Just Checking In — with Alex
a series of catching up with friends, near and far.
ft. alex gallegos
your @/.com?
how do you take your coffee/tea?
I’m incredibly indecisive and even the baristas at my local coffee shop will tell you that. It can go from an oat matcha to a drip to a cortado!
describe your style in 3 words:
uniformal
simple
comfortable
your go-to stay-home outfit?
I’ve been wearing a black a-line skirt with a cropped black tee. It’s been my go-to even before quarantine!
a Song/album you have on repeat:
Christine and the Queens covering Travis Scotts’ HIGHEST IN THE ROOM. check it out
✸
what keeps you grounded?
My family, friends, and nature.
fav meal to make at home?
My “I’m feeling lazy meal” is also my go-to comfort meal which is throwing a bunch of veggies (and whatever else I have on hand) into a bowl with fresh herbs, tahini, lemon, toasted sesame oil, and za’atar.
what/who inspires you?
There are the little things that inspire me profoundly like a stranger on the street, evening light, conversations I overhear, and landscapes. The deep conversations I have with my friends inspire me a lot because they often shift my perspective on a subject and I enter a whole new way of thinking. I also find inspiration in artists — through their work and through interviews and conversations with them like Agnes Martin, Robert Irwin, Cassavetes, Annie Baker, Antonioni, Luis Baragan, and John Baldessari to name a few. The list could go on and on!
a hobby you do, and one you've always wanted to try?
I run and run and run! I’ve always wanted to try to do something that requires more craft like painting. I love looking at the brush strokes and textures up close (I miss museums!). However, I know I wouldn’t have the patience for it.
what makes a home?
In an interview, Greta Gerwig was asked the same thing and she said, “A home is a home when you have books you’ve actually read in it.” I would have to agree. And a lot of plants and fresh flowers!
1 little moment that brightened your day recently:
I saw a mariachi band playing for a family from the street and all of the family were out dancing on their balcony to the band. It looked so fun. Maybe a little risky in a time like this, but they definitely tried to make the most of out this weird uncertain time we're currently living in.
what are you reading/listening to/watching?
I just finished reading To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf and am now reading a book of interviews with Kiarostami and some Chekhov plays.
I’ve been listening to a bunch of different music depending on my mood. It’s been a lot of Christine and the Queens, Marvin Gaye, Grouper, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Lucinda Williams — it’s all over the map!
The Criterion Channel recently added more of Maurice Pialat’s films so, I’m finally diving into more of his work. I had watched A nos amours a few years ago and absolutely loved it. His films focus on the behavior of people and while you’re watching them you really become consumed with the character’s fears, confusion, and passions.
fav vintage item you own?
About 9 years ago now, I found a pair of black sandals at a goodwill in Kansas that look just like Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s Paloma Low Sandal before she designed them. I still have them, but they’re very worn down — I desperately need to take them to a shoe cobbler. I actually now own a pair of those MNZ sandals, but I still love my $3 pair more!
