There are so many rectangles in the world, it's the preferred shape for window frames and TV screens. I forgot that my mum gave me one of my Nonno's scarfs when she visited, I just saw it when I opened the closet. I thought to myself;
another rectangle. Having time and space to think is a great thing, though to think you need to do something. Like arranging objects on your desk, washing dishes, digging in the soil or planting seeds, pruning olive trees, putting tiles on the roof (terracotta flats and half cylinders), sweeping and so on. I've been looking at this kid's drawing that I found and trying to work out why children's drawings are always good. I think it's because you get a sense that they enjoyed doing it at the time, that it was play. As an adult it's not easy to bring this level of joy to your work because you're supposed to be thinking about your career, yourself, almost anything else. I don't know how I can reconcile the impotence of art with the political challenges that we face (colonialism, white nationalism, you name it). And yet I press on with this art business because I feel like it's a way to have hope or persevere (even though it might be impotent, ineffectual, worthless, stupid). I know artists who work in very political ways, who are able to probe systems and incite self awareness. But maybe there is this other function for art, I'm not a religious person but maybe it can operate in an area we might call the spiritual? For many people in many cultures, it already does.
I enjoyed two paintings that I saw in Pistoia last week.
Compianto di Cristo by Lippo did Benivienti was this great scene (painted on a pentagon shaped canvas, not a rectangle). In the painting seven people are attending to Jesus' dead body, four of them are touching their faces to the wounds, one is helping with the shroud and two are looking on mournfully, their faces on their hands. In the painting, the face is this primary instrument of touch. I'm looking at it right now on a brochure that is propped on my desk along its multiple folds. The other painting was the real gem of the collection:
Madonna della Pergola by Bernadino Detti. I should mention that it was framed within a conjoined rectangle and semi-circle shape.
I heard that there was an earthquake in New Zealand last night, I hope everything is alright and glad to hear that there aren't many casualties. Italy is similar to New Zealand in that it's a small place that sits along a major fault line. All lines are connected as they are the interstices between plates. I'm still feeling imaginary earthquakes here, I can't trust that earth is ever static anymore.
On a final note (and something that I do badly or very artificially is a conclusion), when I took my shoes off yesterday there were two perfect rectangles of sweat on my socks
