ms. jones

I am secretly obsessed with Grace Jones. And openly obsessed with London. Which makes this new show, opening at the Vinyl Factory, the perfect fix.

I dig everything about Ms. Jones. She's stylish. Avant garde. Timeless. Autonomous. Androgynous. And I'm not just talking about her haircut and broad shoulders--she embodies a cultural androgyny that speaks volumes about the times in which we live.

Born in Jamaica. Moved to US at age 12. Became a model, actor, singer. Moved to London. In an interview from 1986, she speaks with an American accent. In an interview from last year, a British one with a slight Latin drawl. Physically, she is a shape-shifting chameleon, a different look and style for every season. And even Lady Gaga's copying her.

Admittedly, I would not want to be Grace Jones. (Well, let me think about that for a minute.) People who push against the grain, stay consistently out of step with the mainstream, are the trailblazers who yank the rest of us forward. In some ways, I've always fancied myself as that kind of person, but I'm far more skittish about the kind of fishbowl isolation that lifestyle brings. It's really easy to call oneself an artist or progressive or avant garde than to actually live that life. I don't follow Lady Gaga or pop culture much, but from what I can tell, she's more of an image than a reality. For goodness sake, she makes pop music.

But I certainly wouldn't mind channeling my inner Ms. Jones from time to time. When I want to be bold and fierce and fabulous and free from social constrictions. She might be a little cooky, a little crazy, but I'll take what she's having.