Thursday, July 06, 2006

A finer Borges moment

You will be safe
You will be asleep

Someone will have their hand
running through your hair

The world is full of images
Some of them will be transparent
Ghosts
that only catch on video frames


You will be cared for
You won't freeze


Too many casualties to keep track of
Someone will keep track of them
You will be safe in the dark
You will be warm at night
with the windows open

You will be loved

You are remembered



--from Rachel's 'Selenography'


I think the top 'mandala' may be a picture of one of my chakras, just after the breakup. The fact that I can draw it indicates to me that it's over and done with.

The bottom mandala looks kind of like a cross-section of an RNA mitochondrion, but it's been half my life or more since high-school physiology, so maybe not.

The two photos are the views out my front and back windows, about twenty minutes ago. I had one of those Moments where I was playing 'Selenography,' and it all sort of congealed, and I took notice.

All of life can be like that, if we just remember to pay attention.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Serena, nice Chackra.
Nice Borges too.

jeff said...

I like the view and the cathartic chackra.

Have you painted the view?

Pretty Lady said...

Have you painted the view?

Kinda sorta, as much as I ever do.

jeff said...

Hey Serena,
I was reading some comments on Ed Winkleman that you made about video work.
I have to agree with you 100%.
I have a hard time with a lot of it.
I recently e-mailed Jerry Saltz about a review he gave this young video artist who was having sex.

He seems to like young women who are on the verge of danger or at least projecting this, its just something I noticed. I was not ammused by the whole affair and told him so. He e-mailed me(nice of him to do so) and told me I was reactionary.

Anyway my feeling on the subject is if I have to see another video piece that has people screaming and dealing with their self angst sexual or otherwise I'm going to be sick all over their artist statement.

jeff said...

I should be more discritpive but I don't want to name names as I am being very critical.
in Saltz's review he stated that this person caused a sensation at PS1 showing this thing of her having sex.

I think its the same as pornography, but Saltz thinks its art.

jeff said...

that painting has a lot of energy.
I hate to say this but it reminds me of hallucinating.

Pretty Lady said...

Hey painterdog! That's why I tend to avoid video art in general. I once tried to work with a curator who specialized in video artists, and after viewing one of her events I was shocked. I could not believe how lame, unimaginative and stupid the standard was. It was as though they got behind a camera (or not--some of them just used stolen footage from, say, the Wizard of Oz) and turned their brains off. It was solipsistic crap.

Funny how so many people say my work is hallucinatory when I've never even tried any fun drugs. I think I was just born like that.

jeff said...

Yeah its as if the people who do it are not talented enough to become photographers or film makers or actors so they have to do bad videos and bore everone.

What do think of Saltz?
He came down on me for testing his judgement, but at least he responded.

I don't know about his thing with young women artist though, although I could be wrong.

Pretty Lady said...

I am always in favor of people who bother to respond, as opposed to those who think they're too important to respond. I don't read Saltz regularly because the Voice gives me hives (I much prefer the Brooklyn Rail, but art criticism in general usually annoys me), but he's a scrappy guy and his prose is less unreadable than that of most art reviewers.

I have no idea what Saltz's relations with young women artists might be, but if he's a sleazebag, he certainly wouldn't be the first. Getting slobbered upon by dirty old professors, critics, curators and the like is an occupational hazard of being a young female artist. ;-)
Saltz may be allowing his gonads to get in the way of his critical judgement, but he has also been known to change his opinions over time and with some introspection.

Again, it's a hair better than being ostracized and sabotaged by old, bitter female artists, curators, grantors and critics. My male professors may have sleazed on me, but at least some of them bothered to write my recs and vote me an honor studio.

jeff said...

I don't want to say he is because I don't know, and that's just starting rumors. Its just something I noticed about his writing and the way he seems to froth or give a lot of attention to a certin types women artist who are doing performance or video work that has sexual content or anger in it or both, things on the edge what is exceptable.
Which is why he called me reactionary. I should show the e-mails there are a few and they are interesting.

Sorry I missed your diner, I did R.S.V.P on the blog hope that counts,
I live in Boston so its kind of hard to get away.

I would like to try go to one if you guys keep doing them in the future.

Pretty Lady said...

Painterdog, you are always welcome!

jeff said...

Thanks.
I can cook as well.