We celebrated with friends in a section of the city called Wedding. Wilhelm said it's more a working class neighborhood with Turkish and African people along with Germans. The neighbors were completely and utterly wild with the business of fireworks. In all the years and all the places I've celebrated New Years's Eve I've never experienced it like I did in Berlin. We were in the very center of the explosions. My trusted IPhone was right there in the fray recording the action. The next door neighbor launched his rockets from his balcony the old fashioned way; he used his hands! I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I did taking them. I included a short film of the action. All the explosions are within 20 feet of our balcony, some rained down on top of us. Fluff was safe inside as it was about -5 degrees and he's sadly, but sexily,without hair. This job was mine and I did my best. Enjoy!
Kamis, 31 Desember 2009
Berlin Studies #3: N.E.X.T.
Looking at this past year from the comfort of a foreign city and a safe distance is no less jarring. It seems like I've been running from shadows and searching for a sliver of light. That's what 2009feels like this morning. It was a year of change, harsh realities, tough choices and, ultimately, liberation. It was also a year that showed me that lives do change.
Personally, I'm not big on change. I'm a creature of habit; mostly bad ones but some good. To stop, back up and make a turn is anathema to me. Is it fear of the unknown? Perhaps. It's more fear of new patterns and new obstacles that will call for new exertions. It's probably a laziness of character. That's embarrassing to admit, but probably closest to the truth. The rooftops and lit car is the view from our room. Kinda KOOL. That's Eric, at right, taking dictation. He's a 2 finger typist, so these things take time......
Wandering through Berlin each day has an effect of dulling the facts of ones life and replacing them with new sensations. Getting back last night to the hotel in the falling snow (and ass chilling cold) where everything was silent and lamp lit got me thinking /remembering things I wanted to keep buried in New York , or at least in the back of this room's armoire. They were thoughts, memories and so many of them steeped in confusion and regret. So much that had been the rhythm of my life and that of those close to me was interrupted; stopped. I was not singled out. It was the case for many businesses in fashion, in NYC and the country. Too late to whine about it but it was a switch, the biggest one of my life. Many other things happened that were unplanned. Upheavals in the marketplace, an economy rocketing downwards and a lot of disillusioned people made for a cloudy year with a bit too much rain.
Fashion went around in circles to a large degree. The opportunities to boldly go where no designer has gone before, was largely ignored for a safer spot in ones own back yard. For that reason writing about fashion was amusing but not always enlightening. It was a good year for bitch slapping biliousness. For that, I apologize. Nevertheless, when you see something with a "Kick Me" sign pinned to its butt you have to fight the urge NOT to kick. Forgive me, but I was weak. Singling out Vogue, its Editors here and abroad, their grip on the eyes and ears of too many was something difficult to ignore. It is a dictatorship past its due date. A few years more and that regime will be replaced with a new one. Tectonic shifts are in play there as I write. News of a reshuffling will bubble to the surface very early in the New Year. So nothing stays the same, and that's good. Can you find Anna in the front row of this painting? Who's show is it?
Berlin has been a feast to the eyes and spirit. It is jammed with museums, amazing old and new architecture and a society of people filled with energy. It's not a slave colony like NYC can be, like the U.S. had become in the last administration. I haven't enjoyed using my IPhone camera this much , EVER. It's so much fun to share these incredible sights with you. You can't help but be awed by the Brandenberg Gate, the Reichstag, the old buildings that house so many more museums than we have, and tons and tons of new architecture that makes every direction you turn a visual feast. One of our friends here said, "Who needs high rises when you have fantastic buildings you can actually see all of ?" He's right. There is a human scale to a lot of what you see here. I would go further and say that Architecture is the fashion of Berlin more than clothes or accessories. That's not to say that there is a fashion design community alive and well, but it doesn't make its presence felt in the way architecture does. Fashion is more personal and idiosyncratic, and that's fine by me.
Tonight is New Year's Eve. The city is gearing up for a hell of a blast. Whole sections around the
the Brandenberg Gate and the Tiergarten, a huge park, will be blocked to traffic. People will mass there for a party that will go on until tomorrow. We've been warned not to venture out after midnight due to falling explosives. They rain down from most windows in most buildings making it treacherous and dangerous to move on foot or in a car. Tonight will also feature a Blue Moon, the second full moon during December. That is an auspicious event. It bodes well for all of us in the coming year. This Blue moon will be the last we see for the next 18 years. Many of us will be grown up, grown old and gone on.
I wish you all a very Happy New Year. Things will be better, they certainly will be different and we can look forward to new challenges and opportunities to change the courses of our lives. In the darkest moments of 2009, all of you switched on the lights for me and Fluff, giving us both a renewed faith in life's possibilities. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it. I'd like to do the same for you all in some small way. Until such time, I want to say thanks from the 2 of us. And to my friends and loved ones, I want to send love and gratitude to you all. You're well aware who each of you are.
* Happy 2010 *
Personally, I'm not big on change. I'm a creature of habit; mostly bad ones but some good. To stop, back up and make a turn is anathema to me. Is it fear of the unknown? Perhaps. It's more fear of new patterns and new obstacles that will call for new exertions. It's probably a laziness of character. That's embarrassing to admit, but probably closest to the truth. The rooftops and lit car is the view from our room. Kinda KOOL. That's Eric, at right, taking dictation. He's a 2 finger typist, so these things take time......
Wandering through Berlin each day has an effect of dulling the facts of ones life and replacing them with new sensations. Getting back last night to the hotel in the falling snow (and ass chilling cold) where everything was silent and lamp lit got me thinking /remembering things I wanted to keep buried in New York , or at least in the back of this room's armoire. They were thoughts, memories and so many of them steeped in confusion and regret. So much that had been the rhythm of my life and that of those close to me was interrupted; stopped. I was not singled out. It was the case for many businesses in fashion, in NYC and the country. Too late to whine about it but it was a switch, the biggest one of my life. Many other things happened that were unplanned. Upheavals in the marketplace, an economy rocketing downwards and a lot of disillusioned people made for a cloudy year with a bit too much rain.
Fashion went around in circles to a large degree. The opportunities to boldly go where no designer has gone before, was largely ignored for a safer spot in ones own back yard. For that reason writing about fashion was amusing but not always enlightening. It was a good year for bitch slapping biliousness. For that, I apologize. Nevertheless, when you see something with a "Kick Me" sign pinned to its butt you have to fight the urge NOT to kick. Forgive me, but I was weak. Singling out Vogue, its Editors here and abroad, their grip on the eyes and ears of too many was something difficult to ignore. It is a dictatorship past its due date. A few years more and that regime will be replaced with a new one. Tectonic shifts are in play there as I write. News of a reshuffling will bubble to the surface very early in the New Year. So nothing stays the same, and that's good. Can you find Anna in the front row of this painting? Who's show is it?
Berlin has been a feast to the eyes and spirit. It is jammed with museums, amazing old and new architecture and a society of people filled with energy. It's not a slave colony like NYC can be, like the U.S. had become in the last administration. I haven't enjoyed using my IPhone camera this much , EVER. It's so much fun to share these incredible sights with you. You can't help but be awed by the Brandenberg Gate, the Reichstag, the old buildings that house so many more museums than we have, and tons and tons of new architecture that makes every direction you turn a visual feast. One of our friends here said, "Who needs high rises when you have fantastic buildings you can actually see all of ?" He's right. There is a human scale to a lot of what you see here. I would go further and say that Architecture is the fashion of Berlin more than clothes or accessories. That's not to say that there is a fashion design community alive and well, but it doesn't make its presence felt in the way architecture does. Fashion is more personal and idiosyncratic, and that's fine by me.
Tonight is New Year's Eve. The city is gearing up for a hell of a blast. Whole sections around the
the Brandenberg Gate and the Tiergarten, a huge park, will be blocked to traffic. People will mass there for a party that will go on until tomorrow. We've been warned not to venture out after midnight due to falling explosives. They rain down from most windows in most buildings making it treacherous and dangerous to move on foot or in a car. Tonight will also feature a Blue Moon, the second full moon during December. That is an auspicious event. It bodes well for all of us in the coming year. This Blue moon will be the last we see for the next 18 years. Many of us will be grown up, grown old and gone on.
I wish you all a very Happy New Year. Things will be better, they certainly will be different and we can look forward to new challenges and opportunities to change the courses of our lives. In the darkest moments of 2009, all of you switched on the lights for me and Fluff, giving us both a renewed faith in life's possibilities. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it. I'd like to do the same for you all in some small way. Until such time, I want to say thanks from the 2 of us. And to my friends and loved ones, I want to send love and gratitude to you all. You're well aware who each of you are.
* Happy 2010 *
Rabu, 30 Desember 2009
Gus Dur Meninggal Dunia Hari Ini Pukul 18.45
Breaking News hari ini ! Berita duka kembali menyelimuti Indonesia, Seorang tokoh NU dan Mantan President Ke-4 Meninggal Dunia Hari ini 30 Desember pada pukul 18.45 di Rumah Sakit Central Medika (RSCM) . K.H Abdurrahman Wahid atau biasa dipanggil Gusdur meninggal karena menderita kencing manis dan juga penyakit ginjal yg menggerogotinya. Beberapa waktu yang lalu Gusdur sempat masuk RSCM dan melakukan cuci darah setelah kondisinya drop akibat turunnya kadar Gulanya. Tentunya ini dipicu oleh Penyakit Diabetes Mellitus yang ia derita. setelah kondisinya membaik beliau diijinkan pulang. Dah hari ini beliau tutup usia. Selamat jalan Gusdur.. Semoga Arwah beliau diterima ALLAH SWT.
Civil War Homefront Precuts, Stripes and Chaos Theory
This pre-Civil-War top was the inspiration for colors and prints in my Civil War Homefront collection for Moda. It had been a comforter cover; was worn into holes; taken apart and then a friend bought it to use some intact patches for repairs. It looks rather pastel in this summer shot in my yard because the light is shining through it. The photo of the good parts below shows the color and the prints better.
It's rather chaotic, a look I love about early quilts where the patchwork pattern and the fabric patterns compete for your eye. I always love a good fight.
You can see it's a four patch set in strips with setting triangles of the large stripes that were so popular for women's dresses in the 1840s and '50s. The strips are offset so the large triangles form a zigzag, which you can hardly notice because the random stripes are screaming, "Look at me!"
I decided to interpret this top when my Civil War Homefront fabric arrived. I took a precut package of 2-1/2" Jellyrolls and gave my friends in my sewing group 2 or 3 strips each and told them, since it was my birthday and I got to choose a project, that I would like them to make as many nine-patches as they could out of the strips and not to worry about contrast.
Then I set the nine-patches with stripes in a fashion similar to the original top.
I thought about setting the strips right next to each other, but decided that on the chaos-to-calm scale I was of a less chaotic frame of mind than the original crazy quilter. I didn't even try to offset them to create a zigzag. That might have hurt.
This was not working. Then I recalled this antique quilt, which I found on an online auction. It had been in the back of my mind and I am glad I had the picture.
Here's a cobbled together shot of the top, which is going to the quilter this week. Five pieced strips, six unpieced paisleys. Blue triangles at the top and bottom.
On the sliding scale of chaos-to-calm it fits me fine. Those randomly cut stripes may be too chaotic for you. You could fussy cut them. I also had trouble sewing them all in the same direction, but that's part of the chaos that appeals to me.
I'm posting a free pattern on my webpage. Click here to see it:
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Berlin Studies #2: The Snarltorialist
I've been possessed by the spirit of Scott Schuman since my arrival. The people of Berlin are so indicative of a certain style. It's not so much international as it is particular to Berliners. The street activity and the thousands in museums have given me an inkling of what they are about stylistically. It's really not about fashion as much as it is about personal style. There is a green-ness to the way people dress. Not that they're swaddled in hemp but that there is a practicality to the way they put things together. It's cold, damp and dark much of the day. Layers are consequently a mainstay of most wardrobes. Coolness is in how it is done and not labels, per se. One fabulous cocktail dress was made completely out of Pine boughs....Who'd a thunk it? Not even Rodarte.
There is a 5th Ave. of sorts, Friedrichstrasse, with all the hottest shops, ALL of them. They seem to be more for the Russians than the Berliners. They were not packed , but there was a lot more action in them than on Madison Ave. just before I left. One week before Christmas you could toss a wrecking-sized bowling ball down Madison and not hit a soul. It was DEAD. Here it's busy. A ton of street traffic paired with actual shoppers.
So I pulled out my IPhone and started shooting like Scott, only I didn't ask people to stop and pose, but just ran all around them till I got something I could share with you. Being the Sartorialist must be a tough job. But playing the SNARLTORIALIST was a walk in the park. I rather enjoyed it. Most of my subjects didn't mind that much. It was only in the Leather shops, Berlin is the German word for Leather, that I found a bit of resistance. I'll have to follow these leather-clad fellas to wherever they all seem to go at night to catch them unawares.
Animal prints are everywhere. In so many store windows there are snake and leopard spots covering every sort of article of clothing. There's also an unusual interest in eyeglasses. The more colorful and oddly shaped the better. Henna is Queen in this town, and all over Germany for that matter. You see henna dyed tresses in every shade from heavy handed to otherworldly. I think the Germans keep the henna industry alive. There is a charm to so much you see. There's an un-selfconsciousness which makes it so appealing. Berlin has a decidedly East Village feel to it. It's not fussy and uptight. If anything it's more antic and excited about life, culture and making the most of things no matter how the chips fall.
Luxury lives in the materials, workmanship and quality of things you see and find here. That always seems missing from the obvious designer offerings. The one item I've seen so far, and there have been many, the thing I'm aching for is a pair of deer-skin leather pants in a loden grey green. They have the consistency of thick rich chamois and are cut perfectly. They cost half a month's rent but would last me the rest of my life. Each day I weigh the pros and cons of buying them. Amortizing them over the remainder of what would be an average advanced age makes them an obvious steal. There are 5 days left, so we'll see.
"It" bags are very different here. They are either very artistic or totally practical. Yes, you see a lot of Gucci and Hermes but more Hermes than other things. I love it that the taste level in luxe brands is weighted towards the truly fabulous and not the everyday. Grocery bags seem to be the "It" bag of choice.I saw lots and there was one lady in particular who believed that more was definitely better than less.
There is a 5th Ave. of sorts, Friedrichstrasse, with all the hottest shops, ALL of them. They seem to be more for the Russians than the Berliners. They were not packed , but there was a lot more action in them than on Madison Ave. just before I left. One week before Christmas you could toss a wrecking-sized bowling ball down Madison and not hit a soul. It was DEAD. Here it's busy. A ton of street traffic paired with actual shoppers.
So I pulled out my IPhone and started shooting like Scott, only I didn't ask people to stop and pose, but just ran all around them till I got something I could share with you. Being the Sartorialist must be a tough job. But playing the SNARLTORIALIST was a walk in the park. I rather enjoyed it. Most of my subjects didn't mind that much. It was only in the Leather shops, Berlin is the German word for Leather, that I found a bit of resistance. I'll have to follow these leather-clad fellas to wherever they all seem to go at night to catch them unawares.
Animal prints are everywhere. In so many store windows there are snake and leopard spots covering every sort of article of clothing. There's also an unusual interest in eyeglasses. The more colorful and oddly shaped the better. Henna is Queen in this town, and all over Germany for that matter. You see henna dyed tresses in every shade from heavy handed to otherworldly. I think the Germans keep the henna industry alive. There is a charm to so much you see. There's an un-selfconsciousness which makes it so appealing. Berlin has a decidedly East Village feel to it. It's not fussy and uptight. If anything it's more antic and excited about life, culture and making the most of things no matter how the chips fall.
Luxury lives in the materials, workmanship and quality of things you see and find here. That always seems missing from the obvious designer offerings. The one item I've seen so far, and there have been many, the thing I'm aching for is a pair of deer-skin leather pants in a loden grey green. They have the consistency of thick rich chamois and are cut perfectly. They cost half a month's rent but would last me the rest of my life. Each day I weigh the pros and cons of buying them. Amortizing them over the remainder of what would be an average advanced age makes them an obvious steal. There are 5 days left, so we'll see.
"It" bags are very different here. They are either very artistic or totally practical. Yes, you see a lot of Gucci and Hermes but more Hermes than other things. I love it that the taste level in luxe brands is weighted towards the truly fabulous and not the everyday. Grocery bags seem to be the "It" bag of choice.I saw lots and there was one lady in particular who believed that more was definitely better than less.
Selasa, 29 Desember 2009
Warung Said, Ngopi Yuk Warung Plus Plus Surabaya
Ngopi Yuk .. !! Sebuah klise yang Fenomenal saat ini. Warung Kopi (WARKOP) saat ini menjadi icon dari sebuah kota. Di tiap sisi kota pasti kita temui yang namanya WARKOP atau biasa disebut GIRAS entah mengapa disebut kata GIRAS? mungkin setelah ngopi di warkop ini mereka akan tampak GIRAS / Melek (ada-ada saja nih). Salah satu dari ribuan GIRAS yang ada di Surabaya adalah Warung Said. Sepintas warung kopi ini layaknya seperti warkop biasa, namun coba lihat pengunjungnya apa lagi kalau malam, sangat ramai sekali. Warung kopi ini adalah tempat dimana para BLOGGER Surabaya Sharing (seperti yang saya lakukan dengan beberapa sahabat Blogger), tak hanya para Blogger, pengunjungnya pun juga para Mahasiswa, Tukang Becak, Executive Muda, Pengangguran, Karyawan , Penyanyi, pokoknya semua elemen masyarakat tumplek blek nongkrong di warung kopi ini.
Warung ini memiliki sebuah slogan yang cukup unik yaitu Warung Said, Ngopi Yuk. Diambil dari penjaga warung yang bernama Said yang dikenal Gokil, Genit, Namun Senitive . Warung Said, Ngopi Yuk ini terletak di Perbatasan antara Jalan Jojoran dan Mojo Surabaya, berdempetan dengan sebuah makam yang oleh masyarakat setempat disebut sebagai "Kuburan Balung". kesan seramnya kuburan pun hilang tergerus ramainya pengunjung dan guyonan khas suroboyoan di warung ini.
Ada Yang Plus - Plus di Warung Said, Ngopi Yuk
Jangan heran apabila kamu melintasi warung yang selalu ramai ini, Cewek-cowok, tua-muda, kaya-miskin semuanya ada. Warung yang terkenal dengan racikan kopi dan minuman - minuman yang dijual dengan rasa yang nikmat ini memang menyuguhkan sesuatu yang plus - plus terutama saat malam hari untuk memikat pelanggannya. Eits... jangan keburu berpukir Mesum dulu, plus-plus di sini bukan dalam artian negatif. Lalu mengapa disebut plus-plus? ya karena warung ini menyuguhkan sesuatu yang berbeda. Di Warung Said, Ngopi Yuk layanan plus-plusnya adalah Plus Gojlokan, Plus Guyonan Suroboyoan, Plus Layanan antar express, Plus boleh ngutang, dan Di warung ini juga Plus Jualan Pulsa. He...3x.. tentunya bagi kamu yang mengambil tempat nongkrong di sektor kanan warung, juga akan mendapat layanan Plus gigtan nyamuk :D (wakakakakak...).
Tempat Sharing Para Blogger
Warung Said, Ngopi Yuk menjadi Hot Spot bagi para sahabat Blogger berkumpul, hampir tiap malam Blogger mojo berkumpul disini, baik Newbie maupun Masternya. Di warung ini kami saling Sharing, mencari inspirasi kata kunci, dan belajar Optimasi SEO dari para master-master seperti Bpk. Achile dan Bpk. Copas sambil ditemani minuman khas Good Day yang mak nyus. Blogger yang biasa berkuasa disini sebut saja Achiles pemilik Achiles-Blog dan petarungseo (Achiles M.BM - Master of Blogger Matre) yang mukanya mirip seperti bang iwan fals (wakakakak), juga ada Copas pemilik Copas Blog (Copas M.If - Master Of Infolinks) yang mirip Jerry yan (seriuusss...wakakaka) ada lagi Chi-Moze Si pemilik Bemp3 (Chi-Moze S.Tp - Sarjana Texas Poker) karena memang blogger yang mirip Ariel peterpan satu ini gemar berjudi poker di Facebook (ho..ho.. ALL in), juga ada Muhammad Kacong pemilik Pangeran66 (Pangeran S.Bp - Sarjana Blog Bugil Mesum) satu-satunya blogger yang sudah laku dan narsis yg gemar menyebut dirinya Pangeran (upss..Pangeran mesum kali ya.. wakakak) sepintas mirip sekali dengan Ivan Gunawan dia gemar sekali mengusik tutor di halam pertama search engine. Dan tak ketinggalan saya Mike-Pucca pemilik veroccanews (verocca S.Pd - Sarjana Pendidikan karena memang calon guru) Ha..ha..ha.. banyak sih teman dan sahabat saya yang menyebut saya mirip dengan penyanyi Mike Idol, padahal saya rasa nggak mirip banget, tapi kalau suara sih nggak beda jauh lah. (serius Loh.. apalagi kalau ada yang ngajak karaoke gratis, pasti bakalan tersihir dengan suara saya. wakakakak :D)
Berlin Studies #1: Nefertiti
I've just noticed that the sun doesn't shine much here. It's cold, wet and grey with a slight smell of coal smoke in the air. Unlike other places, these are just observations along with a list of others and not the thing that sets a tone. At 3:45 p.m.it's sunset and at 4:00p.m. it's dark. Simple as that. This is one of the most compelling cities I've ever explored. NYC has a lot to recommend it and plenty to send one packing. Berlin is like a riddle that keeps you trying to find the answer. This is my 4th day and it's been almost impossible to stop long enough to put this down. I just wish you could come along on this winding , twisting journey.
I will have to start with my coming face to face with Queen Nefertiti. You all know who and what I mean. The Neue Museum has an exhibition of Egyptian sculpture, art, and artifacts , with Nefertiti as it's jewel. Honestly, I'm rarely in a situation where I am without something to say. When I walked into the circular corner room with a huge vaulted ceiling and a perfectly lit glass dome above , I was already in a trance. The walls were partially covered in a fresco that covered the walls of an Egyptian palace. All pale ochre and lapis with mostly bare plaster walls the color of beige. In the center directly below the glass dome, which seemed to be the only source of light, was a single pedestal . On it was the bust of the most beautiful sculpted face, neck, shoulders and crown on this planet. She looks like someone from now, maybe the future, but hardly from several thousands of years ago. Her gaze expresses a total self possession. It's as though she is in total command of all her senses, her inner strength, her moral compass. No one was permitted to take photographs( this is going to be about the only picture I will NOT have taken for these stories) and so we all just stood, hushed and staring. It really was that awe inspiring. You just cant believe this bust has survived, intact, for so many thousands of years. Only a chipped right ear, and a little chip on the tip of her crown, and an enigmatic , missing color to her left eye, but the rest of her is perfection.
The color of her skin, texture of her features, the sinews of her throat, all look like the work of a master mannequin designer. At the risk of reducing her to something cliche or commonplace, she looks like a mature Audrey Hepburn. The eyes, cheekbones, jawline and neck all say Audrey. I stood and stared from every possible angle and kept coming up with Audrey. I hope that doesn't color your take on this story, but it explained to me something of Audrey's appeal. Her beauty spans time. Not in a gamine way, but in a way that women have of being the most wondrous, mystifying and powerful beings in this world. Queen Nefertiti must have been all of that and much more.
I found myself in many of the pieces that made up the exhibition. I could see a resemblance to these ancient Egyptians. Their heads were shaped like mine along with many of my facial features.For most of my life I've been embarrassed over the shape of my head; a bit too long in the back with a crown at the top and a prominent forehead. Well I found a beautiful basalt sculpted head of a man that could have been my twin. Our picture together will bear that out. The museum was filled with the most elegant display of a lost culture, a time long past. It was a show that kept me returning to different rooms just to get another glance to hold in my mind's eye, the camera's chip and more so in my soul. There was something transporting about it.
The backdrop for much of the exhibition are walls still riddled with bullet holes from the war. To actually see the remnants of that time on these walls and all over many many buildings everywhere in this city is a very strange and unsettling experience. No matter how you slice it, we in America have been shielded from so much.
Then there are the people here: Berliners, Germans, Tourists from EVERYWHERE and style Galore. Berlin is not a city of Fashion as we know it. It is a city of STYLE. Scott Schuman , The Sartorialist, came to mind and I channeled him.....sort of. You'll see.
Miss you all, kiss you all and wish we were sitting together over a coffee at Cafe Einstein sharing our thoughts ( Starbuck's is across the street, but who needs it?). I'm off...more later.
Senin, 28 Desember 2009
Document & Reproduction: Printed Plaid
Carte-de-visite photo of a young woman from
Willimantic, Connecticut, in the 1860s
Left: the document print; right: the reproduction from
Civil War Homefront, both in madder-style shades
Tintype of sisters in matching dresses of probable printed plaid.
The narrow silhouette indicates fashion of about 1870.
Left: madder-style printed plaid from about 1840-1860; right: about 1870-1890
Left: a mid-century printed plaid; right: later in the 19th century.
Printed plaids, although more expensive to produce, offer an advantage over woven plaids. They can be printed on the diagonal, a style impossible with varicolored warps and wefts.
Woven plaid set on the bias in a top from 1840-1860
Woven plaids are hard to date. This 150-year-old plaid could have been bought at a fabric store last week.
Mid-19th-century printed plaid (with a double pink)
Sometimes the only way to tell a printed plaid from a woven plaid is by examining the frayed edge of a swatch to see if the warps and wefts are dyed in the yarn or printed later. In this case it's hard to tell because the printed dye colored the edge yarns so well. While examining it with a magnifying glass I realized I could turn it over. A woven plaid would be identical on both sides. This is not. As Homer Simpson would say: "Doh!" Of course, examining the reverse is not possible when identifying fabric in a quilt.
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