MELISSALAND

“Balancing intuition against sensory information, and sensitivity to one’s self against pragmatic knowledge of the world, is not a stance unique to artists. The specialness of artists is the degree to which these precarious balances are crucial backups for their real endeavor. Their essential effort is to catapult themselves wholly, without holding back one bit, into a course of action without having any idea where they will end up. They are like riders who gallop into the night, eagerly leaning on their horse’s neck, peering into a blinding rain. And they have to do it over and over again. When they find that they have ridden and ridden - maybe for years, full tilt - in what is for them a mistaken direction, they must unearth within themselves some readiness to turn direction and gallop off again. They may spend a little time scraping off the mud, resting the horse, having a hot bath, laughing and sitting in candlelight with friends. But in the back of their minds they never forget that the dark, driving run is theirs to make again. They need their balances in order to support their risks. The more they develop an understanding of all their experiences - the more it is at their command - the more they carry with them into the whistling wind.”
- Anne Truitt
Daybook (via Whiskey River)

Today is a cocorosie day. Werewolf playing in the background as my soundtrack to this wintery mess……

Werewolf by Cocorosie

“I’ma shake you off though
Get up on that horse and
Ride into the sunset
Look back with no remorse”

I am also having waking dreams of a late evening over the summer spent walking, scared out of my mind, through a forest. There is nothing like adjusting your eyes to that type of dark. When every cell in your body is listening. I want to be back there very badly…..

I want that scared feeling. The one that shakes you to your core and heightens every fucking sense from slumber. To stop playing safe. To forgo a good night’s sleep for something more…..meaningful. To sit in the dark just listening to a heart beating wildly.

That is the trail of my overnight bag as I dragged it from the train station to my apartment this morning. Good fun.

(Geosans Light - my new favorite font and the most kick-ass Q ever.)

I am exhausted, but really thrilled about the show. Hope to see everyone tomorrow night!

My sister and I sitting in my car, blaring this song and singing along loudly, windows down and no destination. Just driving. Best memories ever.

(Thank you for the reminder Emmabean)

Show opens next Saturday…..hope you can make it!

————–

Through the ages, the Horse has remained inseparable from man as a symbolic element of the sublime within the spirit of humanity. As representations of strength, devotion, wisdom, divination and freedom, the equine form projects not its own beauty; it reflects instead the beauty – or horror – of man’s unconscious power. Equus, opening January 22, 2009, at Carrie Haddad Photographs in Hudson, New York, spotlights the multi-layered relationship between people and horses. The exhibit will include the work of local and international photographers Tim Flach, David Seiler, Ida Weygandt, Juliet Harrison, Paul Solberg and Christopher Makos.

More info here

God this movie was so good. That’s all. I just felt like remembering it…..(and the Jarvis Cocker song is also brilliant).

One of the songs featured in Children of Men was this version of Ruby Tuesday by Franco Battiato. I kinda love it:

There’s no time to lose, I heard her say
Catch your dreams before they slip away…..

I happened upon the website of a new hotel in London called Rough Luxe via the 2009 consumer trends listed on trendwatching. The hotel’s website states:

“So this is Rough Luxe. Half rough, half luxury. A little bit of luxury in a rough part of London. A little bit of rough in a luxurious London. Our philosophy is simple; you are staying with us in our home, so just ask.”

After wandering through their site, I found my way to the ‘Rough Luxe Network’ - their philosophy really resonated with me….

Rough-Luxe is a new way of looking at luxury as a moment in time and not only part of an object of consumption. Luxury is an enriching personal experience and not only an ownership of an expensive object. Therefore, the Rough-Luxe definition of Luxury is: time for reflection, personal encounters with people, nature, architecture and environment as well as food and social and cultural experiences linked to geographic locations. It is also, the intellectual solicitation, listening to ones own feelings as well as comparing objects and time and thinking of their hierarchy.

Rough-Luxe is about the experience, the surrounding, the intrinsic value of objects, art, culture and the people surrounding us as well as the ‘‘consumable’’ items, that you come across in a Rough-Luxe hotel or affiliated business or event.

…this philosophy reminds me of the reasons why Hudson, New York became the destination that it did for many New Yorkers. Hardly a manicured or polished city, Hudson is certainly rough around the edges - but it has a tremendous amount of soul.  Many creative types have flocked here over the years because you can feel that soul pour out of every shop and building lining the street. A simple place, yet at the same time, full of such inspiring detail. How can you not love it here?

If you want to explore Hudson a bit more, check out this Flickr group

(Photo by Peter Spear)

(photo by Sam Pratt)

I don’t watch a lot of television these days, so I miss out on a majority of commercials (I happen to like commercials and movie trailers as part of me used to want to get into advertising and marketing) - anyway, I came across this spot that Zig Toronto created for Best Buy for this past holiday season:

Totally fantastic ad. Here is another

I just love them. I was thinking recently about how to engage people more at the gallery and this ad reminded me of exactly the same reason why someone would buy a piece of artwork (well, most people) - because it gets you EXCITED. It inspires you. It gets your emotions going. We want things like that in our lives. Its been great to watch the few people who have returned to see the Such Great Heights exhibit two, sometimes three times now - and with each subsequent visit bringing a new friend along explaining, “you have to see this piece…”

What exhibits or shows have gotten you excited lately?

I am so completely excited about an upcoming retreat I just found out about: The Creativity and Collaboration Exhibitions Retreat in Monterey California. It takes place May 31- June 2 and is put together by the American Association of Museums.

Over two and a half days, we will experiment, discuss, and work together in small and large teams to foster creativity and collaboration. We will be working with three leading instigators from diverse creative industries: Kate Shaw from Lucasfilm, Harley K. DuBois from Burning Man festival, and Key Eklund, video game designer and creator of the collaborative online game World Without Oil. From inside the museum field, Mike Petrich and Karen Wilkinson of the Exploratorium’s Learning Studio will be sharing their experiences facilitating creative, multi-person art/science workshops for staff and visitors alike.

Registration is not too bad ($425 for non-members, which I am), + 3 nights in a hotel (and of course travel expenses to Cali and food for the 3 days) - It sounds like a great time and worth every penny. It is just what I am looking for right now. Three days of creativity near a beach with some pretty incredible people. Sign me up!

(Better late than never)

I’ll bottle the fresh air in pretty jars labeled with things like, “the day I ate the best pancakes ever” or “gliding down 9J, windows open“. I’ll repeat the words that make me squirm, feel nervous, till they become the things that make me stretch my back and stand taller. I’ll move faster than I can think, feel more words roll around my tongue than I can spit out, kiss the skin that keeps it all together and love the unknown wrapping of each morning, carry with me each evening all I want from the day*, lay in bed and think - shit, I’m alive dammit - I’m alive and I am going to exhaust every molecule, every last trembling vein.

*from a poem by William Stafford

When you turn around, starting here, lift this
new glimpse that you found; carry into evening
all that you want from this day. This interval you spent
reading or hearing this, keep it for life –

by William Stafford