"Making art has first of all to do with honesty. My first lesson was to see objectively, to erase all ‘meaning’ of the thing seen. Then only, could the real meaning of it be understood and felt."
--Ellsworth Kelly
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Ellsworth Kelly
About reasons to be a mover
"I think that one of the reasons I got involved in dance
is to finish my movement development.
Because I have a hunger to find,
and to finish,
and to explore,
to do essentially what babies do when they begin to move.
A hunger to find out more of what movement is or can be.
I think it provides a service to keep the search alive
in a culture,
which has engineered an environment which requires physical and sensorial suppression to exist in.
Most of the people who study dance aren’t ambitious to be dancers, in fact.
Or aren’t serious about that ambition.
I think they’re trying to complete physicality
that gets messed up by sitting for 12 years in school, or longer.
Essentially, urban civilization has cut off from movement and sensorial development which would occur in a natural environment.
I mean the sense of smell is leaving.
The sense of sight is rigidly controlled by readings,
by television,
by school,
by signage,
by words everywhere in the city.
In fact there are many kinds of of control or implicit visual message
about how to interact with the city.
Here there is more neon than nuance.
Food is advertised rather than hunted for.
Entertainment becomes divorced from ingenuity.
I’m not complaining because it is about 15,000 years too late to change direction.
I have found the cities very interesting places,
but when I return to the country I am struck by the difference in what is required by the senses.
It is appalling how we disuse the body.
Dance remind us about that.
Dance explores some of the physical possibilities.
Dance refocuses our focusing mind on very basic existence,
and time, space, gravity, open up to creativity.
This seems to me a reminder of nature, of our natures,
and as such it provides a service to us in our physical doldrums.
It is a wakeup call to deadened urbanites,
a stimulus, to work-habituated bodies,
a promise to developing children …
Even those country folk who cope with their natural environment
use their bodiies more and more often
fall into a routine and mold their bodies into tools
from which creativity has departed
dance will remind them of their feet, their spines, their reach
I think its good for us"
is to finish my movement development.
Because I have a hunger to find,
and to finish,
and to explore,
to do essentially what babies do when they begin to move.
A hunger to find out more of what movement is or can be.
I think it provides a service to keep the search alive
in a culture,
which has engineered an environment which requires physical and sensorial suppression to exist in.
Most of the people who study dance aren’t ambitious to be dancers, in fact.
Or aren’t serious about that ambition.
I think they’re trying to complete physicality
that gets messed up by sitting for 12 years in school, or longer.
Essentially, urban civilization has cut off from movement and sensorial development which would occur in a natural environment.
I mean the sense of smell is leaving.
The sense of sight is rigidly controlled by readings,
by television,
by school,
by signage,
by words everywhere in the city.
In fact there are many kinds of of control or implicit visual message
about how to interact with the city.
Here there is more neon than nuance.
Food is advertised rather than hunted for.
Entertainment becomes divorced from ingenuity.
I’m not complaining because it is about 15,000 years too late to change direction.
I have found the cities very interesting places,
but when I return to the country I am struck by the difference in what is required by the senses.
It is appalling how we disuse the body.
Dance remind us about that.
Dance explores some of the physical possibilities.
Dance refocuses our focusing mind on very basic existence,
and time, space, gravity, open up to creativity.
This seems to me a reminder of nature, of our natures,
and as such it provides a service to us in our physical doldrums.
It is a wakeup call to deadened urbanites,
a stimulus, to work-habituated bodies,
a promise to developing children …
Even those country folk who cope with their natural environment
use their bodiies more and more often
fall into a routine and mold their bodies into tools
from which creativity has departed
dance will remind them of their feet, their spines, their reach
I think its good for us"
Monday, 29 September 2014
Trisha Brown
Trisha Brown's movement investigations (both in her dance and visual art practices) found the extraordinary in the everyday and challenged existing perceptions of what constitutes performance. Her work always leaves me with the desire to move and explore. Priceless. I highly recommend exploring her lifes work.
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Saturday, 27 September 2014
Saturday Poem
Winter Wrath
My anger is such that the very ice-fields would melt,
if I had the power.
If I had the power.
—Joyce Carol Oates.
My anger is such that the very ice-fields would melt,
if I had the power.
If I had the power.
—Joyce Carol Oates.
Friday, 26 September 2014
Thursday, 25 September 2014
Attitude of Gratitude
"I think a lot about gratitude. It’s
easy for us to have it when we are doing something that brings us great joy, or
comfort: when we are with a friend who make us laugh, when we receive good news
that alleviates worry, when we are in the presence and beauty of nature. But,
what about all the other times, times that are challenging, and full of more
difficult feelings like pain and sadness. And even times when the unthinkable
happens, like when the person we love most in our life dies.
It leaves me wondering - Do we
abandon gratitude during the times when we might need it the most?"
-- Lauren Spencer King
(image from junglewizz)
If this isn't nice, what is?
"One of the things (Uncle Alex) found objectionable about human beings was that they so rarely noticed it when they were happy. He himself did his best to acknowledge it when times were sweet. We could be drinking lemonade in the shade of the apple tree in the summertime, and Uncle Alex would interrupt the conversation to say, "If this isn't nice, what is?"
So I hope that you will do the same for the rest of your lives. When things are going sweetly and peacefully, please pause a moment, and then say out loud, "If this isn't nice, what is?"
From a commencement speech by Kurt Vonnegut
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
Embracing the Rain
“Make sure to have a moment of self-reflection in an undisturbed puddle”
When it rains, it pours. And during these
extreme weather days, that means a lot! Here are some ideas for
rainy-day activities indoors and out.
As the long summer shifts into fall, we welcome not only the turning leaves, but also a change in weather. With perpetual sunshine behind us (well, for some of us), we must embrace the crisp air and the coming rain with full force. The right attitude and rainy-day adventures can be the best way to welcome this new season. We have a few suggestions on how to make the most of your next storm....
Take a Stroll
We’ve been fooled in thinking that rainy days mean we must lock ourselves in our houses until the sun comes out. There’s something wonderful about taking a stroll through the park or any natural space in the rain. The key here is to be prepared. First, have an umbrella on hand at home. Secondly, expect to get wet. Oftentimes we dread walking through the rain because we are on our way to work or to meet a friend and we want to look presentable. Instead, the goal isn’t dryness, but rather to experience the beauty of nature through the lens of precipitation. Don’t forget to stick your tongue out to catch some raindrops before heading back indoors.
Puddle Jump
There aren’t many aspects of potholes to be praised. But when it rains, these traffic maladies turn into glorious pools of amusement. After a steady downpour, slip on pair of Wellies and take to the streets. Jump from puddle to puddle trying to make the biggest splash. Don’t be afraid to bring a partner in crime along to try some cool tricks or to sing songs as you hop around. Before you head back inside, make sure to have a moment of self-reflection in an undisturbed puddle.
Feed Your Creative Spirit
Gray skies and rainy days bring along an insightful mood. Take the time to feed your contemplation and creativity, no matter what form it might take. For those seeking rest, cuddle up with a book by the fire. For those seeking to make and express, paint, write a letter, journal or simply draw stick figures on foggy windowpanes.
Take a Breath
Right after the downpour has ceased and you have made the most of your rainy day, indoors or out, step outside your front door and take a deep breath. Few things compare to the smell that follows a good rain.
(read the rest here)
As the long summer shifts into fall, we welcome not only the turning leaves, but also a change in weather. With perpetual sunshine behind us (well, for some of us), we must embrace the crisp air and the coming rain with full force. The right attitude and rainy-day adventures can be the best way to welcome this new season. We have a few suggestions on how to make the most of your next storm....
Take a Stroll
We’ve been fooled in thinking that rainy days mean we must lock ourselves in our houses until the sun comes out. There’s something wonderful about taking a stroll through the park or any natural space in the rain. The key here is to be prepared. First, have an umbrella on hand at home. Secondly, expect to get wet. Oftentimes we dread walking through the rain because we are on our way to work or to meet a friend and we want to look presentable. Instead, the goal isn’t dryness, but rather to experience the beauty of nature through the lens of precipitation. Don’t forget to stick your tongue out to catch some raindrops before heading back indoors.
Puddle Jump
There aren’t many aspects of potholes to be praised. But when it rains, these traffic maladies turn into glorious pools of amusement. After a steady downpour, slip on pair of Wellies and take to the streets. Jump from puddle to puddle trying to make the biggest splash. Don’t be afraid to bring a partner in crime along to try some cool tricks or to sing songs as you hop around. Before you head back inside, make sure to have a moment of self-reflection in an undisturbed puddle.
Feed Your Creative Spirit
Gray skies and rainy days bring along an insightful mood. Take the time to feed your contemplation and creativity, no matter what form it might take. For those seeking rest, cuddle up with a book by the fire. For those seeking to make and express, paint, write a letter, journal or simply draw stick figures on foggy windowpanes.
Take a Breath
Right after the downpour has ceased and you have made the most of your rainy day, indoors or out, step outside your front door and take a deep breath. Few things compare to the smell that follows a good rain.
(read the rest here)
Alma Thomas
"I have always enjoyed the progressive creativeness of the artist as he releases himself from the past. He gives new, exciting expressions through experiences from this rapidly changing world of science, economics, religion, society, and new materials…through my impressions of nature and the space program I hoped to impart beauty, joy, love and peace."
--Alma Thomas
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
Ettore Spalletti
Yes, the colour, as it shifts, occupies the space and we enter. The frame that delimited the space is no longer there. Taking it away, the colour takes on the space and invades the space. And when this happens, it’s miraculous.
--Ettore Spalletti, 2006
Libra: This week does not have to be such a big week; this week does not have to bear all the weight of the past and the future, and it does not have to bear the weight of all of your secret dreams. This week, try to give yourself a moment to rest. Take a bath, take a day off, take a minute to watch the sky. You’ve survived so many things already, and all you have to do this week is be very good to other people. All you have to do this week is be kind.
-- Madame Clairevoyant
-- Madame Clairevoyant
Recommended Read
I have just finished reading this, for the second time, and i recommend it highly!
It is a very sensitive, poetic book. A reflection on time and space, in relation to love, pulled together by poetry, essays, reviews and philosophy...it's so hard to describe you need to read it!
It's definitely the most beautiful meditation on love I've come across thus far.
images from here.
Reflection
[ri-flek-shuh n]
1. the act of reflecting or the state of being reflected.
2. an image; representation; counterpart.
3. a fixing of the thoughts on something; careful consideration.
4. a thought occurring in consideration or meditation.
5. an unfavorable remark or observation.
6. the casting of some imputation or reproach.
Sunday, 21 September 2014
Saturday, 20 September 2014
Saturday Poem
give your daughters difficult names.
give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue.
my name makes you want to tell me the truth.
my name doesn’t allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right.
― Warsan Shire
give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue.
my name makes you want to tell me the truth.
my name doesn’t allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right.
― Warsan Shire
Saturday Cartoon
"Imperfect moments linked together to a less imperfect flow. Thats the nature of flow - it makes us a bit better."
- Ido Portal
Thursday, 18 September 2014
'the task in hand'
"She felt panic. She had with some pain cleared this small space and time to think in and now thought seemed impossible. She remembered from what now seemed the astonishing free and spacious days of her education the phenomenon of the first day's work on a task. One had to peel one's mind from its run of preoccupations: coffee to buy, am I in love, the yellow dress needs cleaning, Tim is unhappy, what is wrong with Marcus, how shall I live my life? It took time before the task in hand seemed possible, and more still before it became imperative and obsessive. There had to be a time before thought, a woolgathering time when nothing happened, a time of yawning, of wandering eyes and feet, of reluctance to do what would finally become delightful and energetic."
A.S. Byatt, Still Life.
The Art of Improvisation
When it comes to my own movement practice, be it yoga asana, climbing, dance, making things or going out for a run, the holy grail is improvisation. Ido Portal is a big advocate of this and it's his 'Three I's' that have inspired me here....I've added the first I...
Intention
What do you need from your
practice right now?
Regardless of what you actually do, if your
practice is an expression of what is alive in you now, that practice will help
you stay present during your time on the mat. That experience can serve as a
model for practicing presence all day long. It will also satisfy you and thus
help give you the impetus to practice again tomorrow. If you force yourself to
practice because you think you should, because you didn't yesterday, or for any
other more external reason, even the most technically polished poses will not
answer your inner need for ease and wholeness.
Isolation
Break down the patterns
that make up the shape you are working towards, or the area of practice
strength/flexibility/ease of movement that you want to work on.
Isolating the basic
movement patterns and practicing them with care is like taking a daily shower.
These movements will always be useful and will keep your system open and
mobile.
Integration
Start to combine those basic
actions by creating simple sequences that helps you address your movement
patterns or the components of the particular posture you are working towards.
Improvisation
Uneducated improvisation is disconcerting: beginner dancers attacking an irish jig, your housemates experimental cocktail you are still trying to forget...Good improvisation is usually (there can be exceptions) grounded in strict theory that becomes plient when mixed with a little creativity. You have to know the technique behind what you are trying to do, then depart from it.
Once you learn how the big patterned
movements work together in your body and where your limitations are you can
start to improvise with sequences. What
this means to you depends on the movement qualities you have developed and what
you are working on now. It’s a personal thing. Everyone moves differently.
Work
on finding that connection with the parts of you that meet the ground. When well grounded
we may be still but the slightest impulse can initiate movement and breathing
can adjust appropriately. Any unhelpful tension will stiffen us, fix the breath
and take away the potential for free movement away.
Keep yourself in motion, keep working—this practice won’t give up anything easily, but it will reward your work and your curiosity and your commitment.
Keep yourself in motion, keep working—this practice won’t give up anything easily, but it will reward your work and your curiosity and your commitment.
Take inspiration and instruction from
class, ofcourse, but balance that with some healthy questioning of what you are
told. You have as much intuition, self-awareness and self-knowledge as the next
person. Use it. Trust your self! You are looking for freedom, not someone else’s
idea of how your body should move.
Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Kintsugi
Kintsukuroi.
(n.) (v.phr.) "to repair with gold"
I like Kintsugi's simple lesson, that it's possible to start over.
where does it hurt?
later that night
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered
where does it hurt?
it answered
everywhere
everywhere
everywhere.
― Warsan Shire
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered
where does it hurt?
it answered
everywhere
everywhere
everywhere.
― Warsan Shire
Kintsugi
Kintsukuroi.
(n.) (v.phr.) "to repair with gold"
I like Kintsugi's simple lesson, that it's possible to start over.