Inspiration

I went to the MOMA yesterday, in search of inspiration and to take my brain on a little vacation. Even though it was crowded (free first Tuesday of the month), I still got something out of it - like this painting with butterflies, "Pray" by Damien Hirst. I'm not sure about the artist persona after reading about him, but I liked the painting.

Then to the Richard Avedon exhibit. The one photo that moved me the most was of a Hiroshima pilot, a Claude Eatherly, taken August 6, 1945. The expression on his face was so intense, with a tear in his eye not quite able to even come out, as if the horror was beyond what a human being can possibly cry about. At least that's what I saw in it.

He (Avedon) can take Marilyn Monroe out of her glamour into pensiveness and vulnerability. And I like how he uses the space around and between his subjects:

The museum has now a rooftop garden, perfect for sitting in the sun with a sense of abandon. I met a nice German lady there, another expatriate. We talked about second hand stores, unfinished projects, and how wherever you go it's always nice to be in Europe.

Other things that caught my attention : Andrea Zittel's travel trailer, so perfectly outfitted with wood panelings and glass jars; and Robert Frank's "The Americans" - I didn't have time to look at the whole thing but what I saw I liked a lot. And Jack Kerouac wrote the introduction to his book, a collection of photographs taken all around the United States over a period of a year and some odd months. Both a renewed inspiration for travel, of which I haven't done enough lately.

Afterwards I sat outside the cafe for some tea and writing. It was still warm outside by 6 o'clock, it felt like summer again. At last.

Some other inspiring items in my life right now:

reading Nabokov's Transparent Things
listening to Colleen in the mornings

I've just added the moon phase lil' gadget on the right. As you can see it's pretty much full. I'm ready to get on a train to somewhere exciting and far away - if only.

But for now: figuring out how to release a full length record, all by myself. Exciting! Intimidating! Scary.