Ponderings About Breaking the Grid...
Chapter 2.2

The grid, the system that simultaneously promotes freedom and repression. The grid, an interlocking series of pathways and rules that guide us through our daily lives. Although there are many ways to consider the idea of the grid, it appears in its most physical form as the city itself. It is literally represented through the streets and the automatic functions that it promotes in humankind. People move like automatons… like the Egyptian murals, in sync with each other. They move as one with the machines, through the surfaces, into the shelters, the buildings. The buildings, the constructs, are a set; a theatrical device that creates a set of behavioral “roles” for the actors. Always, the actors have that sense of slight (ever so slight) unease, even though there can be overwhelming peace. This is the clue to look for a way to break the grid. The structure must be disassembled. For the most part, the city is composed of right angles. It is the basis for the city, and is the essential pattern for the grid.

There are those that break the grid through their own physical manipulations, such as through the practice of Parkour. There is the kind breaks the grid through actual destruction, such as natural disasters. On another level, the circle or the curved line represents a breakage from the grid. It represents a new reality, unchained. A vehicle for the circle is glass, and glass can also provide a pathway that leads away from the tyranny of the grid. It takes the grid, and pushes it through itself, and what emerges on the other side is something original and new, and… changing. The goal is the break the grid, to have a metamorphosis take place. It is an ambition to take something familiar and re-purpose it for renewed consideration about the familiarity of the grid. It takes place through creativity and through imagination. This is the beautiful act, with the result that a sense of deep and vital peace can be felt… individually within the grid.

Ponderings about visual incidentals (or not)...

Chapter 2.1

While watching the film “The Royal Tenenbaums” I couldn’t help but notice the rich injection or depiction of common objects, or “stuff”. The word “stuff” here covers not only objects, but settings, those that are particular to a character or narrative thread, unassuming but yet with a presence that eclipses the mere happenstance of its existence. While most good filmmakers take great care to construct a visual scene, this was seemingly made with what I felt was a similar mindset that a realist (figurative) painter might take in deciding how to adapt the real world to his/her uses. Wes Anderson’s (director) construction of the scenes was not dependent on what was present, but took what was present in an almost casual manner, and upped its visual veracity to the point that it became what one could say is presenting ‘reality in the guise of illusion’.

The realist painter must make the decision to render something, and while the framework of the painting might be what exists in actuality (the scene), it’s not what constrains or necessarily what dictates the final image. It is the decision to do something or not to do something that creates the potency of a realist painting… it is the reliance on what is essentially a lie that makes the viewer question. This is why I think that film-making and painting are actually closer in spirit than painting and photography. They both attempt to show reality through the guise of illusion, whereas photography presents illusion in the guise of reality.

Ponderings about what it feels like...

Chapter 2.0: A New Beginning (the Pregnant City)



What passes through the mind of a street-wanderer? In the monstrous dream, the great hallucination. A Shakespearian masterpiece. A noble metropolis, a childish Babel.

Evening. The need to follow, the need to find, to come upon unexpectadly. The quick glance skyward, the briefest look downward; the sidewalk curb. The lines of the street, of the crosswalk. They provide balance and a sense of order, however they are unstable. The pavement cracks, small at first then larger and deeper. A hint of green creeps up out of one of the cracks, but the eyes can't stay on the green. The eyes must look up, ahead, since the sound is louder. A bloated crackling sound.

Once more the curb.

A stop for rest, even though the wander must continue. Under it all, a wave-like roar from the subterranean depths of the sleepless city, breathing. A turn, blind light. turn back, a sight. A man's face, then a woman's face, unmoving. They come towards you but are without velocity. They emit sound, more sound than the people walking by.

:for appendix: [The danger of standing too long in one place near a sidewalk curb is that there is the distinct possibility of being bounced around by the throng, the river. It is best to always keep moving]

The light grows and dulls, becomes a hazy blob. Suddenly all is dark, but only for a fraction of time. Time has no real meaning here, as a second is as unmeasurable as is a minute. In the distance an escape, but to what end? No end.

Refocus on the stage. All the players are set, and the feeling is of top billing. This is false, it is only a cameo role. Hundreds, thousands, millions of cameos. A bright flash, and then a bump. That moment of instability is quite horrible. There. a small stone on the pavement... gone. Eyes briefly capture the foot that kicked it without knowing. In the distance a siren echos, The sound bounces off the glass, lingers in the mind, and then returns to the glass. Again, and again. horns everywhere. Incessant mumbling. A stare straight into someone's eyes, cold stare, unemotional, anonymous. Here, it will always be so, the environment is dependent on it to thrive, to evolve. The noise gathers, rises, a clatter, a shout to the right, nearly miss walking into a child. Someone else does it instead. To the left, the left, an opening, a haven.

Silence. There is noise all about, but a pure stillness exists now. This is a stillness that is understandable through experiential translation. Turning from the lights... then, I. You. A reflection.

Ponderings about updating...

Fear not gentle readers! The Bohemian will return shortly with new content, and an updated look! Stay tuned!

Ponderings with an inner fever...

Chapter 1.9

Good evening strangers in the dark! I thought that a suitable follow-up from the last post about having what you do be a daily practice would be to talk briefly about various sources of motivation, drive, and yes (because inspiration is not necessarily just for amateurs), inspiration.

One of the most important things in life no matter who you are, where you live, or what your profession may be is to be well-rounded. Putting oneself in the path of as many experiences as possible is essential, for creativity is not fostered without it. So therefore first on the list of sources should be that which is around you. The Bohemian recently returned from a visit to London, England and was served with a reminder as to just how important travel is to inspiration. Sure, there are examples of many well known creative spirits who stayed in the same city most of their lives and were content and successful at what they did. Nevertheless more often than not is it through experiencing the sites and sounds of the world, close and afar, that new ideas begin to form. They say that inspiration can often be found in the most unexpected places. Did Picasso expect to find and be influenced by the African masks and images he saw at the Musée d'Ethnographie du Trocadéro (now the Musée de l'Homme)? Possibly not. But what he saw there went on to be one of the defining influences on his work throughout the rest of his career. You cannot in one place. Open your senses to the world, even the smallest bits are important in some way. Nothing is entirely devoid of meaning if the mind is kept open.

It is equally important to have figures of prominence in your life that can help you to understand what you're trying to achieve and why. Look to those around you in your everyday life that can provide your endeavors with a meaning you hadn't thought of before. Look to those that have prominence in the world, someone that has found success.

These do not need to be people you know, or even people that are alive. The arts do not evolve from lower to higher states. This is something that at times has been believed (see: abstraction), as the power of the new tends to overpower honest reflection. Anyway, I digress. Art changes, but it is not any better now than it was 200 years ago (some might say it has in fact devolved, but that's a matter for another day). No matter what creative endeavor is pursued, looking back and absorbing as much from the figures of the past as possible is vital to knowing the path ahead. Everything is built on a foundation, even something as personal as thoughts and ideas.

Of course, the most important source is yourself. This may not be surprising coming from someone with the name "Bohemian", but I believe it holds true for everyone. It may take time to develop that inner fire, but rest assured that it can be achieved. Take encouragement from all victories, big or small. These victories are the proof that you're on the right track. The key is to never give up, to take great consideration in the smallest parts of life as well as the biggest parts. To demonstrate, lets bring in the Bower bird:

-The male bower bird of New Guinea and Australia creates elaborate nests during breeding season to attract a mate. These nests serve only as areas for courtship display and are used and improved for several years. The bower bird chooses an open site among the base area of a tree, and sweeps it clear of leaves. The bird then builds the structure (bower) from carefully chosen twigs that he sticks firmly in the ground. The bowers floor is decorated with brightly colored flowers and fruit. More often than not he fails to attract a mate in the first few attempts. He notices what didn't work and attempts to make it better. It never gives up.

Like the Bower bird, a creative person must always always push forward. Like a high quality sponge, a creative person must absorb everything and hold it in. There's nothing outside the realm of inspiration. I'd like to end this evening with a cliche. Everyone, the world is your oyster.

Ponderings when running the marathon...

Chapter 1.5 (pg 10)

per⋅se⋅ver⋅ance -- (pur-suh-veer-uhns)

Perseverance is one of the most important absolutes that any artist can have. Creativity must stem from a resolute attitude to boldly go forward even when the path ahead is obscured or hazy. I won't unconditionally advocate the old adage about taking the path less travelled, despite it seeming great and rebellious at first glance. It may be desirable and beneficial for some to begin their journey on a road that has fewer cracks, to learn the terrain, so that a new road can later be constructed from the knowledge previously gained. The mistake, of course, would be to stick to this road.

The journey down either or both of these roads will undoubtedly be littered with a large dose of despair, but often (hopefully) an equally large dose of optimistic positivity, which is the antidote for the despair. The despair can come easily, but the positivity only comes through work. A word of caution: be careful over-indulging in either path as they both lead to downfall (either of body or mind) in the long-run.

There is a book entitled The Daily Practice of Painting, which for the most part contains essays and interviews about or by the eminent German painter Gerhard Richter. What is contained in the book is fascinating and in some ways important, but most important is the title... the DAILY practice. the concept is easily acknowledged, but is equally easy to forget. Look at Richter, and it is clear that for him it is a daily practice.

Another reference from another well known artist, the painter Chuck Close. When asked how he comes up with the ideas for his large scale portraits, he answered "inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just get to work". Sometimes I think just being in your creative space just looking at your creation, can partially constitute this work. Anything to avoid the nothing.

This is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Have a plan, stick to it. A daily account will follow.

Ponderings with an oatmeal mind...

Chapter 1.1 (pg 3)

Generally, there are four main imperatives when approaching creation:

-Through chaos, a totally uncontrolled explosion often resulting in a murky yogurt of complicated flavors, with some spoonfuls being more delectable than others. Mildly recommended (use only if in possession of a stable personality)

-Through organization, which more often than not will leave the creator longing for the aforementioned chaos. Not recommended for most (therapy may be needed to overcome obstacles)

-Through consideration, a mix of the above two methods, a ritual that straddles the line between sanity and insanity, but can sometimes provide more consistent results... if that is what the creator is looking to achieve. Mildly recommended, with caution (practice required)

-Through ignorance of any imperative whatsoever, the result usually being either a creation of complete genius or total idiocy. Highly recommended.