Old story. New story

How’s about I start off the year with a rhetorical philosophy question? Stop rolling your eyes. Because I’m well and happily fed, having imbibed lots of wine and taking it easy the first week of 2011 with a good book in hand, lets me ruminate on pleasures that can safely be publicly shared. Before attempting any serious conversation or thinking, have good food and gentle alcohol at the table and by the end of the repast, when both mind and palate have been satiated, you’ll feel that all is well, if diversely opined upon.

Also because this is my own blog and I can natter on if I want to and you must read this because you fancy me or something.

What do I mean by Old Story. New Story? Well, as a sign of advancing age and maturity – as well as waist size, but that’s not the issue here – I’ve developed or am developing a slow mow into the genre of Non-fiction.  It’s been coming but slower than my TV viewing which has all but forsaken commercial shows in favour of documentaries, from nature and science docos and now to history and biographies, with the odd quiz show thrown in.  The change I came to realise late last year when, after an absence of some weeks, I was catching up on blogs and other current news when it all became too much. Why did I have to continuously chase after reports of events that would hardly affect me, for the sake of interesting conversation? There is so much to learn in today’s world for the future that while I enjoy the process of discovering i.e. reading about, them when does the time come to reflect and really enjoy the experience of personal discoveries? The world is a bloody interesting place and we should go out and see some of it for ourselves when we can. It’s not always about techology and war.

Stories written before I was born but occuring squarely in the 20th Century hold a fascination for me, expecially at this time when we’re still so young in the 2000s. A hundred years ago, the western world was still crawling out of wars, politics was all the rage, upper society was partying punishingly and great inventions were popping up regularly. Machines were taking over our lives, changing society but art was more about propaganda than expression. Middle aged workers and youth were more disgruntled than ever. Same old, some new.

I am reading a collection of  gastro lit from The New Yorker that have appeared through the ages. These stories or columns were published before I was born and yet, through their wonderful writing and gastronomique theme they are easy and engaging. Much like the photography exhibit I went to last week, the story behind a moment is always more interesting than the captured moment itself. Living through the eyes and notes of  writers, especially when written ex tempore or in situ, almost like in a war zone, gives context and therefore perspective and understanding of a time. After all, stories are about understanding a person or persons, a place, a time or an event.

So am I reading an old story or a new one? That depends on where you’re sitting. [via AN]

I’m all deeply thought out for today. I’m off to query this new series about young lesbians getting all angsty and incestuous in Glasgow.

Colour makes history

I’m sore that we’ve missed out on Ovation on our PPV tv. The channel went solo and plonked a premium for subscribers. If we had it , then I’d look forward to this series from the BBC – Albert Kahn’s collection of colour photographs taken from early last century.

Thanks to Gizmodo readers, this other Russian collection was also tipped.

[Gizmodo]

Worth watching

What I do makes a difference

How often do we say that to ourselves?

It’s coming to the end of year, a time when we look back, reflect and overeat. In the last few days, I’ve had some space to reflect about how I feel about where I am lately, the pressures on my mind and what I can for others in the midst of being preoccupied with my ‘important’ lifestyle.

Couple of months ago, I volunteered to be part of a prep team for the Dalai Lama’s visit to Sydney. It all happened this week. It was a great change for me – being out of my comfort zone, using my able body to assist, watching technical professionals at work and of course, being part of the audience to hear the Dalai Lama.

The DL is a remarkable humanitarian. He wears many hats and is the focus point of so many issues – death, life, religion, science, politics, traditions, human nature – yet he answers all questions, be they personal or mystical, and doesn’t see barriers between himself and others. It is a humbling experience to see him and to hear him speak. For myself, I’m reminded of the beliefs I was brought up with, the ones I chose to accept or reject, as well as the more I do not know. I came out of it as after a psychological massage, letting go of stress I’d been carrying, being free to say I don’t know, and coming back to my centre; by understanding my attachments and being able to say “this is what I like and this is what I accept. I’m not wrong in my beliefs and neither are you”, and “Mate, you’re alright”.

There is too much to cover about Buddhism or the DL in any one location and I don’t attempt to do so here. What I wanted to celebrate, a weird word choice if any, is to have been able to contribute to his visit and his effect on the public. In return, I found again that I could share my abilities and be enriched by the process. So, to say the least, I’m a little tired physically but terrific mentally and emotionally. I’m feeling as clear and clean as a fresh spring, and as relaxed as a baby.

Tea and art

Many years ago, we overnighted in Braidwood NSW on a mistaken assumption it was a large-ish town. It’s not, but it had fresh Devonshire Tea.

If you’re in the Southern Tablelands of NSW, why not pop into  Suzanne Bellamy‘s open day at her studio, from 27-29 November. Not only are her sculptures colourful, but she collaborates on art and text fusion projects (such as Unsettling The Land with Susan Hawthorne) which I, unexpectedly, found to be quite lovely.

Suzanne promises endless tea while you explore her studio, creek and environs.

Is this us?

Wonder what it would be like seeing this in the elevator at The Standard Hotel?  “Holy…” or “Oh my g…, hey, that’s where this is going too.”

YouTube clip here:

but this is a better resolution:

http://motionographer.com/theater/marco-brambilla-civilization/

Marco’s image choices are hilarious, some of them, like the Marshmallow Man and the beauty pageant. The overall clip, and his other works, are modern marvellous.

[via Gizmodo, Marco Brambilla,TEG]

Touch

I wish I could sculpt; mold, rend, flex, crush, build, flatten, press, squeeze, stroke, hit, align, guide, break, only to release. Call it, do it, whatever way you want but being able to heft and roll and massage a ‘thing’ in my hand is just wondrous. The sheer ingenious construct of the hand, to bring into my personal space an external item for real consideration…it’s like sex.

Of our five main senses, touch and sound affect me the most. I’m writing about touch because, well, I always write about touch. It is incredibly hard to describe, and yet so inviting to imagine, to do and to share.

The closest I come to working regularly with my hands is when I cook. C can’t understand why preparing mis en place is my happy place. I just love doing it. Cooking is creativity and productivity all in one.

All this is so I can intro art topic of the week – Sculptures.

The NSW Sculptors Society is presenting a series of exhibitions around the city, and I like what I’ve seen so far.

It’s also time for the annual Sculptures by the Sea exhibit set along the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk. They are a lot of fun. Over the years, the exhibits have become less abstract, more realist, and in recent times, eco-friendly. Most of the ideas are chuckle worthy, many of them are touchable.

Lift Plonk by Chi Phan

Lesbian spaces for creativity

Couple of plugs for local (Sydney) lesbo arty events, or possible events.

The first is a series of fortnightly workshops with Dr Beatriz Copello, an acclaimed lesbian poet and writer, who will discuss your writing with a view to increasing your creativity. Dr Copello has been involved in LGBT literary events for many years. This is a great opportunity to get tuition from one of our best supporters. Brochure here. Email Beatriz at beatrizcopello@bigpond.com

The second is a call for submissions by lesbian artists for The Sal-On, a brand new, lesbian owned and run multi-art space in Sydney’s inner west. Contact the owners, Glennda Blyth and Sally Whitwell, for details at thesalon238@gmail.com

Droolworthy

The most amazing private collection you will see this year. Jay Walker’s library (courtesy of Wired magazine). Check out the design of the room.

What I like about it is – well I like everything about it actually – the theme of the collection that tells about the man, “What gets him excited are things that changed the way people think…”. Jay Walker collects steps in human understanding expressed in beautiful representations.

Between art, science and faith, humans are always seeking a higher reason, but the answer comes back to the question, and the questioner.

What is your collection about? Do you have one? What does it say about you?

News from the worship world

An artist has built a temple to science.

There are three things wrong with that sentence. I don’t know about you but I don’t think an artist should be temple-ing or sciencing, except to have them as muse.

In the general sense of the word, a temple is a place of worship, a space to facilitate meditation on the spiritual. Temples do not actually have to be physical locations.

Science, well we all know it’s the pursuit of the empirical. Prove the theory, explain it, and add another confirmed piece to the physical world.

Call me nuts but I see both science and managed spirituality as the same – they are both organised religions.

To understand and grow spiritually/scientifically, one starts by learning from teachers. Seeking answers is one path to enlightenment. Study any religion (I use the word loosely) and a clear course for learning soon emerges. You must do this, this and that to gain the next level. The higher the stance, the longer discipline has been employed to reach it.

In science, the discovery process seems more transparent and is openly subject to peer review. In the halls of religion, discourse is encouraged though rarely publicly sanctioned. There are schools and schools within religions and faculties. Tell me, don’t they all seek to understand? Except maybe to understand according to a pre-held view in their own words, i.e. prove a theory.

Johnathan Keats is “deeply sympathetic to both sides of a schism” and thinks science could not replace religion, as we know it, wholesale because we don’t know what science will become.

Well, duh. Couldn’t the same be said of every major religion at it’s youth?

I don’t think there are only two sides to this schism anymore than I need to see this artist’s pithy monument to the conversation – pretty as it is. More symbols we don’t need.

“The best thing would be for people to engage these questions, and consider what form religion could take as science.”

I, for one, would like to get away from anything that even smells like religion.