Verweile doch, du bist so schön! - Aspects of Love

When I first encountered this painting "Anna's Light" by Barnett Newman, I was absolutely enraptured by it. Though there was a barrier in the museum preventing me to get too close, my feet had to rest there but my upper body was without me noticing bending forward to reach this light. Oh, blessed Barny to have known such love, no need to tell me who Anna was...

The painting "Prometheus Bound", whose scan is below, was the first of Barnett Newman's I've ever encountered. It was screaming on the wall, I was overwhelmed. Barnett named after Baruch Spinoza, who believed that there is no seperation between spirit and matter, had truly enclosed part of his spirit inside the matter of his painting. For why would people, me and a woman, who guarded the retrospective of Newman's works at Düsseldorf, lie in each others' arms, wheeping, sharing our deepest feelings?! This was also the painting I was standing in front, when another guard at the same exhibition, probably getting nervous at me standing for almost a quarter of an hour in front of it, got behind me and suddenly screamed out: "Come, come, there is something! I've seen it!" The exhibition had been on for several weeks ...

Angenehm enttäuscht - pleasently disappointed

Oh, Maxine, Maxine, a year ago I was so disappointed, enraged, out of my mind, whatever happened to the drawing above I will never know. Was it you or just the Royal Mail, who did not deliver, anyway, it was hard parting  from it from the start, as it was hanging, right here at the desk. For some strange urgent reason it had to go, I had to pass it on - and Mike in his own wonderful, spontaneous rage being my comforting stranger, my wonderful  gardener from Oxfordshire!!! - and now this scan is all I've got left. Yet I got in return more than I've ever expected, a most dear and pleasent glimpse at somebody's heart and it was - almost certainly- worth the loss ;-). Loved it, as it was priceless and definitely unguarded. I'm sorry!!!

The reprise below was and never could be as good, but it gave hope

 

and this accompanied me as the soundtrack

just like this one is doing now

Michael Pennington on Russian productions of Chekhov

For the next seven days available on BBC iPlayer, a discussion with Paul Allain and Michael Pennington on Russian productions of Chekhov and the differences between Russian and British theatre: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xnbjt

Added January 31st: This is the final day it will be on the BBC iPlayer!!! Just 13 hours left!!

Contrapposto-the Gift of the Gorgon

 

Unlike today's clothing, in the 18th century costumes were spacious and thereby giving opportunity to make extravagant movements. Giving way to the most delightful miniatures, the way of the world.

The contrapposto most lively cause every muscle is in movement, yet like facing the gorgon it is frozen eternally.

Kann denn Liebe Sünde sein? - Turning the page

Interestingly some reviewers Of Love Is My Sin believe that the Sonnets are just read, but this is not the case, in fact it is quite obvious that both actors have learned the lines by heart. Nevertheless the Sonnets are also present in writing, but the turning of the pages is but an element of the play and for all I've noticed nobody actually reads anything.

The Swan, the moon and Holy Trinity

April Fool 2010

Me, translating at my brother-in-law's wedding for his beautiful Mexican bride, though wishing to be a thousand miles away, this very moment. It's quite cold, though sunny and I love to get pissed on the sparkling wine. On our way to a restaurant for lunch and to have a small celebration, hearing and vocally accompanying Mumford&Son's The Cave on the radio, feeling absolutely hilarious. Having some conversation and some more red wine at the restaurant, inbetween by chance meeting a former schoolmate who is now living several hundred kilometres away, when suddenly Shakespeare's Sonnets get mentioned by my newly wed sister-in-law, which blows my mind completely. After the return home, still slightly pissed, getting on my bike to the chemist's, there reciting "To be or not to be", getting back into our garden and still feeling absolutely hilarious and not caring a f**k, sending some quite daring email :-).