A little reminder to myself in how lucky I and most people I know are.
I think I need to get branded to remember this.
Timothy Goodman
New York-based artist Timothy Goodman was recently asked to make an artistic contribution to the incredibly chic and design-savvy Ace Hotel. And what he came up with is a thoughtful, interactive piece that encourages discovery. I loved reading about his process. Says Timothy:
While brainstorming in the weeks before, it was important to ask some larger questions before I started my sketch: What’s its relevancy? What’s its importance? Can it become engaging or participatory? Having an idea for a mural that’s both relative to the space it exists in and reflective of the culture around it is not an easy task to accomplish. However, I felt it was something I had to account for.
With those questions in mind, I hand drew 99 picture frames to create a dense wall of “discovery” about NYC that could be passed to the common tourist staying in the room. Each frame contains a different fact / love / tidbit / thing of interest / or shout-out to a place I dig in the city. At roughly 120 square feet, the art was drawn imprecisely to capture the spontaneity and grit of the city. I used paint markers and opaque black paint to help this technique excel. Consequently, it became a labor of love, an act of obsessiveness that was pleasantly grueling.
Of course, one of my favorite retailers has come up with an inspirational online space called the anthropologist for inspiring works and individuals. I find it curious how my own personal intrigue for the past, whether it be in old tools, worn leather-bound journals, calcified bones or butterfly wings suspended forever in beauty mirrors this space. (Maybe that minor during undergrad in anthropology had more to do with my calling than I realized.)
I still credit Anna Grauer for being one of the most fascinating and stimulating faculty persons that made my first year of college so profound. It was a Wednesday night class with mostly upperclassman, and I loved that sense of discovery in the wonder of human evolution, the fascination of examining the skulls of Homo habilis, Australopithecus afarensis to Homo erectus. While in class, she lectured how she was in charge of analyzing skeletons from an old burial site in Chicago that was being dug up for commercial property development. It was right in the neighborhood I grew up in. I went there the summer before college to walk around, hearing rumors about bones and stuff. As you might guess, I was completely halted in that moment that my little universe would be connected to Anne. I remember finding two teeth, putting them in my pocket and taking them home to my secret little holding box for mementos and oddities. How beautifully random life can be, to thread an experience like finding haunting memories of the past to my enthusiasm for a college course, and even more so because of the person teaching it. Well...I felt like a budding anthropologist.
There's much to *discover* and interact with. I've been so nose-to-the-grind stone lately that I really hadn't seen the release of Jane Campion's Bright Star. Be still my heart. Some friends were recently talking about it, and I just had no idea. I may miss it in the go-arounds at the theater, but will definitely put it on the NetFlix cue for sure. This little video segment of her talking with young child actors is so touching. She says "Filmmaking is about being...about telling the truth". Acting is about courage." ....wise words...reflective of life in general, I think?
Director of Photography for the film, Greig Fraser presents some images that made me pause and hunch ever-so-close-to-the-screen.
beautiful. sentimental. haunting. delicate.
I guess I should admit it: Anthropologie is brilliant to unearth and present such artistry in the realm of historical reverence within avant garde contexts. More to love the creatives behind this company.
welivenow.org
Eric Smith of IDRAWALLDAY created Live Now: a site consisting of a growing collection of quotes, thoughts, stories, lyrics, creations and other various mediums pursuing the idea of living now and inspiring us all to grow, live meaningful lives & be happy!
Rather than me try to re-write his own words, here's a direct quote from his about page on www.welivenow.org. Truly inspiring!
"Some time ago I was diagnosed with one of the most life threatening diseases in the world. Instantly perspective changed within me. The fearful, human part of my being wanted to resist this disease, label it as "bad", and be at the mercy of this situation. But the essence of my spirit knew that this situation could not be isolated from the hidden harmony I seek to follow each day. Having my physical life threatened, provoked within me a strong separation between my spiritual and physical being. Although my physical body was being attacked ... my spiritual essence was untouchable. I learned to function from this point and focus my energy on the simple moments right in front of me."
still, such a newbie here in the who's who blog world,
(with not much expectation it will ever get beyond me, myself and i)
i feel like such a novice when discovering
super-uber-duper-blogging-female-fatales,
like heather armstrong of dooce.
great style, sass, uncensored, rough, intimate,
beautiful photos and yet intelligent.
well, not to get too mushy here, you should check out dooce.
i love it when something so moving binds cultures together in some way!
in this case it's the art of origami ~ the origami blog!
i stumbled on this site which is amazing.
it blows away the 1000 cranes we folded for our wedding day for good luck by far!
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