* F L A S H T U B E
A smattering of goodness.Archive for May, 2008
ROCKpaper Gallery: A Necessary Diversion
MADRID, NEW MEXICO – Once upon a great while, one happens upon a shop unlike any other. A shop that is as much inviting as it gives pause. In Paris, there’s such a shop called Deyrolle. In Madrid, New Mexico (pronounced “MAD-rid”), lives the American equivalent: ROCKpaper gallery.
Madrid is a small, dusty, cool little town of 200 souls, about 50 miles northeast of Albuquerque. No stoplights (or stop signs for that matter), the town was used as a backdrop for the film “Wild Hogs” (don’t bother) which has helped to boost tourism to the area. Madrid is chock-a-block with cafes, shops, and art galleries of all types, one might describe it as a less-pretentious Canyon Road. On the weekends, the town swells from tourists taking the long road to/from Santa Fe.
Anyhow, back to Rock Paper. Almost a year ago to the date, I happened into this place – a welcome relief from after several hours of gallery wandering. Upon entering, a strange feeling of familiarity came over me. Don’t know why, but the place just had this deja-vu quality and an interesting vibe: unassuming, sometimes macabre, perhaps even a bit daunting, but very inviting. The staff and owners are fantastic and happy to go into detail about any of the items for sale.
I returned to Rock Paper yesterday, and was admiring a piece called “Fallen Angel” (the legless, adolescent cherub shown bottom right in the photo at the top of this post) when the creator of the piece – Oma Anand Naren – strolled in. Oma is a local artist and had also created a few other, equally curious works on display. Much of the gallery is filled with works from by local artists. Rock Paper also has an impressive collection of curiosities created from found objects – apothecary jars, odd bits and pieces from the turn of the century – and as you might guess from the name, many, many scissors, both ancient and new. There is also an excellent photography exhibit in the rear of the gallery.
Bottom line is that if you find yourself in the environs of Albuquerque or Santa Fe, it’s well worth the short trek to Madrid. A visit to ROCKpaper will make your visit that much sweeter.
A Jet In Every Driveway
ALBUQUERQUE – I’ve been an aviation fan since I was a kid. Growing up, our street was on final approach to the Hayward Airport (KHWD), I’d forever be looking to the sky and admiring the single-engine Cessnas, multi turboprop SkyKings, and the occasional, massive, Air National Guard C-130 transports descending to land. Just after arriving at Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) this week to begin a short holiday, I had the distinct privilege of touring Eclipse Aviation headquarters and final assembly hangar.
If you’re an airplane junkie like me, you’ll know that Eclipse has started nothing short of a revolution in the aviation world with the creation of the Eclipse 500 – the first Very Light Jet (VLJ) on the market. Much like the introduction of the Cessna was meant to make flying a private plane affordable for the average person, Eclipse is making a similar splash around owning and operating a private jet. The Eclipse 500 was certified by the FAA in 2006 and are rolling off the line at almost one per day. The plane is commercially viable as well and is currently in use by several air taxi companies.
The Eclipse facility is impressive, spanning four large hangars at ABQ. This isn’t Boeing, mind you, but these guys definitely know their stuff, have exacting standards, and everyone I met has a seemingly endless enthusiasm for the company and its excellent product. (Heather, my tour guide and sales support representative, is already down the track to acquiring her private pilot’s license.)
The showroom and final assembly hangar are both spotless. The showroom features the first certified Eclipse 500, which now serves as demonstrator. Also in the showroom is the Eclipse Concept Jet – a sleek, V-tailed, single-turbofan Lamborghini of the private jet world. The Concept Jet demonstrator is jaw-droppingly cool and is apparently generating quite a bit of excitement among prospective buyers…can’t get certified soon enough. Also in the showroom is a working mockup of the new avionics system. (The Eclipse 500 practically flies itself, with the fully-redundant computers doing about 80% of the heavy lifting.) The tour was nothing short of fantastic, and I owe a huge thank you to the Eclipse staff…can’t wait to return. Check out this video of the Eclipse 500 in action.
So then, perhaps one day I will join the ranks of Eclipse owners, presented with a movie of my plane through each phase of development, and then watch in awe as the hangar door slowly opens.
