supplied a ridiculous amount of fun).

"The Game," BBC America: A well-crafted spy story with fine work from a host of canny character actors, who apparently grow on trees in the U.K.

"Happy Valley," Netflix/BBC: Written up in my Top 10 of 2014 list.

"The Honorable Woman," Sundance Channel: This thriller could be a tad pompous about its own intelligence, but overall, it provided a nicely calibrated examination of the collision of the personal and the political.

"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," HBO: Oliver is the latest "Daily Show" graduate to take what he learned on that platform and capably evolve those skills in fruitful new directions. Oliver's concise takedowns are must-see TV (or must-watch-on-YouTube), not just because they're entertaining, but because they're thought-provoking and unafraid.

"The Knick," Cinemax: A smart, cynical show that nonetheless finds the energy of the dawning 20th Century intoxicating. Clive Owen showed great commitment and an even greater lack of vanity in the lead role, and the world Steven Soderbergh constructed around him was bleak, exciting and fascinating all at once. I'm not sure if Soderbergh has much faith in the idea of progress, but he clearly believes in the possibilities of televised drama. Welcome to the club, sir.

"Jane the Virgin," CW: Written up in my Top 10 of 2014 list.

"The Missing," Starz: This is a hard-to-watch but well-made drama, and the lead performances are fantastic.

"Olive Kitteridge," HBO: Frances McDormand owned the complicated and contradictory title role and made the lead character unforgettable, and she was backed up by a brilliant supporting cast. This is one of those stories that lingers in the mind for weeks.

"Outlander," Starz: Pacing could be a problem in this adaptation of the successful novel, but "Outlander's" gorgeous visuals were a treat, its world-building showed promise and I'm hoping for good things when the first season concludes next spring. All in all, "Outlander's" greatest quality was its earnest desire to honor its complex lead character's desires, sexual and otherwise.

"Penny Dreadful," Showtime: Written up in my Top 10 of 2014 list.

"Review," Comedy Central: Written up in my Top 10 of 2014 list.

"Too Many Cooks," Adult Swim: I still don't know what this was, but whatever it was, it was executed very, very well.

"Transparent," Amazon: Written up in my Top 10 of 2014 list.

"True Detective," HBO: I was transfixed by parts of this show, most notably its lyrical visuals and the philosophical ruminations of Rust Cohle, who was brilliantly played by Matthew McConaughey (Woody Harrelson was excellent as well). Yet in the rearview mirror, this show's problems become even more apparent: The finale was a mishmash of things that often didn't work; the murder mystery didn't hang together in a meaningful way; and of course, it's hard to think about "True Detective" without pondering the lazy, bro-flavored sexism that pervaded the whole thing. Aspects of it were brilliant -- in part thanks to Cary Joji Fukunaga's direction, which gave the show a unified aesthetic -- but the various parts of "True Detective" ultimately, for me, didn't quite add up to a truly meaningful whole. That said, I'm very curious about what Nic Pizzolatto has coming in Season 2 and whether it will work without a big helping of McConau-sauce.

"Worricker," PBS: Bill Nighy. Winona Ryder. Christopher Walken -- alas, this time without a crocodile or dance routines. They all acquit themselves well in this generally enjoyable high-class rant from David Hare.

"You're the Worst," FX: Written up in my Top 10 of 2014 list.

"The 100," CW: For the last couple of months, I've gotten messages from people who have begun Netflix binges of this show and gotten hooked. I told you! I also told you this time and this time and that one other time. But honestly, I enjoy banging the drum for this underrated dystopian tale, which displays welcome energy, moral complexity and intelligent resourcefulness. If nothing else, it's never caused me to experience "Walking Dead" syndrome, which can be described as that moment when you realize some of the characters on a show are so dumb you actually want them to die.

Sam Tsui And Kurt Schneider Mash Up '1989' Songs Into 3 Glorious Minutes

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Kurt Hugo Schneider and Sam Tsui, the YouTubers who have brought you gorgeous medleys of hit songs, have outdone themselves yet again. This time, the friends have taken all the songs from Taylor Swift's "1989" and squeezed them into one incredible medley mashup -- in just over three minutes.

From the radio hit "Blank Space" to T-Swift's Lana Del Rey-esque "Wildest Dreams," Kurt and Sam's acoustic version flows just like a daydream (#seewhatwedidthere).

Nicely done, boys.

h/t BuzzFeed

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21 Easy, Hassle-Free Elf On The Shelf Ideas

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Love it or hate it, the Elf on the Shelf is a common fixture in American homes around the holidays. Not only does he remind the kids that Santa's watching, but he's also an opportunity for parents to get creative. From overnight shenanigans to fun with miniatures, the little guy manages to get himself into some interesting situations. But, a lot of parents don't have time to construct elaborate scenes for their elves. We've scoured Pinterest and found 21 easy Elf on the Shelf ideas that take less than five minutes.





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AFI's List Of 2014's Best Movies Gives Awards Boost To 'The Imitation Game,' 'Interstellar'

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The American Film Institute continued its tradition of selecting the top films and television programs of the year on Monday, but this time the group bucked norms by honoring 11 movies instead of the typical 10.

A reliable indicator of potential Best Picture nominees, last year's AFI Awards selected seven of the nine films that would earn the Oscars' top recognition; in 2012, eight of the nine Best Picture nominees were on AFI's shortlist.

This weekend's critics awards put a heavy emphasis on "Boyhood," "Birdman" and "Whiplash," and AFI has followed suit. Most of the other selections are also expected, but the list bolsters "American Sniper," "The Imitation Game," "Interstellar" and "Into the Woods," all of which have remained largely unnoticed in the year's precursor awards so far.

AFI's Top 11 movies of 2014:
“American Sniper"
“Birdman"
“Boyhood"
"Foxcatcher"
“The Imitation Game"
“Interstellar”
“Into the Woods”
“Nightcrawler"
“Selma"
“Unbroken”
“Whiplash”

Best Picture contenders not featured among AFI's list include "Gone Girl," "A Most Violent Year," "The Grand Budapest Hotel," "Wild" and "Snowpiercer." "The Theory of Everything" was ineligible because its personnel was largely British.

AFI's Top 10 TV programs of 2014:
“The Americans"
“Fargo"
“Game of Thrones"
“How to Get Away With Murder"
“Jane the Virgin"
“The Knick"
“Mad Men"
“Orange is the New Black"
“Silicon Valley"
“Transparent”

Yes, Usher Charged His Phone In A Vagina. And No, It Was Not Art (NSFW)

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Warning: This post contains images of a very nude human iPhone charger and is not suitable for work.


Even if you know very little about art you can enjoy the most prominent headlines coming out of the art world's foremost bacchanal, Art Basel Miami Beach. The most mentioned artists of this year's crop were Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, Diddy and Drake... Have you heard of them? And, of course, Usher, who made some impromptu art by plugging a cell phone into a naked model's vagina. Yup, this is all really happening.






The story goes: One fateful day during #ABMB2014, Usher walked into Select Fair's Vector Gallery booth. (Vector Gallery is, by the way, "The Official Art Gallery of SATAN.") One installation on view, titled "Body As Commodity," asked viewers to consider "whether using a doll for sexual pleasure commodifies sex more or less immorally than using a real body for amenities that can be monetarily quantified such as energy; the charging of a mobile phone."

In non-artspeak, it invited viewers to charge their cell phones in the vaginal cavity of model Lena Marquise, who was naked. Of course, this was all to "exemplify the exchange of simulated sexuality for monetary gain"... because Art.






Usher allegedly paid the bargain price of $20 and stuck his phone into the battery pack, nestled inside Marquis' person for a whopping 10 minutes. The creative interaction explored many pressing contemporary topics, it's true. How a woman is still objectified for entertainment even in the supposedly progressive world of art. How celebrity and nudity still dominate the headlines of an art-centric event -- we know, this headline included. How artworks meant to call the unsavory aspects of culture into question often end up affirming them.

As celebrity gossip blogger art critic Perez Hilton put it: "We're not really sure how this is art, but it's awesome!"

At it again. Performance + installation. 5-7pm 12 // 2 / 3 / 7 #artbaselmiami2014

A photo posted by Lena Marquise // (@lenamarquise) on






While we are certainly shaking our heads at this artistic episode, it's at least more vaguely related to art than the other trending Basel stories, which include Leonardo DiCaprio taking 20 women home from a nightclub and Diddy and Drake getting into a nightclub brawl. Let's hear it for the art world, y'all!

See some of our less grumpy Art Basel Miami Beach 2014 coverage here.

Celebs Were All Over The Place During Art Basel Miami Beach 2014

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When Miami gets down to hosting the weeklong art fair known as Art Basel, parties naturally pop up all over the place. And when you have parties in Miami, you're bound to draw celebs.

From Owen Wilson to Drake, stars descended on Miami like birds flocking south for the winter (or at least in search of attention). Solange hosted a pop-up club. Miley Cyrus wore pasties. Usher charged his cell phone in a woman's vagina. And Leonardo DiCaprio reportedly left a club with 20 women, leaving a Jonas brother quaking in his wake.

Some of them -- like Diddy, Cassie, and a dapper Donald Sutherland -- even saw Art Basel itself.

Here's who stopped for the cameras (we'll get you next year, Leo!):

Miami Graffiti Artist in Critical Condition After Cop Runs Him Over

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Delbert Rodriguez Gutierrez, a 21-year-old Miami graffiti artist known for his “DEMZ” tag, is in critical condition after City of Miami Police Detective Michael Cadavid hit him with an unmarked car in the early morning hours on December 5.

At 2am on Friday Cadavid spotted Gutierrez tagging a building near the corner of NW 5th Avenue and 24th Street in Wynwood, the Miami Herald reported. According to police the artist fled around a corner and hid between two parked cars when the officer began flashing his lights. Police say that as Cadavid came around the corner in his car, Gutierrez allegedly leaped out in front of him and was struck.

Alex Wiley's 'Top Of The World' Explores Life's Dark, Beautiful Duality

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Alex Wiley caught the attention of the hip-hop world after the summer release of his "Village Party" album, proving himself to be one of Chicago's most promising artists on the rise. The Huffington Post is pleased to premiere his brand new track, "Top of the World," which was written and arranged by Wiley, Blev and Carter Lang.



“I made this song when I was working on a project called 'Generous Dubsack,'" Wiley said during his lunch break in the middle of a 12-hour studio session. "[The project] was loosely based on my high school experience, but it was about a kid who’s having a hard time in school, flunking out of high school basically. A lot of shit’s going on in his life, he’s really depressed and he’s suicidal. He plans to kill himself every weekend after school, but every Friday he has a ritual that he buys weed and his dealer always gives him more than he pays for. It was going to be about that human connection and I kind of scrapped the project, but I made a few songs for it -- including 'Sexual Dolphin' and 'Lil Stoner Boi' -- and this was the main song that made me want to make this project in the first place.”

"Top of the World" draws comparisons to the attitude and feeling that can be associated with Kid Cudi's "Man on the Moon" series, but provides a format that proves tougher on the listener's stomach. Eschewing any semblance of verse or chorus, Wiley forces listeners to count every beat, pressing replay after each listen to try to memorize its abstract structure. Sticking to his sing-song rhymes, as a helix of synthesizers whirls in and out overtop of a grounding steady four-on-the-floor kick, the song elevates while tapping into the burdens that are a part of everyday life. Searching for the beauty in the parts that aren't so pretty, Wiley wants to challenge his listeners by creating music that they wouldn't expect to hear from him.

"I’m trying to make music that’s uncomfortable, but the sound is progressive enough and intriguing enough that it makes you listen to something that you wouldn’t necessarily have before," Wiley said. "I want it to be more than just something you can put on and nod your head to with your friends in your car, but I don’t want it to be limited to something that you can only listen to by yourself because it's so sad and introspective that you feel awkward listening to it with other people.

“I’m trying to make dark, beautiful things, essentially, because I want my music to stand beyond now," Wiley added. "My whole thing now is perspective, like, how am I going to feel about this later? Am I going to be proud of all of this or am I going to be ashamed of the time that I was a young kid-rapper saying reckless shit on the Internet?”

About halfway into his next album, which will be titled "Silent Party," "Top of the World" functions as a sonic bridge. For fans in Chicago, Wiley will be headlining a free show Wednesday, Dec. 10.

When Your Groomsmen Are Pro Dancers, This Is Bound To Happen

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We've seen plenty of amateur dancers pull off some pretty spectacular wedding dances. But when professional dancer Teddy Forance tied the knot with Victoria Rivera on November 28, he and his groomsmen showed everyone how the real pros get it done.



Credit: La Revista De Tu Boda

Forance's groomsmen included the likes of Travis Wall and Nick Lazzarini, who you might know from "So You Think You Can Dance," Misha Gabriel from "Step Up Revolution" and Kenny Wormald from the "Footloose" remake. The boys brought the house down with a choreographed routine to Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake's "Love Never Felt so Good."

At the end of the number, the newlywed couple shares a passionate kiss -- the kind that could make anyone melt a little inside. Watch the awesome performance above (and yes, we wish the video was better quality too *sigh*).

And then I found you again...

A photo posted by Teddy Forance (@teddyforance) on



Credit: La Revista De Tu Boda

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Lena Dunham's Publisher To Alter Memoir Passages Related To Rape Story

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Random House has stated that a change will be made to future editions of Lena Dunham's essay collection, Not That Kind of Girl.

Originally, Dunham's book included a story about being raped at age 19 by "Barry," one of her Oberlin classmates. Dunham describes the student's appearance and personality in detail, and her description closely matches an actual student of the same name, who has denied committing the crime and is pressing charges. His attorney, Aaron Minc, created a legal fund on GoFundMe.com.

The publisher told Minc that his client is not the subject of Dunham's essay, and that further editions of the book will note that "Barry" is a pseudonym. Further, Random House stated:

We are offering to pay the fees Mr. Minc has billed his client to date. Our offer will allow Mr. Minc and his client to donate all of the crowd-funding raised to not-for-profit organizations assisting survivors of rape and sexual assault.


Minc responded that "ideally" he and his client "were looking for something from Miss Dunham."

The Washington Post responded to the controversy with an essay by Eugene Volokh, who wrote:

Appalling. The book wasn’t a novel; it was a memoir, offered to readers as such. The copyright page, which I suspect few people read, does say that “Some names and identifying details have been changed,” but it certainly doesn’t tell people which ones.


Volokh mentions that another of Dunham's essays explicitly states that the name of her ex-boyfriend has been changed to "Jonah," "to protect the truly innocent" -- but the note was clearly added for comedic effect, not as an attempt to dodge charges of libel.

Controversy has surrounded the essay since shortly after the book's publication, when Breitbart.com investigated the case. After "a month-long investigation that included more than a dozen interviews, a trip to the Oberlin campus, and hours spent poring through the Oberlin College archives," the site concluded that Dunham's story is unverifiable.

Of course, it would be remarkably difficult to unearth straightforward evidence of rape by culling through a university's archives, and deeming a victim's testimony "unverifiable" is a weighty accusation that is particularly sensitive right now.

Tony Yazbeck, Lillias White And Perez Hilton Join Scott Nevins For 'Sparkle: An All-Star Holiday Concert' In New York

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In what's become a yuletide tradition, "People's Couch" hunk Scott Nevins rang in the holidays Dec. 7 amidst of bevy of stage and screen talents at New York nightspot 42West.

Broadway performers Tony Yazbeck, Bobby Steggert and Anthony Rapp were among the many stars to take the stage for a spirited set of carols at "Sparkle: An All-Star Holiday Concert," which also featured Erich Bergen of the "Jersey Boys" film and celebrity blogger and entrepreneur Perez Hilton.

Yazbeck, who is currently starring in "On The Town," had the distinction of crooning "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," which was introduced by Judy Garland in 1944's "Meet Me In St. Louis" and is a longtime favorite of Nevins.' Meanwhile, singer Kelly King brought the crowd to its feet with flawless renditions of "Oh Holy Night" and Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You."

"I'm such a holiday fanatic and I love all of the buildup to Christmas," Nevins, who was born and raised in Queens, told The Huffington Post earlier this month. The show itself, he added, is his way of "getting together with loved ones and friends for a great holiday celebration. I want this to feel home-spun and like a real love fest between friends, performers and fans."

The West Coast installment of "Sparkle: An All-Star Holiday Concert" plays Los Angeles' Rockwell: Table & Stage on Thursday, Dec. 11 and will feature performances by Steve Kazee, Laura Bell Bundy and Eli Lieb, among others. Head here for more information.

Proceeds from both the New York and Los Angeles performances will benefit The Actors Fund.

Check out photos from the Dec. 7 performance of "Sparkle" below:





In 'What My Daughter Wore,' Brooklyn Mom Illustrates Tween Girls' 'Fearless, Whimsical' Outfits

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In 2011, Brooklyn artist Jenny Williams felt inspired by her daughter Clementine, the preteen's friends, "and the fearless, whimsical, sometimes crazy ways that they dress themselves," she told The Huffington Post in an email. The mom started illustrating the girls' outfits in beautiful colored pencil drawings and created the blog "What My Daughter Wore" to host the images.

Now, three years after launching her site, Williams is releasing a book version. Out this week, What My Daughter Wore is a collection of some of Williams' favorite drawings of her now 12-year-old daughter and her friends. "I think the book is a fun, playful look at what girls are wearing right now," she said. "Its focus is the tween years, because at that age it’s still possible to find kids dressing entirely for themselves, without regard for trends or peer pressure."

what my daughter wore

Sketching Clementine's sartorial choices has allowed Williams to bond with her daughter in a unique way and learn a few things about her world. "For better or for worse, girls my daughter’s age deal with many of the same issues that we did, and that our mothers did," the mom said. "Social media and texting are huge differences, clearly, even in the half-generation between my oldest and youngest children. Not having to deal with the accountability that comes with face-to-face interaction is unique to today’s kids. My daughter has taught me that having a low tolerance for drama (as she does) is even more of an asset in Middle School than it ever was."

While Williams' book features only pictures, in advance of publication, she's been sharing quotes from some of her preteen subjects on Instagram.






In addition to Clementine, Williams has two sons, ages 22 and 14, so her life can get a little chaotic, she said. "The success of this project, and the need to balance it with parenting, has taught me that I am actually capable of multitasking without going nuts." The mom added that she particularly loves the drawings of her daughter in hand-me-down clothes from her older brothers. "Most of her T-Shirts have already survived two boys!"

Clementine loves the drawings -- and now book -- she's inspired, her mom said. "She is an artist also, and she is proud to have been a de facto collaborator on this ongoing art project."

Here are 12 select images from What My Daughter Wore:





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14 Parents Who Took The Internet By Storm In 2014

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From music videos and dance parties to strongly-worded letters and stunning photography series, parents have certainly made their marks on the Internet recently. This past year has seen an impressive display of such innovative parents, and we've looked back on our coverage to remind you of some of your favorites.

So, without further ado, here are 14 parents who took viral mania to memorable heights in 2014.





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University Of Iowa Students Say KKK Art On Campus Gave Them Nightmares

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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The activism sparked by an art display depicting a Ku Klux Klan robe should be a catalyst to make the University of Iowa more welcoming to minorities, students and employees said Tuesday.

Many blacks and other students said they were traumatized by the 7-foot-tall KKK robe a visiting art professor displayed on campus without the university's permission Friday. During a meeting Tuesday of the UI African American Council, students, faculty and staff aired their opinions and called for progress on broader issues such as the recruitment, hiring and treatment of minority students and employees. Graduate student Kayla Wheeler said she's had nightmares and been unable to sleep since Friday. Jose Orduna, an adjunct instructor in creative writing, said seeing the statue left him feeling afraid and alone, and he's since slept with chairs against the door of his home. Orduna said he didn't appreciate what he called a "paternalistic tone" from the artist, Serhat Tanyolacar, that suggested critics didn't understand the meaning of the piece.

"As an art object, this was an artistic failure as far as appropriating other people's pain," he said.

Tanyolacar said he built the fabric sculpture years ago to raise awareness about racism in the United States. The piece includes images of newspaper headlines about white violence against blacks. He said he decided to display it — including a camera recording people's reactions — to show solidarity with students who have been protesting police brutality.

After students were upset, university officials ordered the statue removed hours later. Tanyolacar said he felt horrible that his work caused so much pain and anger, but also took issue with a university statement denouncing the display as divisive and intolerant.

University President Sally Mason on Sunday apologized for the school's response, saying it wasn't adequate and didn't happen soon enough.

"All of us need to work together to take preventive action and do everything we can to be sure that everyone feels welcome, respected, and protected on our campus and in our community," she said.

Mason plans to meet with a group of concerned students Wednesday and to form a committee to study changes that could include strengthening cultural competency and implicit bias training.

Wheeler, who will be in Wednesday's meeting, said more training and a "better game plan" for handling future incidents would be positive steps.

Michael Hill, president of the UI African American Council and an associate professor of English, said Mason's statement is "an opportunity" to seek changes on more systemic issues, such as specific steps to recruit and retain more tenure-track faculty members and students who are minorities.

Blacks make up about 2.5 percent of the university workforce and 3.5 percent of the freshman class — which Mason has touted as the most diverse in school history.

Let This Grown Man Dancing In A Watermelon Outfit Make Your Day

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When the normal world needs a break from their daily work duties, people turn to a LOL-worthy cat video or an adorable baby blooper to brighten their midday slump. The art world, however, prefers the gentle touch of a grown man dancing in a watermelon outfit. Yes, we win.

water

Today's inexplicable nugget of goodness is brought to you by English musician Tom Rosenthal, and his new song titled, you guessed it, "Watermelon." The devoted team at It'sNiceThat kindly recorded the simple yet brilliant lyrics of the song:

"It’s watermelon time, I said boom boom boom boom boom boom boom. It’s watermelon time, I said boom boom boom boom boom boom boom. It’s watermelon time, I said boom boom boom boom boom boom boom. It’s watermelon time, I said boom boom boom boom boom boom boom. It’s a fruit-based love."

The deliciously strange video features an inspired fellow in a very round watermelon ensemble prancing his way across various fields, valleys and meadows. It's a fruit salad for the eyes and so much more.

Don't ask questions. Just watch and watch again.

SAG Awards 2015 Nominations Include 'Birdman,' 'Orange Is The New Black,' Jennifer Aniston

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One day before the Hollywood Foreign Press Association honors the year's best in film and television as Golden Globe nominees, the Screen Actors Guild picked its favorites in both mediums. "Birdman" led the way for feature films with four nominations, including Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (the SAG Awards equivalent of Best Picture) and nods for Michael Keaton, Emma Stone and Edward Norton. "Boyhood," "The Imitation Game" and "The Theory of Everything" scored three nods each. On the television side, "Orange is the New Black" and "House of Cards" were among the top honorees.

The 21st annual SAG Awards take place on Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. Check out the full list of nominees below.

FILM

birdman 01

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

"Birdman"
"Boyhood"
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
"The Imitation Game"
"The Theory of Everything"

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Steve Carell, "Foxcatcher"
Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Nightcrawler"
Michael Keaton, "Birdman"
Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Jennifer Aniston, "Cake"
Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"
Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"
Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Robert Duvall, "The Judge"
Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"
Edward Norton, "Birdman"
Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"
J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"
Emma Stone, "Birdman"
Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"
Naomi Watts, "St. Vincent"

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY STUNT ENSEMBLE MOTION PICTURE

"Fury"
"Get On Up"
"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies"
"Unbroken"
"X-Men: Days of Future Past"

TELEVISION

game of thrones show scene

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES

"Boardwalk Empire"
"Downton Abbey"
"Game of Thrones"
"Homeland"
"House of Cards"

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES

"Big Bang Theory"
"Brooklyn 9-9"
"Modern Family"
"Orange is the New Black"
"Veep"

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones"
Woody Harrelson, "True Detective"
Matthew McConaughey, "True Detective"
Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards"

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Claire Danes, "Homeland"
Viola Davis, "How To Get Away With Murder"
Julianna Marguiles,"The Good Wife"
Tatiana Maslany, "Orphan Black"
Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"
Robin Wright, "House of Cards"

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"
Louis C.K., "Louis"
William H. Macy, "Shameless"
Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"
Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family"

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Uzo Adubo, "Orange is the New Black"
Julie Bowen, "Modern Family"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

Adrien Brody, "Houdini"
Benedict Cumberbatch, "Sherlock: His Last Vow"
Richard Jenkins, "Olive Kitteridge"
Mark Ruffalo, "The Normal Heart"
Billy Bob Thornton, "Fargo"

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

Ellen Burstyn, "Flowers in the Attic"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Honorable Woman"
Frances McDormand, "Olive Kitteridge"
Julia Roberts, "The Normal Heart"
Cicely Tyson, "The Trip to Bountiful"

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES

"24: Live Another Day"
"Boardwalk Empire"
"Game of Thrones"
"Homeland"
"Sons of Anarchy"
"The Walking Dead"

Gladys Nilsson's Bulging Watercolored Women Cannot Be Contained

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For some reason, the medium of watercolor -- you know, when pigments are suspended in a water-soluble vehicle -- has, over time, attracted associations with art that is idyllic, naturalistic, traditional and -- let's be real -- a little bit boring. We'd suspect you'd rarely associate the slushy, translucent medium with the most radical crop of contemporary art.

Unless, of course, you're talking about Gladys Nilsson, the almighty queen of watercolor in all its weirdness. Nilsson yanks the artistic medium from its maudlin affiliations, using it to construct knotty, painted worlds that are as formally convoluted as they are thematically nasty. Her subjects are women, entangled and engorged, their fleshy bodies like magnets to the raggle-taggle debris surrounding them.

gladys
Gladys Nilsson A Girl in the Arbor #8, 2013 Mixed media on paper 29 3/4 x 41 1/2 inches Courtesy the artist and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York


Nilsson was born in 1940 to Swedish parents, her father was a factory worker, her mother a waitress. She attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 1958 to 1962, where she met her future husband, artist Jim Nutt. The two became founding members of the Chicago art movement dubbed the Hairy Who, known for its buzzing colors, sharp lines and inspiration from artistic vernacular outside of the Western cannon.

Nilsson originally worked in oil paints, switching to watercolor and mixed media after the birth of her son to protect him from the chemicals. Aside from that, however, her artwork has communicated in a similar language throughout the past fifty years, one defined by balloonish forms, unapologetic colors and a fantastical interpretation of the banalities of everyday life.

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Gladys Nilsson A Girl in the Arbor #4, 2013 Mixed media on paper 29 3/4 x 41 1/2 inches Courtesy the artist and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York


"I’m an everyday person," she told the Paris Review. "I think in terms of just surviving the day on a personal level, rather than the solving of world problems. I just can’t do that. Other people can do that on a grand scale. For me, because I know how hard people work, celebrating little victories is as important as a peace treaty being signed."

An exhibition of Nilsson's work is currently on view at Garth Greenan Gallery. The works on view mostly center around an anonymous girl in an ambiguous outdoor setting, squeezing her way in and out of girdles, bras and various accoutrements. "She likes to have adornments. She needs to have adornments. Sometimes her adornments are crippling. They create rhythms, like when the arcs are repetitions of the arcs of her body. Smaller ones, too, like the way the leaf areas circle around. Somebody at the opening mentioned the idea of bondage, but that’s not how I think of them. They’re adornments that have gone way beyond practicality."

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Gladys Nilsson A Girl in the Arbor #1, 2013 Mixed media on paper 29 3/4 x 41 1/2 inches Courtesy the artist and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York


The paintings combine the frenzied tempo of Dana Schutz with the collaged fever of Linder Sterling. Her protagonist, though consistent throughout the series, never looks the same way twice, constantly transforming and mutating through the small ups and downs of her days. The works are unlikely tributes to contemporary feminism and the wild potentials of domesticity.

"The woman in these collages is very happy with how she looks," Nilsson added. "She has a good sense of self-worth, self-beauty. She doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with her. Even though she might be made up by of a lot of strange things -- eggs on her boobs, two or three mouths -- she doesn’t hide."



The exhibition runs until December 20, 2014 at Garth Greenan Gallery in New York.

Here Are The Best Art Books Of 2014

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We're counting down the last days of December 2014, and -- in typical fashion -- we're reviewing a year's worth of art in the process. In celebration of 365 more days of performance, architecture, painting, photography, street art and more, we've compiled a list of the 30 art-related publications worth your time. Whether you want to cast a reading list for 2015 already, or you're looking to buy the perfect present for your art loving, bookworm buddy, these art books span the wonders of the creative world.

Behold, the 30 books you should read, buy, and gift before the year is over:

1. The Brilliant History of Color in Art by Victoria Finlay

color

Perfect for: Anyone who obsesses over pigments in their daily life, or a pal who likes trivia. (Did you know that one of the keys to translating "madder red" into pigment was adding stale ox blood or cow manure to steeping threads?) Read more here



2. 100 Painters of Tomorrow by Kurt Beers

100

Perfect for: Contemporary art lovers and anyone who fancies innovative painters pushing two-dimensions and pigment to the limit. Read more here



3. Banksy in New York by Ray Mock

banksy
Perfect for: The New Yorker who obsessively tracked Banksy movements last year. Read more here

4. Leonardo's Brain by Leonard Schlain

leonardos brain


Perfect for: A Leonardo da Vinci disciple or any reader enchanted by the intersection of art and science. Read more here



5. The Art of Pin-Up by Dian Hanson, Sarahjane Blum, Louis Meisel

pin

Perfect for: Your feminist, body positive pal who enjoys a historical romp through female sexuality. Read more here



6. American Grotesque edited by Larry Lytle and Michael Moynihan

american

Perfect for: A photography lover with a slightly macabre taste. If you know the William Mortensen -- the subject of this book -- you know he was a master of pictorialism, mixing horror and beauty with early 20th century manipulative techniques. Read more here



7. Kurt Vonnegut Drawings by

cover

Perfect for: Literature fiends who are intrigued by Vonnegut's other art -- sketching. Read more here

8. Plush by Marilyn Minter

plush

Perfect for: Your badass aunt or roommate who proudly doesn't shave her armpits, duh. Read more here



9. Sketch! The Non-Artist's Guide to Inspiration, Technique, and Drawing Daily Life by France Belleville-Van Stone

chair

Perfect for: Someone with creative block, who needs a good New Year's resolution. Read more here



10. Ángel Gitano: The Men of Flamenco by Ruven Afanador

flameco

Perfect for: A dance enthusiast who would appreciate this lovely, largely monochromatic tome dedicated to the men of flamenco. Read more here



11. Nicholas Nixon: Forty Years of The Brown Sisters by Nicholas Nixon

cover

Perfect for: Your sister, your mother, your girlfriend who's basically your sister. This is a beautiful photography book that features portraits of four women who gathered together every year for 40 years to take a photo. It will bring a tear to your eye. Read more here



12. Draw Paint Print Like Great Artists by Marion Deuchars

frida

Perfect for: Budding artists and quirky art historical nuts. Read more here



13. A Separate Cinema: The First 100 Years of Black Poster Art by John Duke Kisch

separate

Perfect for: Cinephiles and alternative history buffs. Read more here



14. The Oldest Living Things In The World by Rachel Sussman

sussman

Perfect for: An individual who both loves to ogle plant life and finds planetary history particularly captivating. Read more here



15. Mapping It Out by Hans Ulrich Obrist

map

Perfect for: A highbrow best friend who enjoys debating the politics of space, who else? Read more here



16. Pen & Ink by Wendy McNaughton

ink

Perfect for: The brother, coworker or grandmother who brandishes some serious tattoo art. Read more here



17. 33 Artists in 3 Acts by Sarah Thornton

artists


Perfect for: Any gallerist, curator or artist who understands the inner workings of the art world. Read more here



18. Typographic Universe by Steven Heller and Gail Anderson

q

Perfect for: Design geeks and anyone who worships at the throne of typography in its natural environment. Read more here



19. Cosmigraphics by Michael Benson

cosmi

Perfect for: The visual nerd who often contemplates the image of our universe. Read more here



20. Animal Kingdom by Millie Marotta

kingdom

Perfect for: The arts lover who just wants to color. Don't we all? Read more here



21. Creative Block by Danielle Krysa

creative block

Perfect for: The artist who needs a pick-me-up, and an aesthetically beautiful one at that. Read more here



22. Art & Ecology Now by Andrew Brown

ecology

Perfect for: Your old art school comrade who cares, sincerely, about eco-awareness in art. Read more here



23. The Naked Nude by Frances Borzello

helm

Perfect for: Any nudist. Or how about as a romantic gesture for your significant other?Read more here



24. We Are FriendsWithYou by FriendsWithYou

cloud city

Perfect for: That one brother-in-law or colleague who fawns over social media. But really, anyone with a sense of humor and that special zest for life! would enjoy this fun art book. Read more here



25. The Andy Warhol Diaries by Pat Hackett.

andy


Perfect for: The pop art follower who's constantly amazed by the mind of Andy Warhol. Read more here



26. The World Atlas Of Street Photography by Jackie Higgins

street

Perfect for: Photographers with wanderlust. Read more here



27. Vincent Van Gogh: The Essential Letters edited by Leo Jansen, Hans Luijten and Nienke Bakker

van gogh


Perfect for: The art historian who wonders whether Vincent van Gogh really cut off his own ear. Read more here



28. Outdoor Gallery by Yoav Litvin

fumero
Perfect for: Street art enthusiasts who want to learn about 46 of the leading figures in NYC's graffiti and street art scene. Read more here



29. Your Illustrated Guide to Becoming One with the Universe

yumi sakujawa
Perfect for: The comic collector or graphic novel reader in your life. Read more here



30. Pretty Vacant: The Graphic Language of Punk by Kaytie Johnson

xray

Perfect for: The friend who still collects safety pins, styles her hair into a mohawk and dons combat boots everyday. Read more here



BONUS: Salvador Dali's Les Diners de Gala We recently discovered this 1970s masterpiece. It's an erotic cookbook. And it's magnificent.

dali



For the best art books of 2013, check out our list here.

A Look At The Photographer Behind Andy Warhol's Silver Factory

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At the mention of Andy Warhol’s name one specific color comes to mind: silver. The artist became known for his Silver Factory -- which, as you may have guessed, was a space covered entirely in silver. It was also the birthplace of many iconic Warhol artworks, from films and Brillo Boxes to the emergence (and, for some, eventual evanescence) of Warhol’s superstars. But there remains one beloved man behind the scene whose name and work is still, for some reason, widely unknown.

Billy Name, born William Linich, was working as a waiter at Serendipity 3, a frequent Warhol hangout in New York City, when he met the artist in 1959. The two became boyfriends, then saw each other on and off until Warhol went to one of Name’s parties in 1963. Name’s apartment was doused in silver -- literally -- with everything wrapped in aluminum foil and blanketed in silver spray paint. The aesthetic immediately mesmerized Warhol, who equated the color with technology and modernity, according to Warhol friend Gerard Malanga. When Warhol asked Name to do the same to his new place, an old fire station located on East 47th Street, Name cleared out the grocery store of aluminum foil and got to work. Thus was the birth of the original Factory, and the birth of Name, the Factory's decorator and architect, glossing every inch in silver, from the stereo to the ceiling.

andy brillo

"Everyone’s seen his photographs, but they haven’t really quite understood his role in the mythology of Warhol.”

But Name also, unknowingly at the time, became an even more important facet of the Warhol legacy when the artist gave Name a 35-mm Honeywell Pentax. Warhol couldn’t figure out the f-stops and specifics so he handed the camera over. “Billy, you do the photography now because I’m going to do movies,” Name recalled Warhol telling him. Name eventually moved into a closet in the Factory, taught himself photography, turned a bathroom into a darkroom and began capturing everyone around him, from The Velvet Underground to Edie Sedgwick.

Now, 50 years after the establishment of the Factory, Name’s black-and-white photos are getting their first major exhibition at Milk Gallery and have been compiled into a 482-page collection. Billy Name: The Silver Age, Photographs from Andy Warhol’s Factory features over 400 of Name’s "Factory Fotos," a term he coined, from 1964 to 1968. “The only things that ever came even close to conveying the look and feel of the Factory then, aside from the movies we shot there, were the still photographs Billy took," Warhol wrote in his 1980 memoir POPism.

edie

“Billy’s always been a bit off the radar,” Dagon James, editor and designer of the book, told The Huffington Post. “Everyone’s seen his photographs, but they haven’t really quite understood his role in the mythology of Warhol.” Not only do Name’s gritty, over-exposed shots give an insider’s perspective on Warhol, but they document an iconic era in American art history. Name’s photos give a behind-the-scenes look at various Warhol films including “Vinyl,” “Nude Restaurant,” “My Hustler” and “Chelsea Girls,” while also capturing the creation of the Brillo Box sculpture and flower silkscreens.

viva nude

“There’s no hesitation in Billy’s photographs because there is no hesitation in history.”

But this new collection isn’t just another tribute to Warhol -- he’s only one element of the story Name’s photographs tell. “We didn’t want to make just another Andy Warhol book,” James said. “People don’t want to read the same stories that have been told book after book.” There’s a plethora of published works that recount the Factory era and Warhol’s artistic endeavors at the time, from Steven Watson’s Factory Made and Mary Woronov’s Swimming Underground to Warhol’s POPism. But Name, along with James, wanted to piece together a more comprehensive history of those who frequented the silverized space, including Brigid Berlin, Gerard Malanga, Mario Montez, Viva, Nico and Susan Bottomly, among others.

“We wanted to paint a broad picture of what life was like in the Factory,” James said of his collaboration with Name, whom James also manages. “This [book] is about his place in history. This is about Billy.”

velvet andy

Name was mainly behind the camera -- he is, however, featured in Warhol’s “Haircut” films, which were of Name’s haircutting parties, and a screen test -- but his presence is unmistakably resonant in his work and in the memories of his friends. The Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale wrote in the foreword to Name’s book of the photographer’s powerful and calming effect on his fellow bandmates. “We could see Billy’s influence on each of us,” Cale wrote of one of the last times the band got together, with Name in tow. The musician described Name as the "pilot fish" to Lou Reed's whale, conveying the silent songwriter's innermost thoughts. "Billy would join us and we all relaxed because the usual tongue-tied fright of Lou’s persona would melt away as Billy gave voice to what it seemed Lou was thinking."

nico

This tranquil aura and in-the-now presence is something Name still seems to exhibit today. When asked how Name considers his work as an artist and documentarian of the Factory, James said that Name doesn’t view himself as a photographer. “He considers himself a Buddhist,” James said. “He describes himself as the Factory foreman,” James added recalling a man who would pop out of his closet to snap photos, then disappear again for days. That’s the magic of Name’s photos, which capture Warhol and his superstars in some of their most raw, unfiltered states. Name has written that while his many stunning shots of Nico look posed, the singer was merely being her natural self.

“He sees a moment, picks up his camera and grabs it,” Malanga has written of Name’s always-present state of mind. “There’s no hesitation in Billy’s photographs because there is no hesitation in history. That’s a very powerful feeling.”

"Billy Name: The Silver Age" runs at Milk Gallery in New York through Dec. 7. The book is available for purchase by Reel Art Press.
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