1. Finally! Takashi Murakami's work will be on view for all of us in New York at the Brooklyn Museum from 04.05 to 07.15.08. "The most comprehensive retrospective to date of the work of internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami includes more than ninety works in various media that span the artist’s entire career, installed in more than 18,500 square feet of gallery space. Born in Tokyo in 1962, Murakami is one of the most influential and acclaimed artists to have emerged from Asia in the late twentieth century, creating a wide-ranging body of work that consciously bridges fine art, design, animation, fashion, and popular culture." Read the full description here. Don't forget to checkout his official website, this Japanorama interview with the artist, and this AdWeek Q&A.

2. Heard of Happy Tree Friends? I hadn't until this weekend. They look a bit like Murakami creatures, but with a dark, dark twist. "As indicated on the official site, the show is 'not recommended for small children'. Notwithstanding the cute appearance of its characters, the show is extremely violent, with every episode featuring blood, gore, and violent deaths." It's so awesome. You have to watch to understand. It's also one of those shows where either you like it and get it or you don't. There's not much middle ground. Checkout videos here, here, and here on YouTube. Enjoy!

3. I went to see the Voluptuous Horror Of Karen Black at The Armory on Friday, which was a Deitch sponsored event for the Whitney Biennial. I'd never been to The Armory, so that rocked. The space is enormous and so fit for a rock concert. The crowd was good too. The performance? Ok at best. I like the idea of TVHOKB and love that they're one of the last vestiges of 1990's New York and the East Village that's managed to get this far, but I think the space was too big for them and they're more of a performace kitsch thing for me, not a legit rock band.

4. As I was waiting for my paint to be mixed at Janovic Plaza on Saturday, I decided to walk to Union Square and back. On my way, I heard a familiar voice on the phone, but couldn't quite place it. Turns out, it was Adrien Brody. Exciting? Of course. Not so much to see him, but to see the reality of a celebrity looking just like everyone else. I'm guessing he's kind of in the know and has a little money to spend, so why was he drinking a Starbucks? The MUD truck is right across the street. Use it. And why is it that celebrities are almost always alone and always on the phone? Maybe it's a way to distract themselves from the public and to ensure nobody bothers them, although almost nobody even recognized him as he was under a hoodie and another hood on his jacket.