The Velvet Underground, Jeanne-Claude, Dylan and astrological musings

I was reading about artist, Jeanne-Claude's death today in Lemonwade. Jeanne-Claude was married to the famed artist, Christo. The blurb about Jeanne-Claude's death was brief, but the issue of Lemonwade was packed with interesting topics.
Here is the link - http://www.lemonwade.com/2009/11/19/artist-jeanne-claude-is-dead/
There is an article about a Velvet Underground reunion, accompanied by a photograph of the band in much earlier days. Lou Reed, to my eyes, has never appeared visually young - quite odd when I think about it. In this particular photo, Lou does have a certain youthful freshness, but I would not say that he looks young.

Upon further contemplation, I realize that I do not think that a camera has ever caught Lou's smile. Perhaps this is the reason that he has never appeared to be youthful?

According to Pisces Lou, many parts of his life have been horrific and sad. I hope that Lori Anderson (a Gemini) can cheer that old soul up.
Another article points to Bob Dylan (another Gemini) releasing a Christmas album. Some people have stated that it is frightening. Ha! I would like to hear it. I need to hear it!
That Dylan boy (for every Gemini is in a constant state of youth - observe Sir Paul) certainly is a brilliant wordsmith. I read a rare Dylan interview some years ago wherein he disclosed that he could not write songs like "My Back Pages" anymore. Apparently, Dylan's muse - who worked 24/7, seemingly suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder back in the d-d-day - is worn out. A relationship with a Gemini can be exhausting...
I believe the exact stanza that Dylan referred to during his 'Man, I could not do this now if I wanted to' interview was this:

Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin' high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
"My Back Pages", Bob Dylan

Genius! All of the old Dylan songs are stellar gems.
Makes me wonder if Dylan and Jackson Pollock have more in common than we know...
While I am on the Dylan theme, I will relay that I finally watched the film, "I'm Not There". I wish that I had not known that Cate Blanchett was playing the "post-acoustic" Dylan. I simply could not suspend my knowledge of Cate's role-playing...what did I miss?
I know a bit about Bob Dylan's history and discography so I could follow the film - sorta, kinda - well - it was almost as though I was not there.....
Maybe that was the point.

So

Here is one of my favorite songs, courtesy of Peter Gabriel, an amazing artist who flies a bit under the popular radar. Written in 1986, I believe, it never fails to elicit a sensual, yet spiritual and uplifting response from me.

If you click on the link, you can listen to the song at Peter's website. The lyrics are reproduced below, and you can find them on the website also as the song plays.
I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.petergabriel.com/discography/track/In_Your_Eyes/1483

love I get so lost, sometimes
days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
when I want to run away
I drive off in my car
but whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are
all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside
in your eyes
the light the heat
in your eyes
I am complete
in your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
in your eyes
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
in your eyes
I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
the heat I see in your eyes
love, I don't like to see so much pain
so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive
and all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside
in your eyes
the light the heat
in your eyes
I am complete
in your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
in your eyes
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
in your eyes
I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light,
the heat I see in your eyes
in your eyes in your eyes
in your eyes in your eyes
in your eyes in your eyes

Excerpted content above is from PeterGabriel.com.

Love, Light, Peace

Is a recession a stop on the way....

to depression town? If so, is there medication for a 'recession'? Or is an 'intervention' or 'talk therapy' in order? As goes this great country, so go I ... or, so it seems.

Yesterday, I had some work sent back from a gallery owner (whose identity shall remain anonymous for the purposes of this discourse. Hereinafter, this person shall be referred to as "Nameless").
I will be the first to admit my personal flaws and character defects. Trust me, I know myself better than anyone currently living on the planet. Here is a mere start of some of my shameful admissions: I can be proud, vain and I do not like rejection. Oh - I also have committed every one of the seven deadly sins.
All in one day.
Thank you very much.
What is astonishing to me is that the work that was 'rejected' is the best of the bunch. Nameless mailed back work that contains genuine, semi-precious stones (and lots of them, Baby!) that are intrinsically worth more than the retail prices I imposed for a quick sale!!! Nameless retained pieces that were - shall I say - not "my best".
This is sufficient reason for me to complain that gallery owners and other types of merchants know their inventory. Nameless claims to know the clientele, but she does not give them much credit in the knowledge department.

Now, I can get a complex - or I can increase the prices of that work to its real value .... and I wager all will then sell.

Moral of this story: ONE MUST KNOW AND VALUE THEIR OWN SELF-WORTH.
I still do not understand the mindset of work that is simply overpriced deemed by many to be 'better'. That may have been true a few decades ago (especially for quality electronics), but in these times? Please. I cannot compete with trinkets made in other parts of the world and sold inexpensively here.

What is a misunderstood, self-respecting metalsmith to do? The answer is obvious - increase prices and quit being Ms. Nice Person to give others a break at this holiday season at my own expense. I need to give myself a break!

Now - about this "recession"....

Above is one of my favorite pieces. Not one of the most complex, or labor-intensive, but still a perennial favorite. It is a fabricated construction of sterling, patinaed brass (you know I love 'dirty metal'), married mixed metals and a cabochon garnet, bezel-set atop a dome of hollow, oxidized sterling silver. The fibula construction is a pin that was favored by the Celts and the Romans. I love to make fibulas....interesting visual geometry and the all-in-one pin is quite functional.

"This Is It"

The image above is a silver purse that I made many years ago. I wove the fine silver strands on a table loom, then fabricated the clutch and footing portions in sterling silver. The purse is approximately 12" wide x 9" length. Perfect for nights at the disco, don't you know? Ah...sigh...those were the days of fantasy and happiness. Life appeared to be a wonderful adventure - full of endless possibilities and time.

This purse has been in many fine, national exhibitions. It was awarded several prizes.

This one piece took four months of daily labor to make.

These days, I have discovered that I no longer have the patience to make work like that purse. I feel a constant, ever-so-subtle pulse driving me to make pieces of artistic expression that do not consume my entire life and do not compromise aesthetics. Hmmm....may be some conflicts therein...

In my other life, so many years ago, I also had a small business. Several small endeavors, actually: a custom business, a wholesale business and a retail business. The custom and the wholesale factions financed the retail occupation, as well as a nice gallery, "Artifice". Additionally, I published art criticism and worked as a metal technician for an art conservation operation. Whew! No wonder I am soooo tired now.

At one point, I had 11 sales representatives stationed around the country. to sell my wholesale line. I had two hands back in those days and today, (thank Goddess) I still have two hands. Back then, I found myself churning out pieces in "limited editions". Problem was that my idea of a limited edition is not the same as many of the merchants who bought my work at wholesale prices.

Simply put - I burned out.

The creative process morphed into a 24/7 job....and did I mention that there were no 'benefits'?

Today, I am in a position to be able to work on what I wish to work on and when I want to work on it. Sounds enviable, doesn't it? It is - and it is not. You see - I still have that voice in my head telling me that I need money and I need to be able to justify my studio time. Creativity gets stifled a tad for the sake of lucrative commerce.

Andre Breton, the great father of Surrealism, once wrote that 'the only time man is ever truly free is in his own mind'. I cannot find the exact quote at this moment, so I must paraphrase.here. I can assure you that statement shook me to the very core of my being. I am still shaken by the deafening truth of it.

I recently saw the film, "This Is It", the documentary of Michael Jackson's last tour preparations.

A few things struck me - Michael Jackson appeared thin, tired and weary. I wondered if he ever became bored by performing the 'same old songs'.

Michael Jackson made a statement during the film about the fact that the fans were expecting to hear the songs as "the way they wanted to hear them". Translation: not too much improvisation, thank you very much.

That statement proved to me that this man's knowledge of 'the industry' and himself as 'product' was extraordinary and clearsighted. Michael Jackson was able to sustain an exceptional and quite brilliant artistic career with many ups, downs, and headstands, for so many decades. That is remarkable, a true testament  to the man's life force, creativity and sheer vitality.

Personally, I think his music and dance became more mature, sophisticated and elegant in the 1990s and early 2000s. Sadly, many people dismissed his artistic genius at the very height of his powers due to his alleged involvement in certain scandals.

I saw a Twitter post by an obviously young child-fan that she was "disappointed" in the film, "This Is It" because there was not even a decent, full-on Moonwalk. Come on, Child! The MAN had been doing the backslide ('Moonwalk') since before you, Twitter child, were born! Does she really believe that Michael Jackson needed to rehearse a moonwalk?!

I wonder if the only time Michael Jackson may have been able to feel truly alive and creative during his  elaborate and precision productions was in the improvisation of his own dance in the moment and heat of live performance.

Then I started thinking about 'time', 'product', 'limited edition' ...... and freedom.

By the way - I lost the purse during a move many years ago. I do not miss it, but I wonder where it now calls home. Everything in this life passes - no matter how hard we struggle to hang on to it. Perhaps we miss the bright, glittering things (and people) the most. The world may grow dimmer without the flash of that brilliance.

Michael Jackson, May you finally Rest in Peace, my Brother.