Heat

by jd on May 30, 2008

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These are the most interesting things I snapped with my iPhone this week. Above is a work called Chiaccere by Pae White that was on exhibit at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. It is a series of a mobiles made with cut paper and color thread. The Hammer Museum website quotes White as describing her work as “an exploration of movement contained.” Like “a waterfall on pause” the works are “a flurry of color and gentle movement, suspended for contemplation.”

I like the phrase waterfall on pause. It kind of describes my life right now.

The photo below was taken from my hotel room and overlooks the Mississippi River and the French Quarter in New Orleans. One of my meetings was held in a mansion amid the live oaks and trolley cars of St. Charles Avenue. The craftsmanship that went into houses like that amazes me-the inlaid patterns in the hard wood floors, the ten foot solid wood doors, the iron work around the light fixtures.

The French Quarter is one of my favorite neighborhoods to wander, taking special care to avoid Bourbon Street, which is a cesspool.

New Orleans was hot and Arizona was hot, but in very different ways. My sister-in-law once described humidity as a comforting blanket. I think it is an apt description. I don’t like heat, but if I had a choice I’ll take the heat with humidity rather than the dry blistering desert.

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Blu 06.03.08 at 6:47 am

Wow, I love these art sculptures. A waterfall on pause is a beautiful thing to contenplate, but I don’t think it would be a beautiful thing to be. It sounds painful. Hope you are doing OK. I try to feel like you do about humidity and heat, but to me the humidity feels thick and suffocating. Once in awhile after a great dry spell, I almost appreciate it. I guess it must have a lot to do with where you grew up.

Jd 06.03.08 at 9:02 am

That’s funny Blue. You are the one I remember saying humidity was like a comforting blanket. You must have said suffocating blanket, an entirely different image indeed. I am doing well.

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