The human condition is a frail one. We have difficulty separating reality from the phantoms of dreams and nightmares. There is an article in today’s Boston Globe about a man who strangled his sweetheart and wife of 40 years while he dreamed that intruders were attacking the couple in their camper. He was found not guilty because  he was having a nightmare and was acting automatically, as if under a spell. Under the control  of something he could not resist. I past times he would have been thought to be possessed by the devil.

Tragic, ironic beyond what anyone on earth could possibly bear, this story highlights our fragile grasp of reality. You see they had camped in a strange place and their sleep was disturbed by cars racing nearby. They where fearful. Frightened. Sleeping uneasily, he had a nightmare of the worst kind — the kind that doesn’t feature unreality but reality — it was a dream that seemed real. They were being attacked. So he defended himself — by strangling his beloved wife. Sad beyond comprehension.

Of course maybe this fellow is a master of deception and murdered his wife purposefully covering it with a bizarre story and getting away with an atrocity. But I don’t believe that. I think this is human nature biting  once again.

I hope that we can guard against occurrences like this. How? By being aware of both our surroundings and our feelings. By thinking past the dark and the fear. By having faith in our destiny. This is my belief and hope but I’m not sure it will always work. In any case I continue to try not to be afraid of anything…..

The Gates -- Brilliant!

Woke up this morning to read that Jeanne-Claude, the partner of Christo has died of complications of a brain aneurysm after taking a fall. In the words of Manuela Hoelterhoff in Bloomberg this morning: “Like the projects she created over the decades with her husband, Christo, Jeanne-Claude is no longer here, but the memory of her will linger.” They seemed to me to be a product of a former age — and now with this passing they are.

I came to think of the international public art creating duo as Jeanne-Claude Christo as if they were one person. They created art for public spaces such as the Gates, a 23 mile long installation of saffron-colored banners or gates in New York’s Central Park, putting Rauschenberg’s 1/4 Mile or 2 Furlong Piece to shame — at least in length.

Naturally they were far from one person because each is so distinct, so individual. She with flaming carrot colored hair, lipstick to match and a constant cigarette, he professorial, spectacles in place looking a bit like a mad pharmacist, must have had many heated, vibrant discussions regarding their projects as they called their creations.

Citizens of the world the couple lived in — of course — New York. But it took many years for then to find a Mayor willing to allow them to install the Gates in Central Park. Many of their projects were like that — taking many years and infinite patience before becoming realities. I often wondered how they supported themselves assuming at one point that they had inherited wealth. In reality they sold the artwork that were byproducts of the designs of their installations. This summer Aurora and I visited Easton Pennsylvania and checked into a fine establishment — the Grand Eastonian Suites Hotel. In the lobby we saw several beautiful design drawings of the Gates. The manager explained that the owners of the hotel were former MNew Yorkers who admired the Gates and therefore had purchased the drawings. They were large, colorful fantasies. But of course these were fantasies made real.

That is the accomplishment of Jeanne-Claude Christo — they made their fantasies real. In that regard and because of the public nature of what they do I am reminded of Philippe Petit, the Man on Wire who walked between New York’s Twin Towers on a tight rope in 1974. And of course she too was French making Christo an honorary Frenchman I suppose (he was born in Bulgaria but had emigrated to France by 1958, the year that the two met)

The Gates was the only Jeanne-Claude Christo installation that I ever saw.  Many of the works of Christo in the early days were wrapped objects, later he wrapped huge buildings and statues creating a new work on top of what was, perhaps, something quite ordinary. In 1993 the couple recognized Jeanne-Claude’s contribution to Christo’s efforts giving her equal billing from that time on.  One of the couples most impressive and difficult projects was wrapping the Pont Neuf  in 444,000 square feet of champagne-colored drapes.

http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/pn.shtml

You might ask — to what purpose is all this wrapping and draping. But to ask is to miss the point. As Gary Winograd famously said: “Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is about how that thing looks photographed. - Garry Winogrand Or — I take photographs to see how the thing would look in a photograph. Jeanne-Claude and Christo wrapped and draped things to show the world how they would look that way. For me the Gates provided and wonderful reason to stroll through Central Park on a chilly February day meeting people from around the world who were all with me in our amazed , puzzled and ultimately delighted frame of mind. We were drawn out of ourselves by the work of the artists who seemed to extend the New York of Rauschenberg, Dali and Stieglitz into the present time. Dada is not dead as long as people are interested in turning our world, for a moment, on its head. I hope Christo is able to continue the work he did for so many years with Jeanne-Claude at his side. I look forward to his next project.

The scene from 36 rows back

Aurora and I ventured into Boston on last Sunday to see and hear Bob Dylan at the Wang center. The show was very enjoyable and the band was perfect. Bob’s raspy voice was sometimes too far gone but on other numbers it was clear and I imagine easy to understand. I say imagine because the band with its ramped up bass was often overpowering. Brilliant — but too damn loud!! (Ok so I’m an old guy.)

Bob wasn’t kidding back in the sixties when he described himself as a song and dance man. (When asked ‘do you consider yourself a poet?’ he answered — ‘no, more of a song and dance man’) He was like a low keyed minstrel on Sunday with arm gestures  and foot kicks included. The lighting kept changing and so did the colors on the stage — very often they had a nice south western tone.

Listen to this  bootlegged uTube entry. I love the intro’s combination of honesty and hero worship.

Sounds pretty good and the bass that was so over powering in person is almost non-existent. (A little more would be better, actually.)

After Boston, Bob moved right on to NY where Dion opened for him. Here’s the New York Post review:

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/music/tweedle_dee_lightful_DyEHXwaoLcWyXo4CG5jeAN

Sounds like another great show. We wonder why the man keeps going. He told Sixty Minutes a few years ago that he had made a pact with God — needed to stay on the road to fulfill it. I take him at his word — no irony there. He channels the life force as much as anyone who has ever been a pop culture icon and as much as many prophets. As Langston Hughes told us years ago — “Listen!”

(We enjoyed walking around the city before and after the concert. It was a warm night for November and just perfect for a city walk. Here’s a photo I took — I’m getting my street photography mojo working again — I think this is my favorite way of photography.)

Nice semi decisive moment -- don't cha think?

Shipley Swamp Looking toward Nabnasset Lake, across the beaver pool

There is a pond in Westford Massachusetts where I live called Nabnasset Lake. There is an association of people who own property around the lake and they take care of it. One if the most dramatic actions they take is to draw the lake down in the fall of some years, I believe they do it by opening a dam. The purpose of this is to kill some ‘weeds.’ The weeds are invasive  (I think weed and invasive flora have become synonymous). Apparently the draw down works and the lake water is clean and clear and not clogged with too much foliage.

But the knock effect of this is that many small hibernating creatures that live under the water die along with the weeds.

It seems that even in our war on weeds we can’t avoid collateral damage. I wonder what would happen in Nabnasset if there was no draw down. I guess there would be more weeds — unless another way of dealing with them was sought and found. If we wanted to avoid killing creatures that do no harm, that in fact do good in their role in ecology,  we would try to find another way to deal with the weeds. I don’t know what that would be but if we valued the creatures we are inadvertantly killing we would not draw down the lake.

Maybe we should have spent a little more time thinking this through. Maybe that’s what Obama is doing now. I hope so because the 40,000 troops he is thinking of sending in will no doubt create ‘collateral damage.’ In other words in killing enemies they will — inadvertently —  kill innocent men, women and children.  The same ones that they will be trying to protect.

Ironic, to say the least. A meaure of how imperfect our measures so often are when we set out to kill.

A world on an old tree stump.

Here is an image I made recently while walking in the woods of East Boston Camps. The light coming through the trees caught me and I was fortunate to be able to capture it.

I am trying to develop a more personal vision. To capture what distracts me from the day-to-day, whether I think it will be attractive to others or not. I hope this image will turn out to be the first of many. You never know what to expect while on a walk — through the woods, in a village or a city. Surprise me, I say in hope and so I carry my camera as often as I can.

I read in today’s Globe that a grade school teacher observed that teaching about 9/11 is like teaching about the civil war. The kids in her class didn’t experience 9/11 so for them 9/11 is history. Is it becoming history — in that negative way that Henry Ford evoked when he said “History is bunk” —   for us? Are we going to forget?

Have we already forgotten that none of   the issues related to 9/11 have been resolved? As a nation we still don’t know what hit us or why. We have fought and still fight wars without satisfaction and without settling anything. We’ve apparently learned little.

The terrorists knocked down two symbols of American financial might. Recently some of the greatest financial firms were knocked down by their own stupidity. 

I think these events are related. And unfortunately the destruction of financial institutions is out of the terrorist play book

That our financial system is structurally  unfair and leaves many people disenfranchised and without hope is difficult to refute. The American middle class and above has been living in a dream world, disconnected from the realities of life for most people around the globe. The death and destruction of 9/11 could have awakened us to that reality. But it did not. The unfair economics of greed is still our way of doing business. The cruelty of structural violence and structural prejudice that crushes millions of people every day is unfelt by most of us living comfortable lives in the States.

Paul Farmer is one American who has fought structural prejudice for all of his professional life. He does this in Haiti and right here at home. We need more Paul Farmers and fewer chicken hawks who want to send unmanned drones to kill enemies and let the collateral damage fall where it may.

We have a volunteer army that relieves most of our children of sacrifice. Is this sensible given our situation? Or is military power any kind of solution at all? The last 60 years of our history tends to teach us that it is not.  Perhaps instead of sending armies into places under distress we should be sending Doctors and agricultural and economic experts. Or volunteers like  Joyce Tannian  who learned from 9/11 that service to humankind would make her happy. She founded Water is Life Kenya and spends most of her time helping the people of Kenya live better lives by helping them have water; something both precious and scarce in Kenya. Before she decided to serve in this way, Joyce lived in Manhattan and on 9/11 learned a lesson — about what is important in life — well.

May God bless Paul and Joyce and may their numbers increase!

If our nation and people started to use  power to help the helpless in the world instead of  constantly trying to impose our will or “protect our interests around the world” — goals that reenforce structural violence against people —  we might find that we would be loved by the same people who now hate or distrust us. Sounds like a dream? I think it is our only way forward. The military solutions of the last 60 years have not produced good results. Isn’t time to try something new?

In any case let’s not forget 9/11 — not until we learn what Paul knew along and what 9/11 taught Joyce.

Aurora and I saw Sunny Killoran with her group Sunny and Her Joy Boys at the Ecotarium in Worcester last Friday evening. The group was founded by Duke Robillard, a guitarist who I had not heard of before but I’m glad I know about him now. He apparently has a wide following and is the soul of the group (or so it seemed to me). The band was wonderful and Duke’s playing is great. The sound of the Joy Boys is like that of D’jango Reinhardt, the Gypsy Guitarist of the thirties.  Paul Kolesikow played rhythm  guitar and Jesse Williams was on standup bass so the group swung continuously in the same mode as D’jango’s group did. Billy Novick played alto sax and clarinet. Billy has a sweet sound and harmonized well with Sunny’s brilliant vocals — his solos made us want to hear more. What a fine group — all that was missing was  Stéphane Grappelli’s violin!

 Sunny really sang the blues! She sang some Billy Holiday numbers and channeled Billy beautifully. Her voice is gorgeous and well trained, and/but she sings with lots of feeling; her phrasing is exquisite. Light when the song is light and deeper, more emotional when the song and lyrics call for it. I loved all the songs she sang but “You’re my Trill” and ‘Travelin’ All alone” are favorites. The band swung in a relaxed yet vibrant way, as if the entire affair was effortless. What a treat to hear those great songs performed so well. We are looking forward to another evening of Sunny’s music very soon.

We bought the debut CD of Sunny and Her Joy Boys and have played it a lot already. Go to their web page for details.

 http://www.myspace.com/dukerobillardpresentssunnyandherjoyboys

First of all Shepard Fairey’s exhibit at the ICA Boston is stunning visually, impressive politically and I want to see it again. Fairey is an artist of the streets who made it to the legit museum and gallery world. He  graphically shows us how confused we are. Guns and roses, life and death, love and hate  etc.

His arrest  on the way to his own opening over an old graffiti rap was stupid and put Boston in a bad light. The local cops apparently didn’t know that their acions would be picked up around the world and that they would seem odd to most people who care about art. Sure private property needs to be protected but Fairey’s deal is that he can appropriate private property, use it to communicate his own, highly worthwhile message and he seems to expect to usually get away with it (“art is what you can get away with” saith the Warhol).

Well, I get it. His street work is clever and intriguing so I guess if he doesn’t tag my house I’m ok with his methods ;>) Or to put it another way, urban public spaces are usually enhanced by graffiti of this caliber. I guess. Its a matter of taste and will always be controversial. 

Yeah but wait a minute — something strange happened on my way to the museum — Because I asked I was told that no photography of Shepard Fairey’s work would be permitted. In other words I couldn’t appropriate his stuff for, say my blog or even just to show my friends. Yet the brochure handed out at he museum said — “Know the words” — and the first word is “Appropriate!” Yep, that’s what Shepard does, but he doesn’t want any appropriations of his stuff. Is that fair or or does it even make sense?

So I only took one sneaky photo (see below). Also took some legit ones of the building and surroundings - shots of the architecture are ok according to the young man in black who sold us our tickets. (He was in black so he must be hip..)

It would be ironic to be arrested or kicked out for taking photos of Shepard Fairey’s work (which mostly have appropriated photos and other stuff in them) — know what I mean? What do you think?

(BTW — I pulled the ‘Obey’ tag from a random place on the internet. It is available world wide for your appropriation and delight!)

What has your life prepared you for?

For Philippe Petit his life prepared him for the wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York. 

Sully Sullenberger’s life prepared him to land a airliner safely in the Hudson River saving the lives of 155 people.

A favorite story about Picasso  sums this idea up very well. 

Picasso was sitting at a table outside a Paris cafe. A woman came up to him and asked him to draw something for her on a napkin. He complied, doodling as only he could. After he quickly finished he requested the French equivalent  of $5,000. Agast the woman said — “but it only took you 2 minutes!” Smiling, the great man replied — “no Madam, it took me my whole life.”

What has your life prepared you to do?  Can you say it out loud? Do you think it is nothing important? If so I suspect you are wrong. I think there is something you are very well qualified to do, something quite important. Part of your qualification to do this is the life you have lived so far.

Do you know what it is? Tell me about it if you can.

President Obama, don't allow CEOs to treat people like dead wood!

First of all congratulations! Truly a mission accomplished and job well done. You have undeferred the dreams of many.

But I am concerned about your stimulus package and approach to big business. So here goes:

You met the other day with some CEOs of large companies and said afterward, “These are the guys who make things.” I wonder if this is a good attitude to take re: CEOs. For the most part what  CEOs try to make is good numbers in the current quarter. This has been true for a long time and is still true in this crisis. Nothing wrong with this unless it detracts from the design and production of the goods and services that the company is charged with making and/or if it detracts from making the investments in the future that company should be making. And sometimes — often — it does.

So here is my concern: please do not support companies who will take bailout money and still layoff people that they could afford to keep. US companies have long treated people as a disposable resource. Many companies do not try to keep people as an investment during hard times, instead they look for times when layoffs appear to be justified. Then they get rid of lots of people knowing they can rehire when they need to.

I know you are aware that CEOs also work very hard to protect their incomes and have gotten very good at it. In many cases the millions paid to top executives could have been used to avoid many layoffs. This attitude toward personal wealth and luxury as a necessity for top executives is a cancerous growth that has long ago metastasized.

So please question the CEOs you meet with closely: ask them if they are doing everything they can to keep as many people as possible. Ask them how important avoiding layoffs is to them. If they can’t answer you looking directly into your eyes, question them further (do it any way, many of them are excellent liars). I believe any bailout money should be given on two conditions: 1, executive pay will be reasonable and under control — no golden parachutes,  and 2, that avoiding layoffs will be a top priority.

Watch out for companies who say they must lay people off. Some of them are taking advantage of a bad situation. In an economy where people expect bad news most people are not surprised to hear of layoffs or when they are laid off themselves. There are CEOs and other executives who are quite capable of taking advantage of this situation so, President Obama –

Please be aware and awake!

Many thanks for your hard work and your honest, intelligent approach to government. You are a blessing to the nation and world.

Frank Winters