Everything happens everywhere, all at once.
That was what someone once wrote, long ago, in graffiti on the wall of the post office on Spring Street, in NY's Soho, when I was working for the most talented (and very cute) animator, doing the early MTV animations. I'd pass it and it felt like the Word of God.
I love the way sometimes, everything feels connected. I love serendipity.
I don't know how I found The Foolish Aesthete, or whether she found me: through link minded friends, no doubt. We haven't yet met, but I've been playing around with images of her - by her - of the ballet, even before my friend Maralee too me to see the excellent Degas: Picturing Movement exhibit at the Royal Academy, which ended on Sunday. I had already done these images (that's her: I took the photo this summer in the Coltswolds, in England) and then I saw her recent post: Waltz of the Snowflakes.
In it, she was talking about the Nutcracker. I wrote such a long comment that I won't replicate it here (you can read it on her comments) about my happy childhood memories of the Nutcracker, and how now, when I'm in England - I've seen such AMAZING performances, with the Royal Ballet, or at Covent Garden.. and the start of certain songs brings out this automatic, visceral, Pavlovian response of tears of joy. Memories of being so young - one bright and shiny white Christmas, I couldn't have been older than 6, maybe 5, and my sister two years younger, and my parents gave us (or rather, Santa did) the most perfect, authentic, pale pink satin tutus, and matching ballet shoes. And they bought a stereo record of the Nutcracker suite, put it on the new modern wall hung stereo unit in the danish modern living room, all designer decorated, looking very Jonathan Adler in shades of blue, aqua, indigo, purple and green, with white, and we danced and danced and my father took colour slides.. images that I want to do now, as paintings, inspired by Degas.
I also received - found it in my junk folder - an email from a nice woman named Tania, telling me about a line of skirts from 'Doris Designs', which really captured my imagination. I love when people start companies that aren't trying to cash in on a trend, that just feel sprung from the heart. I could see a million ways to wear these classic skirts:
Okay, I'm done. I'll shut up now. Time to dive back into the pool!
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4 comments:
beautiful post. i love swan lake and these shots are stunning.
wish i could go to see swan lake live.. only seen it on the telly like 100 times.
x
wow, these are stunning...a juxtaposition of elements combined to create magical images. i love their faux-real, hyper-reality.
i don't believe i've seen swan lake in person. pity! that's what comes from trading culture for paradise! ;)
i have seen the nutcracker, yes, many occasions. last time was a year ago, my lovely niece was performing again with the russian ballet.
xo
Thanks for this brilliant idea! I am working on posting another of the images, but squeezed in something else today first. Anyhow, music and scents trigger my Pavlovian responses too. It seems, as I age, more memories come through.
Good luck to your niece dancing the Nutcracker this season! And I hope you uncover those slides from childhood! (I remember those color slides. We had the handheld slide viewer which completely fascinated me, like a grown up version of the View Master toy! Now I wonder where all our slides went!). xxx J
if i could wear one of this skirts i would smile all the time i have it :)
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