Conversation Pièce de résistance

Chatter as of late seems to revolve around the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, the Lakers' quest to reclaim the title, and obtaining the secret number for Minetta Tavern.

But when you head out to Montauk or the Hamptons this summer, plop down one of these unconventional beach towels to spark a fresh conversation.

Art world fixture Yvonne Force Villareal rounded up four artist pals—Julian Schnabel, Karen Kilimnik, Ed Ruscha and Raymond Pettibon—and asked each one to submit an image of something that personally inspired him/her.

Pettibon, a real-life water baby known for his iconic wave series, illustrated his desire to literally "wrap" the water around him. An annotative quote imparts the sentiment: "Later he could be seen in the beach parking lot, behind his van, a towel wrapped around his middle, changing out of his wet summer suit."

The man clearly hails from southern California.

Then there's the infamous Mr. Schnabel. His circa-2007 "Navigation Drawings" are done in oil on vintage nautical maps, mounted on stretched linen. With great flair, his rendering of Martinique is reborn on 100% cotton.

Be on the lookout for Tracey Emin's print come Dec. 2009.

$50; available exclusively at worksonwhatever.com

Best Hotel in the World?

An engaged friend recently asked for seaside honeymoon suggestions since I am a tropical beach junkie. I immediately said she should go to Jade Mountain in St. Lucia, undoubtedly the greatest place I've ever been to in my entire life. (We mentioned it in our recent Caribbean travel package in the May/June issue.) The rooms only have three walls, and the fourth one is just a wide open view of the Piton mountains and the sea, which you can gaze out from your room's personal plunge pool. The picture here is of the actual room I stayed at two years ago, just as it opened. (No, I am not in the photo, and yes, feel free to hate me.) But honestly, as I told my friend, this is truly a place worth marrying for. One caveat: The toilet in the room only has three walls as well. (Weird!) But the lobby has very nice facilities, just in case you're not that close to your betrothed.

Hotel Heaven or Hell?

As you may have heard—literally and figuratively—a few très-très hotels have recently opened in the city. For the most part, their arrivals have had been highly anticipated in the blogosphere, but not so much in the actually neighborhoods in which they went up. As reported by curbed.com this morning, the boisterous fanfaronade constantly emanating from the Cooper Square and Thompson LES's outdoor areas, in particular, is starting to drive the locals nuts. Still, the question remains: Where should you recommend your out-of-town friends stay? Decide for yourself.

An alternative to Terminator...

Fans of the Dardenne brothers won't want to miss the retrospective happening now at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center. Last night we caught a screening of Rosetta, the 1999 Palme d'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival. In true Dardenne style, the focus was on the gritty, lower-class side of Belgium—in this case a young woman who's constantly searching for work and who shares a trailer park with her drunk mother. It's intense, philosophical and once you see it you won't be able to stop thinking about it.

Film junkies take note: The series continues with a screening of La Promesse Friday evening—it's the story of a slum landlord and his teenage son who rent tenements to immigrant workers—and will be followed by a conversation with the Dardennes at 8:30pm. Trust us, you won't want to miss it.

Paper Trail

Alpha and Omega, 2009 acrylic on wood and mirrors, 24 x 24 x 7 inches

Miami artist Jen Stark meticulously cuts stacks of colored paper with an X-Acto knife, creating eye-pleasing layers and designs that still manage to challenge. Her show at downtown gallery LMAKprojects, The Beginning of the End, is on now til June 21. Don’t miss it. That is all.
LMAKprojects, 139 Eldridge St. between Delancey and Broome, 212-255-9707

Finally!

Grizzly Bear's latest album Veckatimest is arguably one of the most anticipated releases of '09. The album was (finally!!) released today and tomorrow the Brooklyn quartet kick off their two-day stint at Town Hall. For more on the boys of Grizzly Bear, check out Manhattan's current issue.