PURGE! New Show, New Host

Monday June 27th 8pm
PURGE
Perch Cafe
(formally hosted by the salty host, Nisse Greenberg under Storytelling at Perch)
356 5th Avenue Brooklyn, NY
hosted by Bridget O'Neill

The theme will always center around the name of the show, Purge.
Webster Dictionary defines "Purge" as, to remove (impurities and other elements) by or as if by cleansing and isn’t that what storytelling really is? By storytelling we relinquish our inhibitions, we throw-up our past. Storytelling is a confessional booth with an audience in my catholic association.

The theme is open as necessary: purging/cleaning out your unwanted junk from your home or office, ridding oneself of an annoying friend, a facebook friend, a bad relationship, or even breaking a habit. You may have had a colonic, have suffered from bulimia. No story is too bold for this show. Bodily functions is a story’s warm blanky and are encouraged.

Perch Café, a small, intimate, quaint café with a designated area for live shows nestled in the heart of Park Slope. Home to many storytelling venues such as: The Story Collider, Mimsy, The Standard Issues, My Bad, and others. Drink specials, and food is available. Bring your video cam, or recorder.

If you would like to be considered for for an upcoming show, please write me at:
perchstorytelling@gmail.com or send me messages on my facebook page.
Purge is the 4th Monday of each month.

Bridget ONeill Age

Bridget_ONeill_Big_Breaks.mov

Ah, Autumn Approaches...

and I've cleaned out the roaches, so to speak. My blog has some groovy new tabs and I have updated my performances list, and videos. I will soon be posting most of the stories that have developed from storytelling, live. Thanks to my friends and family who egg me on to recite my stories of my drug laden days, and alcohol induced high jinks, my horrendous first dates, and first loves, breakups, and break downs. I hope you enjoy and stay tuned. I will regularly post events to the events page as well, so our storytelling social circuit can see all events and happenings. At this point, there are so many wonderful events that they are doubling up nightly. Oh my. Here is a list to begin and to give a great big shout to my colleges that host these wonderful events, and I can vouch for the storytellers; all great, all unique and no two people are alike, yes like snowflakes. There are no scripts, just a bunch of folks who find it exhilarating to stand naked among you and shed their true colors weather you like them or not.
This week I want to highlight:

Wednesday 10/6/10

YOU WENT TO COLLEGE FOR THAT?
7.30 Union Hall in Brooklyn
hosts: Ophira Eisenberg and Adam Magazine

Thursday 10/7/10

FIRESIDE STORIES
8:00 at Belleville Lounge in Brooklyn (I will be performing)
hosts:adorable Jenna Brista and sexy Ashley Harrell
STRIPPED STORIES
9.30 UCB, Manhattan
hosts: Margot Leitman and Giulia Rozzi (Giula's excellent piece on catcalling for Huff Po is here, and ladies this is good.)


The best way to get more info on these shows and get invites is to FACEBOOK their asses.

Imagine That: Imagine That: Bridget O'Neill The Moth Slam Winner "Dues"

Imagine That: Imagine That: Bridget O'Neill The Moth Slam Winner "Dues"

Imagine That: Bridget O'Neill The Moth Slam Winner "Dues"

Imagine That: Bridget O'Neill The Moth Slam Winner "Dues"

Architecture of Dance

David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center. (Architect: Philip Johnson)

I was lucky enough to attend Peter Martin's, ballet, Mirage to see the set design that Santiago Calatrava designed. Now the unique aspect about this is that the Choreographer, costume design and orchestra designed around the set. That is a rarity. The minimilist feel of the outfits, stage, dancers and music that accompanied it, made this a fluid, architectural, serene, birdlike outfit. The combination was tight, articular in seamlessly consistent it’s theme and tone. I was unable to shoot while the dance was in session.
However, I can share this commissioned photograph by Paul Kolnik
set piece at small scale
And back to Philip Johnson, a cool little rendering of the theater.

Architecture of Dance

David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center. (Architect: Philip Johnson)

I was lucky enough to attend Peter Martin's, ballet, Mirage to see the set design that Santiago Calatrava designed. Now the unique aspect about this is that the Choreographer, costume design and orchestra designed around the set. That is a rarity. The minimilist feel of the outfits, stage, dancers and music that accompanied it, made this a fluid, architectural, serene, birdlike outfit. The combination was tight, articular in seamlessly consistent it’s theme and tone. I was unable to shoot while the dance was in session.
However, I can share this commissioned photograph by Paul Kolnik
set piece at small scale
And back to Philip Johnson, a cool little rendering of the theater.

The Salon series at Johnson & Johnson

underground forest #0707-10333 (up to 13,000 years old; pretoria, south africa)

la llareta #0308-23b26 (up to 3,000 years old, atacama desert, chile

I attended The Salon series held at the Johnson & Johnson Global Strategic Design offices on Thursday and the theme was, Investigation. The two artists who were in the lecture showcasing their work were Rachael Sussman and Vaughan Oliver. Rachael documents biological life form, plant life from all over the world whose age is incomprehensible. Rachael has spent time researching some of the world's oldest living specimens, finding them in various origins both far and wide. She needs to apply for grants to fund her travel, as most of these places are very far from the Americas. I feel it takes great devotion to find and travel to and shoot these profoundly odd and old living organisms. I admire her fascination with this body of work and moreover, I am grateful for her bringing them to us, who would never otherwise be fortunate to share in the splendor of seeing these plants and trees.


Vaughan Oliver is the Creative Director to the Pixies’ albums on the 4AD label. He hired Simon Larbalestier, the photographer whose black and white, gritty, industrial aesthetic framed the 4AD music mold. It was the changing of an era. The Pixies album first came out in 1988 and this was around the time when cds were replacing albums and thus artwork had to make an emotional impact at a smaller print size. I was excited to attend this lecture and meet the man who worked with Simon. I had just purchased a print from Simon from the Surfer Rosa series of the Spanish dancer. I bought it for my brother for his birthday. My brother and I both loved the Pixies in 1988 and further on. “Surfer Rosa”, and “Come On Pilgrim” being our favorites. The print was an edition of prints created from the original polaroid transfer. The work is very surrealist and kept in form with their compatriots: Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, they shared in it’s gothic and surrealist aesthetic. In all, it was inspiring to hear from a 1990’s 4AD Creative Director who has just completed the Pixies box set.

The Salon series at Johnson & Johnson

underground forest #0707-10333 (up to 13,000 years old; pretoria, south africa)

la llareta #0308-23b26 (up to 3,000 years old, atacama desert, chile

I attended The Salon series held at the Johnson & Johnson Global Strategic Design offices on Thursday and the theme was, Investigation. The two artists who were in the lecture showcasing their work were Rachael Sussman and Vaughan Oliver. Rachael documents biological life form, plant life from all over the world whose age is incomprehensible. Rachael has spent time researching some of the world's oldest living specimens, finding them in various origins both far and wide. She needs to apply for grants to fund her travel, as most of these places are very far from the Americas. I feel it takes great devotion to find and travel to and shoot these profoundly odd and old living organisms. I admire her fascination with this body of work and moreover, I am grateful for her bringing them to us, who would never otherwise be fortunate to share in the splendor of seeing these plants and trees.


Vaughan Oliver is the Creative Director to the Pixies’ albums on the 4AD label. He hired Simon Larbalestier, the photographer whose black and white, gritty, industrial aesthetic framed the 4AD music mold. It was the changing of an era. The Pixies album first came out in 1988 and this was around the time when cds were replacing albums and thus artwork had to make an emotional impact at a smaller print size. I was excited to attend this lecture and meet the man who worked with Simon. I had just purchased a print from Simon from the Surfer Rosa series of the Spanish dancer. I bought it for my brother for his birthday. My brother and I both loved the Pixies in 1988 and further on. “Surfer Rosa”, and “Come On Pilgrim” being our favorites. The print was an edition of prints created from the original polaroid transfer. The work is very surrealist and kept in form with their compatriots: Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, they shared in it’s gothic and surrealist aesthetic. In all, it was inspiring to hear from a 1990’s 4AD Creative Director who has just completed the Pixies box set.

The Moth_Bridget O'Neill_"Rules" 03-10-2010 The Housing Works New York, ...

Bridget O'Neill The Moth Slam Winner "Dues"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDV3qxUDBYE

TheMoth_Theme: Nerve_"Fireman Story"11.30.09

Humble Arts Foundation

photography by: Lyndsy Welgos


Photography by Louise Menzies

Humble Arts Foundation is a wonderful organization that features fine art photography, that is both contemporary, but not pretentious, new, and not contrived like some of the work that is considered ”emerging" in the Chelsea circuit. It seems to reach back to the roots of when you first discovered your love of photography, as a personal and internal awaking, reminiscent of adolescent feeling that you were no longer a child but an individual with your own conscious and sexual awareness. This of course, is purely my own feelings, interpretations and psyche based on my gut reaction to the work produced here.

I fell in love with photography as a medium about 15 years ago, and it was a revelation. Since then I had graduated far from documentary, black and white, self-portraits, to color architectural self portraits, as I felt my surroundings and my psych was heavily empowered and influenced by my surroundings. In any case, this work is a refreshing break from the work without soul that clings to the cold, stark, white, pristine walls of a Chelsea gallery. It is more work for one's self and peers, and less for the preconceived prejudices viewers can sometimes hold when they're told how to perceive art from a recent art review.
Humble Arts Foundation is a not-for profit organization based in New York. They offer 2 $1,000.00 grants per year, and you can apply to showcase and sell your work on their website. And their blog is visual and direct, without words or frills.

Humble Arts Foundation

photography by: Lyndsy Welgos


Photography by Louise Menzies

Humble Arts Foundation is a wonderful organization that features fine art photography, that is both contemporary, but not pretentious, new, and not contrived like some of the work that is considered ”emerging" in the Chelsea circuit. It seems to reach back to the roots of when you first discovered your love of photography, as a personal and internal awaking, reminiscent of adolescent feeling that you were no longer a child but an individual with your own conscious and sexual awareness. This of course, is purely my own feelings, interpretations and psyche based on my gut reaction to the work produced here.

I fell in love with photography as a medium about 15 years ago, and it was a revelation. Since then I had graduated far from documentary, black and white, self-portraits, to color architectural self portraits, as I felt my surroundings and my psych was heavily empowered and influenced by my surroundings. In any case, this work is a refreshing break from the work without soul that clings to the cold, stark, white, pristine walls of a Chelsea gallery. It is more work for one's self and peers, and less for the preconceived prejudices viewers can sometimes hold when they're told how to perceive art from a recent art review.
Humble Arts Foundation is a not-for profit organization based in New York. They offer 2 $1,000.00 grants per year, and you can apply to showcase and sell your work on their website. And their blog is visual and direct, without words or frills.

POEMS :: Observations (train)

train

Ladies and gentlemen
I’m hungry
A dollar
A nickel, a penny, anything would help
Maybe a piece of fruit
And if you are feeling up to a hug

Heads shift up out of habit
But then retire back to their book
Anywhere to avert their eyes

Same ol' song and dance
For some, this F train
has been their performance space, platform , and sounding board
for years

No woman, no cry no woman no cry
I remember whenna we used to it…

In between, fade outs of public speeches and entertainment
we sit unfazed or at least sport a mask of sub-emotion
fade back in, and become the clinking, the clattering of the train amid a fog of conversations

“Delancy, East Broadway next stop”

train escorts us along
paranoia sets in, of my fellow, intimately situated stranger
reading my most private of thoughts
I look up to determine that he is quite submerged in his own reading
My narcissism, such self-importance to assume this stranger is just aching to share in even just a glimpse of my material
My profanity on paper

Any concern for privacy
Material for my own consumption

look around and take in all of the people in my wide-angle view, my telephoto
outcry of averting eyes
towards public ads: CUNY
Legal assistance, en espanol

Glasses, sans glasses, headphones, black, white, ipods, iphones, blackberries, songs seeping tinny through cheap phones, muffled crap music through others

A palette of fluorescent light and mundane hues, not too foreign from the office I just escaped

We ride in this familiar interior for 20 minutes and more a day strangers to one another we are the pole holders, or the lucky few who are the seat dwellers
We are strangers we are each other, we are new Yorkers.

POEtry

train

Ladies and gentlemen
I’m hungry
A dollar
A nickel, a penny, anything would help
Maybe a piece of fruit
And if you are feeling up to a hug

Heads shift up out of habit
But then retire back to their book
Anywhere to avert their eyes

Same ol' song and dance
For some, this F train
has been their performance space, platform , and sounding board
for years

No woman, no cry no woman no cry
I remember whenna we used to it…

In between, fade outs of public speeches and entertainment
we sit unfazed or at least sport a mask of sub-emotion
fade back in, and become the clinking, the clattering of the train amid a fog of conversations

“Delancy, East Broadway next stop”

train escorts us along
paranoia sets in, of my fellow, intimately situated stranger
reading my most private of thoughts
I look up to determine that he is quite submerged in his own reading
My narcissism, such self-importance to assume this stranger is just aching to share in even just a glimpse of my material
My profanity on paper

Any concern for privacy
Material for my own consumption

look around and take in all of the people in my wide-angle view, my telephoto
outcry of averting eyes
towards public ads: CUNY
Legal assistance, en espanol


Glasses, sans glasses, headphones, black, white, ipods, iphones, blackberries, songs seeping tinny through cheap phones, muffled crap music through others

A palette of fluorescent light and mundane hues, not too foreign from the office I just escaped

We ride in this familiar interior for 20 minutes and more a day strangers to one another we are the pole holders, or the lucky few who are the seat dwellers
We are strangers we are each other, we are new Yorkers.



transport me, transfer me

Transport me, transfer me
Serrendipously, lovingly
In this vessel, this silver submarine
Sleepy and serene
With out an exterior scene
We are forced to look with in
With those we share this 60 feet tin
A temporary place with our urban kin

United we stand
United we claim our place in this 20 minute space

Us lucky ones sit

Unyielding
Colors in dream
redeem
a seat or
a lean

Conversations in Yiddish, Russian ,Spanish
Brooklynish

We ride along in a daze, day dreaming to be someone else, somewhere else








love

A grab from around the waist
As she does the dishes
A stern, ‘not now Joe’
To follow

‘to my beautiful wife’
‘to my loving husband’
this is how they address one another
on paper during holidays

she wears the pants
he provides them

she dictates
he educates

she reads circulars
he cuts the grass
she leans into the dishwasher
he smacks her ass

they argue, they fight
they bitch and they yell
they dwell
in safety and support
in love
a communion only they can know

kids they come and go
they come and go

pets they live and die
they live and die
a couple , they grow and grow
fore ever they grow

he calls her Bell
she calls him Joe,

The Moth at the Bitter End 11/30/2009

Here is my first story at The Moth at The Bitter End in New York, NY on November 30th, 2009. The theme of the evening was "Nerve" in which I told a story about my tryst with a New York fireman. (Because the video is 104 megs I cant link directly to You Tube, so please copy, cut, paste)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWCZECLJQcs

First person arts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tO2rj-4Q6o

Bridget's performance at last nights' Moth

A story of my tryst with a NY Fireman

Bridget's performance at last nights' Moth

A story of my tryst with a NY Fireman

my performance at First person Arts in Philly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tO2rj-4Q6o

my performance at First person Arts in Philly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tO2rj-4Q6o

Holiday Bribes: Photography 'gifts'

©Character Arts, LLC, The Rudolph Company, L.P.

Bribe is a verb and some slang words for it are: fiddle, corrupt, buy-off, influence, bait, gift, goody, payola, hush money, ice, oil palm, soap and gravy.

The world of commercial photography is a tricky and highly humble one. As a photographer or in my case, a photography representative, we are competing with some of the best out there. We’re in a time where the industry is inundated with photographers, where every photographer is unique, and there are over 100,000 unique photographers all wanting the same chance. In addition, veteran photographers are recycled over and over again, giving little chance to newbies, and could-be’s. It is your job to get your book to the right person: the Art Buyer of an ad agency or the Photo Editor of a magazine. These folks are the gatekeepers to your potential job.

Art Buyers are housed in piles of black canvas bags containing black leather-bound portfolios with work ranging from still life, fashion/beauty, portrait, and the list goes on. Buyers have major hand in this relationship therefore photographers have to be creative, stand out and be remembered. So before working with one of these hot shots, you may need to leave your egos at the door, lay your pride on the side and bring out the cookies.

As a former Photo rep, a lot of us are guilty of having lubricated our clients by enticing them with food, hopping them up on Starbucks, and medicating them with wine. So I pulled out the big guns, and delve right in and asked some of my favorite Art Buyers and Photo Editors what ‘perks’ they have received and in turn, asked photographers and reps what they have sent their clients to ‘sweeten the pot’, ‘oil the palm’ with.

An Art Buyer at Ogilvy & Mather offered “cool gifting definitely keeps these people in the minds of art directors and art buyers by positive association.” Adding joyously that outside of t-shirts and other logo laden items, her favorite gifts received were a fish lens’ camera and Gustbuster umbrella.

I really like what artist rep, Norman Maslov had to offer when I asked him what he has given to buyers. He said when he was in the record business they used to call it payola, but ‘gifts’ has a better ring to it. The term payola is defined as payment given in exchange for promoting a commercial product, or the system of making such payments, especially to disc jockeys. One year after 9/11 he gave out the GANDHI book.

Outside of the unanimous; chocolate, wine, photo frames, and calendars, there were some true gems received and distributed. Michael Norseng, Director of Photography at Esquire magazine once received a 4 foot long sausage, in which I’ll leave to the imagination, another time he received a Hall and Oats DVD. The gifter went on creativity and clearly not a fan of the practical, he ‘can’t go for that, no can do”

One Photo Editor received Orange &Cream and Berry Lemonade flavored bottles of Jones Soda which is Midwestern soda company that has a contest that allows you to have your photos printed on their labels. You catch more jobs with sugar, than with promo cards.

For the holidays, photographer, Sarina Finkelstein gave out 2 foot tall candy canes and kidrobot© toys. David Leventi, another photographer, a garden gnome. Photo Rep, Tricia Scott with Merge Left Reps, gave her clients memberships to Museums in their area. Wow, talk about thoughtful. Another rep, Angela Dieringer has given iTunes gift cards, stating, “our clients LOVED them! All of them own an ipod and this made sense.” As for myself, I have given anything from condoms, that read, ‘Play it Safe, use TTS REPS’ along with candy cigarettes, to viewfinder key chains in assorted colors picturing my artists’ photos. That year, I decided to forego the alcohol, devling into their sexual activity, sweet tooth and love of visuals, these gifts seemed appropriate; non-traditional and loose. So folks, keep the real gift that keeps on giving, and that is your art, your originality, but the occasional Riunite on *ice is always nice

Jimmies are sweet, not racist

© Getty images

Jimmies aren't racist
The dictionary definition for JIMMIES used to be "decorative things." They have also been called toppettes, shots, fancies, trimettes and sprinkles. Jimmies were first developed by Just Born Candy Company. Born briefly pondered that question before deciding to accredit the name to the producer, Jimmy Bartholomew. The new product was named JIMMIES. In Boston, JIMMIES are to ice cream like mustard & relish are to a hot dog.

It seems primarily a Boston/Philly thing, but some European terms for these controversial, decorative candies are called: "Hundreds and Thousands" and "mice"
see here

Who could believe such an innocent little speckle of candy could cause such controversy? If you have any links, stories or photos that you'd like to share, please do!!!! I will include them in my blog and credit you, of course! Come on you Bostonians and Philadelphians alike! Oh and as noted in past articles, jimmies are chocolate, the colorful ones are sprinkles.
When I was 4 years old, my Mom and Dad would drive me and my little brother to Dairy Queen off of Rising Sun Ave. in eyesore Northeast, Philadelphia. I would order vanilla ice cream with chocolate jimmies, and my brother, chocolate with rainbow jimmies. Once in the car, I thought it would be funny to raise my ice cream cone up into interior roof of the car, splattering flecks of jimmies so they would adhere there, and telling my brother, "Look! ants, ants on the ceiling." Yep, I was a weird kid.

Wildwood 2009, still nothing has changed

I have spent 5 hours today reorganizing and uploading images to my flickr account that has dormant for a long while now. So as I am desperately aiming to create a posting today I suggest (or wish) that you view my recently added images of Wildwood. at my flickr account and you get get to my older post of Wildwood here on my bog which takes you to an amazing video of the social culture in Wildwood that takes place in the 90's.
I was fortunate enough to take a mini vacation there this Labor day. The hotels have everything you need in one: pool, miniature golf, bbq pits, shuffle board, balconies and a theme. I still love it like I did when I was 6.

I heart New York

A collaboration of observations and thoughts that passed last night.

Last night I went out for a run after work to the Brooklyn Promenade to work the bugs out, raise my spirits, and have my endorphins lift upward like baby moths to light.

Once along the promenade I fell deep into 'there is no place on earth like New York' syndrome. It was dusk and the pink-peach sun had spread and stretched out below and behind Wall Street reaching Lady Liberty. There was a good amount of people out admiring it while taking in these last nights of summer.

I feel chills when I see my fellow human race share the same sights of splendor as I do. It's like telepathy. I never have to experience any observation alone, as there is always someone to share it with my without words.

I ran up and down one lap and circled around again till the sun had completely set, arm length visions of small cell phones LCD screens looked like fire flies blinking and floating around. Why do I always long for summer when I know it is leaving. Hmmm that could say a lot about my dating pattern, huh? Speaking of which… as my reoccurring love affair with this city seduced me, my head began to make noise….. beautiful city, non-committal men, grandiose city, finicky men, superior and all encompassing city, insatiable men. God, I love you city, ugh forget men. You’ll always be my one true love New York, and the men can continue to set and rise like peach-pink sunsets over your big, protective all-giving hunky soul.

I heart New York

A collaboration of observations and thoughts that passed last night.

Last night I went out for a run after work to the Brooklyn Promenade to work the bugs out, raise my spirits, and have my endorphins lift upward like baby moths to light.

Once along the promenade I fell deep into 'there is no place on earth like New York' syndrome. It was dusk and the pink-peach sun had spread and stretched out below and behind Wall Street reaching Lady Liberty. There was a good amount of people out admiring it while taking in these last nights of summer.

I feel chills when I see my fellow human race share the same sights of splendor as I do. It's like telepathy. I never have to experience any observation alone, as there is always someone to share it with my without words.

I ran up and down one lap and circled around again till the sun had completely set, arm length visions of small cell phones LCD screens looked like fire flies blinking and floating around. Why do I always long for summer when I know it is leaving. Hmmm that could say a lot about my dating pattern, huh? Speaking of which… as my reoccurring love affair with this city seduced me, my head began to make noise….. beautiful city, non-committal men, grandiose city, finicky men, superior and all encompassing city, insatiable men. God, I love you city, ugh forget men. You’ll always be my one true love New York, and the men can continue to set and rise like peach-pink sunsets over your big, protective all-giving hunky soul.

Wildlife in NY on the Highline

Wildlife in NY on the Highline

Last night's beautiful sunset

Last night's beautiful sunset