Garden of Cosmic Speculation

My mother read voraciously right up to a week before she died. She had a wide range of interests - everything from the latest detective stories to esoteric tomes on Victorian England and many aspects of science and technology. After her death I took home a large box of books that she had finished reading.

One of the first books I grabbed from the box was a recent novel by Louise Penny (The Long Way Home). It made reference to a location called the Garden of Cosmic Speculation. I just assumed that it was a fictional construct and read past all of the references. When my husband picked up the book he recognized that it was an actual place and asked me to Google it.

Wow wow wow. I have a history of being fascinated by large scale art projects but I had never heard of this one. There isn't a good website about it but you can learn more by reading blogs written by people who have visited. This is a good one. You can also Google images and browse through lots and lots of views of various aspects of the garden.

The garden was designed by Charles Jencks, architectural critic and historian. His website provides details on many other projects.

If you want to visit, the garden is only open for five hours, one day a year. Mark your calendar for April 30, 2017.

My husband isn't usually drawn to things like this but as a mathematician he was intrigued. He suggested that we should do something similar on our land in Berwick. I think it's a good thing that he'd rather ride his bike than work in the yard.

Film fest

Last year, before I went into the hospital, I signed up for Netflix. I thought it might come in handy if I tried to use my iPad and headphones to block out hospital sights and sounds. I was right. I ended up binge watching House of Cards, at least until I became totally disgusted with the evil behavior of the protagonists. Most nights when the nurses came in for their checks I was awake and would discuss plot points with them.

I have watched my fair share of series since then. Mad Men and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt have been my favourites. But mostly I watch documentaries. I have learned a lot about chefs and bike riders and silly adventurers. In general, I have found the subjects amusing but forgettable. There are exceptions to that pattern, though. I have seen three films that have stuck with me, two in the last week. For some reason they seem like a package - an interesting amalgam of images and themes. If you choose to watch all three I suggest that you view them in this, or the reverse, order.

Gerhard Richter Painting

This article in Border Crossings summarizes the film and why you might want to watch it. I loved the scenes of Richter painting. I knew nothing about his technique and my immediate reaction was to think how much fun it must be. But the film makes it clear that it is very hard work. The director did an excellent job of conveying the universal nature of the struggles inherent in creating art. I was most struck by the way in which Richter considers the question of "When is it done?".

If you can't access the film through iTunes or Netflix here's a short video of Richter at work.





Salt of the Earth

This film documents the career of Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado. I had never heard of him and found his monochrome images breathtaking. For me they were a master class in the use of value. I intend to buy at least one of his books so that I can revisit his talent. The film itself tells the story of the impact of his work on Salgado and the ways in which he is forced to accommodate to those effects. It is ultimately a hopeful story.




This TED talk tells his story and lets you see some more of his images.





Tyke Elephant Outlaw

Warning: this is a disturbing film but that's why you should see it. The filmmakers set out to understand the life of Tyke, an African elephant who killed her trainer and then escaped into the streets of Honolulu in 1994. She was ultimately killed by the police. When that footage is shown near the beginning of the movie I couldn't watch and had to fast forward. By the end, I could see that her murder ended her pain and could watch all the way through.

Here is the trailer. It contains a few seconds of graphic footage.


I don't think this trailer gives you a good sense of the filmmakers' point of view so don't use it to determine whether you want to watch the documentary.


If you don't have Netflix, check iTunes or your library or, in Canada, the CBC to see whether they offer these films.

Mesmerizing

I wish I could travel to see the Wonder exhibition at the Smithsonian.

I think my favourites are the Maya Lin piece and the one by Tara Donovan. I had never heard of Donovan but did some research. Here is a link to a wonderful piece made entirely styrofoam cups and you can read an interview with her here. Google her name to see many more images. 

Untitled by Tara Donovan (2014)

detail of Untitled by Tara Donovan (2014)

Numbers again

22 letters, 1 space.

Delicious rhubarb curd or how-to-magnify-the-caloric-value-of-rhubarb.

Food for your eyes and brain.



INGER JOHANNE RASMUSSEN. Retold Stories from Inger Johanne Rasmussen on Vimeo.

To learn more about her collaboration with the writer Terje Nordby, go here. You will see images of her work which are accompanied by Nordby reading his text aloud in English.

Making a new normal

After reading my post yesterday a friend sent me a quote.

The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made. And the activity of making them changes both the maker and their destination. 

John Schaar

I haven't talked with her for some time so I found that very spooky. I definitely feel these days like I am actively creating my future, not just waiting for it to happen. I think I have always done that to a certain extent but recently it has seemed more deliberate on my part. 

My yoga experiment is definitely a part of the process. I am noticing desirable changes after the first month of three classes per week. Imbalances in my body are disappearing, I am stronger and, best of all, I can sleep. More than that I have to sleep. I can't remember being unable to keep my eyes open since I was three years old. But last night it happened. I couldn't stay awake and had to go to bed at 8:30. I fell asleep promptly and drifted off quickly each time I was awakened.

There are other ways in which I am trying to create my future. I hope to document them here soon. In the meantime, here's some eye candy. At the SAQA retreat I was introduced to the work of Mr. Finch. He uses found and recycled materials to create animals, insects, plants and fungi.

From the files

The DNA panel is complete. Despite all of my math and measuring the image came out about an inch shorter than it should have. I didn't notice until I was past the point where I could have made a saving change. It bugs me today; I won't see it tomorrow.

Doing a glue test to determine the best way to adhere the paper dolls. That's the last experimentation. Then I just have to mount and adhere the text.

Here are some things I stashed to share.

Ellen Jewett creates amazing sculptures.

Isobel Currie is a 3D embroiderer. Check out her website. This is my favourite.

Picture this

I have been doing some reading and research for an activity I will be leading at a FAB meeting in a couple of weeks. Even though it is not directly related, I was prompted to pick up and re-read my copy of Picture This: How Pictures Work by Molly Bang. It is a fascinating exploration of how the structure of a picture affects our emotional response.

I Googled to see if the book is still available. It is, on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca among other sellers. I also found a link to a site which has lifted and reproduced much of the book. I assume this was done without permission. I am linking to it here, but only so you can get an idea of the content. The actual book contains much more text and explanation. If you enjoy this material, please respect the author's copyright and purchase the real book or borrow it from your library.

Time = 1 hr, 15 min

Amazing performance of dance and technology

I spent the best part of the morning drafting a layout for the mitochondrion piece. I need to find the correct balance for the various elements. It is possible that I have made things too complicated. Now is the time to find out. I also experimented with a variety of non-traditional fabrics to see if I liked them better for the muscle portion. And it has occurred to me that I might want to frame the whole thing in something that references bone. See what I mean - too complicated.

Here's something very complicated yet strikingly simple and wonderful. These are snippets from an hour long dance performance conceived by Adrien Mondot and Claire Bardainne in collaboration with hio-hop chorepgrapher Cie Kafig. The piece is entitled Pixel and it mixes digital projection mapping techniques with the movement of eleven dancers. Wouldn't you like to see the whole thing?


 
Pixel - extraits from Adrien M / Claire B on Vimeo.




Time = 2 hr, 29 min

Caught up in real life

The problem with recovering as quickly as I did is that I didn't get to enjoy many dayswriting and creating with fabric. Instead, things have returned to a normal kind of busy and then some. So far this week I have taught more indoor cycling classes than ever before, including five classes on Tuesday alone. And then there are the volunteer responsibilities which were deferred by my surgery.

Here are some things have made me happy and kept my brain spinning over the last few days when I wasn't able to write a blog post.

This song gets me singing along. It is very poppy but that's what we need as the darkness of the winter starts to creeps in. The video doesn't make any sense. I suspect that's bound to happen when an Australian band uses the name of an Apache leader as a hook for their song. Nonsense was bound to be the outcome.



I am blown away by what Zemer Peled does with shards of pottery. Follow the link and see for yourself.

Untitled     Zemer Peled

Shannon Weber creates art from objects and materials she finds in nature. It is easy to dismiss work like hers with thoughts like "I could do that." Try it. It is much more difficult than it looks. She prefers that people not share her images so go to her website to see the magical forms she creates.

Lights at night

Sometime in 1976 or 1977 I was doing field research in rainforests of El Junque on Puerto Rico and four of us drove to the southern shore of the island. The trip took us to Ponce on the Caribbean shore. We stayed in a rustic guest house and I remember a great dinner of local fish. But the highlight of our time away was a night trip on a boat into a bay that was full of bioluminescent plankton. At the time there was a single operator but it seems to have turned into a big tourist attraction. The patterns of light in the water were magical and the experience was made more memorable because it was my first experience of semi-tropical nights.

Many years later my husband and I joined a sea kayak paddle in the waters of Mahone Bay in Nova Scotia on a very dark August night. All of the boats were equipped with a single light which faced both forward and backward. It was so calm that we did not need to keep the boats together. The outlines of the boats were lost as soon as they were a few feet away. All that was left was the light. I remember being entranced by the sight of the lights dancing across the bay. My husband and I have night kayaked many times near our home but we have always been alone so have not been able to reproduce the magic of that group paddle.

I was reminded of those two events when I saw the photos of a new project in the Netherlands.  Daan Roosegaarde has used glow in the dark paint and some LED lights to create a pattern on a kilometre long section of bike path. The pattern references the swirling stars of Van Gogh's Starry Night. Follow some of the links in this article to see some or Roosegarde's other ideas about how to light public spaces.

Gifts (1)

I went to work today to prepare for the resumption on Thursday of my indoor cycling classes. As I often do, I stopped in to see Judith. I had several things to show her. Some of those will appear on the blog very soon; others will have to wait until after Christmas.

After I had shown her the first item, Judith broke in to tell me that she had a small gift for me. She reached out and put a white ceramic thimble in my hand. The thimble was marked on the inside with a black X and a signature. She told me to slip it onto my finger and see if I wasn't suddenly struck by the calm that comes from handwork. I did - and I was. She explained that she had picked it up at an exhibition at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic art during a visit in September. The artist, Robin Lambert, had designed his piece to invite visitors to pick up and take away a thimble.

Here is a link to the site for the RBC Emerging Artist People's Choice Award. Each of the photos links to more information on the artists. 

The video gives some insight into Lambert's piece, entitled I Should Like to Give You a Kiss. In October it won the people's choice award. 




It is is difficult to tell from the website but Judith told me that there was a display of white thimbles on the wall with a white shag rug on the floor beneath them. Visitors were allowed to touch the thimbles and even to keep them. Apparently the staff have made some interesting observations about the behaviour of the visitors with respect to what they touch. I am fascinated because this work is parallel to my interest in repeated forms and participatory art. It bears an eerie resemblance to my 'community' piece (which is awaiting a delivery of hundreds of snap fasteners.)

Judith thought that the thimble could serve to calm me during doctor's visits or at other times when I wanted to induce feelings of contentment. But it does much more than that. That small piece of white ceramic reminds me, again, of the number of people who share my interests and who care for me, either in person or in their thoughts. I will never be alone and that is a priceless gift.

Tomorrow I will share another item - another perfect gift.

Wonderful

Enjoy. I think this is pretty wonderful.

Dancing in air

I first saw this video when I was flat on my back in a hospital bed. The freedom of the dancers moved me to tears.

Now I see and hear the dancers' joy.




This was filmed vertically on the walls of Oakland's city hall. The dancers are Amelia Rudolph and Roel Seeber. I received the original link from This is Colossal. Check out the recent pictures of the San Francisco salt ponds.

Something has changed

A few weeks ago a close friend said "Your work is going to change." She meant that it would change after my encounter with cancer. I facetiously asked her if she thought that I would suddenly start using colour instead of my usual greys and blacks. She replied "I don't know but something will change."

She's right. But not in the way I think she meant. My perspective on time is different now and that is mostly evident in how I am thinking about spending my creative time after my recovery. A number of incidents have triggered the insights which are starting to trickle into my head. 

When we did our Oh, Canada road trip we ended up at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre in Moncton where one of the galleries was located. We were too early for the gallery so we wandered and met an artist who told us about a fibre artist who had a studio on the third floor. We hustled upstairs where we met Marjolaine Bourgeois.  With her permission I have reproduced images of two of the works which were on her wall. 

À bras, 2014, Marjolaine Bourgeois

Les pieds dans l'eau, 2014, Marjolaine Bourgeois

You may or may not like her work but that wasn't what made the impression on me. We had a lovely conversation about why she does what she does and what sacrifices she has made to be a full-time artist. It made me think.

Then I stumbled on the artist interviews at World of Threads. Go and look even if you think you have no interest in fibre art. This is not your grandmother's fibre. Think sculpture and paint and installation. I read interview after interview after interview. And all I could think about was how precious time must be to all of the artists. A few months ago I would have been looking at materials and techniques and subject matter and design.

My friend was right - my work will change because I have a different perception of the value of time and I will use it differently. Nothing will be the same.

It began with the bear

If you attempted to comment on yesterday's post, please try again. I mistakenly left the settings so that it was impossible to make anonymous comments.

I have been giving a lot of thought lately to the merits of several approaches to making art, specifically my art. My highly personal analysis and categorization is as follows:

1. Go where the winds take you. In these instances I become enamoured of a new technique or get accosted by the idea of creating a piece for a themed show.

2. Make your point, without regard for how others will receive the result. It is difficult to describe but, for me, this approach incorporates the idea that a viewer should be able to tell that there is a message, even if they can't figure out what it is. Also inherent in my thoughts about this approach is that the work not necessarily be attractive to viewers. In this scenario the message and my satisfaction trump everything else.

3. Make something attractive and make your point in a way that is really obvious to the viewers. This is a sensible option and one I see chosen a lot but it holds no appeal for me. And it sounds difficult - it means you have to excel at two things. It seems to me that most people fail at one or the other. Perhaps that explains my lack of interest.

4. Make something nice, that you like and which will also appeal to viewers, just because you can and the world needs more nice things. I have consistently rejected this way of working. In my mind, this approach is often linked to #1.

There are, of course, other options and other ways of stating them but that's what rolls around in my head on a daily basis.

My thoughts on these approaches shifted while I was away. The Oh, Canada show included lots of works that made me wonder what the curator was thinking and which even made me angry because they seemed a waste of gallery space. But there were several pieces that were attractive to me. I wanted to be in their presence because of the way they looked and made me feel. I was certain that the creators had a very definite point of view and that there was intellect and emotion behind the work but I could not discern the messages even after several visits with the artwork.

It began with the bear. When writing about the Oh, Canada show on this and the SAQA Atlantic blog I chose to use an image of a life size grizzly bear covered in handmade felt roses. I initially made that choice because it was the only piece of fibre art in the show. But as I continued to look at the images they grew on me.

Now I think the bear has taught me something or helped me decide which path is for me. We didn't get to see the piece, entitled Widow by Janice Wright Cheney from Fredericton, until our final stop at the Owens Art Gallery at Mount Allison University. It is the first thing you see when you walk into the building. It was interesting for me to view and record the reaction of one of my friends when we entered the gallery. Her face lit up, she ran to the bear and immediately posed for a picture. Who wouldn't want to create that kind of reaction? There was no doubt that the attractiveness of the object sustained our interest and kept us there long enough to wonder about the meaning.

When I returned home I spent a lot of time on the artist's website and have looked at all of the pages and followed all of the links. She has a definite interest and point of view and is unafraid of creating work which viewers may find unattractive and even disturbing. The story behind the bear can be found here.

The other piece which struck all of us was also at the Owens gallery. It was Knight of Infinite Resignation by Diane Landry of Quebec City. Her website describes it as a sound installation with automation. It sat alone in a large darkened room. Each of the wheels was motorized and turned at a constant speed. On all but two of the wheels the bottles had sand which fell over the lights as the wheel turned and then fell away moments later. This extinguished and revealed the lights one by one. The sand made a sound as it moved across the surfaces of the bottles.

The effect was intriguing and mesmerizing. We all spent a lot of time in that room and returned to it again before we left the gallery. All of us agreed that we would like to live with the piece or something similar. We speculated about the meaning and the text on her site confirms that we were on the right track. As an aside, you can see that there are electrical cords on the floors. I found that sort of thing intrusive in other technology based artwork in the show but the visual and aural impact of this one overrode that distraction.

In both instances, the bear and the lights, I engaged with the art because of its form and then I stayed for the message. In the case of the Widow I could never have guessed what was at work in the artist's head while I came close with Landry's piece. I think this experience has helped me push back a resistance to 'pretty' that is inherent in my interpretation of approach #2. I see the merit in capturing the attention of the viewer for an extended period and it is the superficial appearance that accomplishes that goal. But I am also sustained in my conviction that there must be meaning, even if if it is impenetrable to the viewer.

So where does that leave me? I think most of the time I use approach #2. It feels like that's the right track for me but I will probably make a small shift toward 'attractive' in its purest sense of drawing people in.

That's a lot of deep thinking. Here's something else to chew on. What is your reaction to the bear when you learn that it was created over a commercial taxidermy form and was constructed with the aid of several people? What if you also learned that the participation of others was an important part of the meaning/message of the piece?

Month of fun road trip

I'm off with two friends to Prince Edward Island and then New Brunswick to see the Oh Canada show of contemporary Canadian art. The show was originally created for the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and was mounted there in 2012. In June I was surprised to read that it was coming to the Maritimes this summer. That was made possible by the cooperation of four galleries, two university-based, one provincial and one private, in two provinces. It is a fantastic model and one we should support if we want other significant shows to travel east of Montreal.

I had originally arranged to travel to the show with one friend in early September. My surgery date put an end to those plans so I am delighted that we have found a way to make the trip and that we have added another person. That just means more giggles, more eyes to watch for street signs and more opinions about what we see. There will also undoubtedly be wine and ice cream.

Links to inspire

I have two finished projects to showcase but they will wait. Today it is all about a link fest - things I have read and seen in the last few days that have inspired or educated me, or both.

Read the Yarn Harlot's description of her experience on a charity bike ride from Toronto to Montreal. Her determination to complete what she started is admirable. But what I really liked was the fact that several of the commenters complimented Amanda and Pato for making the decision to take the bus on a difficult and rainy day. When I coach I teach that deciding to get off your bike to walk or accept a lift is extremely difficult. Once you have done it, though, it feels wonderful. That's not because your suffering is over but because you realize that you did what was right for you. It sounds like everyone in Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's family group had important experiences which will change the course of their lives.

Go here to see the routines performed by the top ten on So You Think you Can Dance last night. They were almost all wonderful - the competitors rose to another level when paired with more experienced partners. This routine, by former winner Chehon ( a ballet dancer) and competitor Jacquie (also trained in ballet), and choreographed by the talented Travis Wall, really resonated with me. I saw magic in the perfect combination of planning and control. The combination sounds like it would result in something dry and unattractive but instead we see compelling and seemingly effortless beauty.




And just for fun, from all star Twitch and competitor Jessica, choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha. There is just as much planning and control here but it is easy to let the story divert us.



I have been poking around on the internet looking at large scale installations and went back to look at Ai Weiwei's work for the Unilever Series at the Tate Modern Museum in London. For the series artists are asked to produce site-specific pieces for the Turbine Hall at the museum. I was intrigued by Weiwei's concept the first time I saw it. A few years later it raises all sorts of issues for me: What kind of courage and determination does it take to conceive and execute something like this? How does one go about engaging the imagination and work of enough people to make it happen?

I have installed a slideshow in the sidebar on the right side of this page. It shows 12x12 inch works of fibre or quilt art which have been donated to Studio Art Quilt Associates. They will be sold in a reverse auction beginning on September 15. The group of artworks contains pieces by acknowledged masters as well as quilts submitted by much less experienced artists. It is those latter people who inspire me. It is both a generous and courageous gesture to submit a piece and then watch to see if it sells at a high price, at a lower price, at an even lower price or not at all. At the SAQA conference I spoke to someone whose donation last year didn't sell and was returned to her. To add further insult she had to pay duty on the package. To her credit she has continued to donate pieces to SAQA. In fact, I bought one at an auction in May. I will post a picture after I receive permission from her to use the image.

Large art

Once again I find myself entranced by a large installation piece. This one incorporates my fascination with repeated elements.

888,246 hand-crafted ceramic poppies will be planted in the moat of the Tower of London. The work began this week, the 100th anniversary of Great Britain's and many Commonwealth countries' (including Canada and Newfoundland) entry into World War I, and will be completed on November 11. Each poppy represents a British or Colonial fatality in the war. The piece, entitled Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red was conceived by ceramicist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper. The Huffington Post has more photos. You can read about the project and see a video here.

I don't know what it is but the sight of those repeated forms literally takes my breath away. In this case it might be the fact that each of those stands for a life tragically cut short but I think it is more than that. I see our individual lives played out in the repetition. The accumulation of similar elements add up to a marvelous whole. That seems to me a statement of hope, not despair. 

When I grow up

I would like to be able to create work that is effective as this with the same economy of line and colour.

Waterlevel 1/Waterspiegel 1 by Pauline MM Nijenhuis

Check out the artist's website for more information.

Grace under pressure

So You Think You Can Dance is a television show which purports to select "America's favorite dancer". Amateur and some specialized professionals (hip hop, ballet) dancers in many genres go through an audition process and a small group is invited to a week long selection camp. Twenty dancers are then chosen for the televised competition. Each week the dancers are paired with one fellow competitor and matched with a dance style and choreographer. After a few hours with the choreographer and a couple of days of rehearsal they must perform in front of a live audience and judges. The dance styles include everything from contemporary to hip hop and ballroom and unusual genres such as Bollywood and African jazz are also represented. Competitors are almost always required to dance outside of their own genre. Each week at least one male and one female dancer are sent home, based on judging by the public. In the end, the individuals with wide skill sets, the ability to learn quickly, a strong work ethic and the capacity to perform under pressure rise to the top. 

This week was an important one in the scheme of the program. The field was reduced to ten competitors from fourteen. The top ten go on tour and from hereon in are matched with "all stars" from last seasons with whom they perform until they are eliminated. At the outset of the show last night, six dancers (three women and three men) were put in jeopardy based on having the lowest vote totals after the show last week. After receiving that news they were then asked to dance their competitive routines.

One couple, Casey and Jessica, have been perceived to be front-runners ever since the auditions. It was a surprise to see them in the bottom six although Jessica has received some fair criticism for her facial expressions and inability to connect emotionally. Last night they were given a contemporary routine by choreographer Travis Wall, who is himself an alumnus of the show. He has turned into an amazing choreographer who has won Emmy awards and has his own dance company. In the context of SYTYCD, dancers who draw the 'Travis card' are guaranteed a spectacular routine but that places more pressure on them to live up to his work and reputation. Imagine the stress Jessica and Casey must have felt as they took the stage knowing that their time on the show was likely dependent on this single performance.

Here is what happened.





Spoiler alert: I will reveal at the end of this post whether this remarkable display of grace under pressure was sufficient to save Jessica and Casey from elimination.

For a taste of more of the wonderfulness that is SYTYCD here are a few more videos. As you watch them remember that there are tap, ballet, contemporary, jazz and hip hop dancers in the mix. They will be penalized if they are unable to perform in the style they are given and match the movements of the others in the group numbers.

This performance is from the first show of the season which served as a showcase for the top twenty dancers. The competitors were paired with others in their own discipline. Here Jessica danced with Ricky, the strongest dancer this season. The choreographer was Sonya Tayeh.

For the last two weeks the producers have let us enjoy group numbers by the women and men. From last week, here is Travis Wall's group number. 




And here are the top seven girls from last night in a number choreographed by Mandy Moore.

And the men, back with Travis Wall.

Spoiler alert:





Jessica and Casey preserved their spot on the show, at least for one more week. Four other dancers were sent home.