Waves made solid

Wow, my last post was in March... Time flies - except that it felt like March, temperature-wise, up to not very long ago.

Never mind...

Here is a very succint post, whose sole purpose is to highlight the following website:
http://www.pierrecarreau.com/

Enjoy the watery geometries!

Clouds, stars and dreams

Modern art - do you like modern art?

How do you define modern art?

I'm not sure I feel like discussing this now.

Here is a link which I think provides a very good example of the modern art I like:

http://berndnaut.nl/works.htm

Enjoy! [Lucia, thanks for the link! ;) ]

Poetry - is it possible to understand poetry?

I often see it as cryptic and distant - yet sometimes a poem catches my attention, and it may happen that a line or two keep coming back to my memory.


Bright Star (J. Keats)

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art —
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like Nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors —
No — yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft swell and fall,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever — or else swoon to death

Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven (W. B. Yeats)

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym1M9vBVIYw (Yeats' Grave - The Cranberries) [I think there are a few mistakes and misspellings, but overall it's a nice video.]

The lass is back in town

Chimneys, chimneys... And more chimneys. Rigorously red.

Welcome to Jericho! It took me a while to come back to this blog - namely, it took me a busy month of September, a frantic month of October... And a too-fast-to-describe month of November, it seems. Also, moving to a new house with no internet connection (now solved, clearly) did not help. Yet one day - one sunny day, rare and precious! - I took some time off, brought my camera out for a stroll and explored a few streets here in Jericho. The result is in these photos - take a rest and enjoy the autumnal colours!

Close to St. Barnabas Church - I like the way this photo looks like it's B&W... Although it's not! Such a nice contrast of light and shade.

... Would you dare knocking on this door? Behave... Or beware. (*)

When I saw this wall and its bright, intense colours, I thought I had to grab my camera and come back to this spot!

The "Rickety Press" on Cranham Street around 3pm. "Cask ales, fine food" - what else should I say?

I like the way a few leaves stay on some trees (especially on sycamore trees, did you notice it?) - dots-dots-dots.

Ladies and gents, here is Wellington Square in all its glory!

(*) Do you know where the quote "Behave or beware" comes from? If yes, nothing to add - if not, here is the answer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nanny_mcphee.jpg. ;)

Would it be possible to have a look around?

The title of this post is often my first line when visiting new places (including the ones I am not even sure I have access to) - usually it is useful it when, unavoidably, a porter of some kind appears, clearly eager to know the reason of my presence.

Here in Oxfordshire it turns out that it is possible to collect an astonishing number of different answers to this somewhat simple and harmless question - "I was wondering, is it possible to have a look around?". First, the sentence that leaves no alternative at all: "I am afraid not, miss". Fair enough - "private property" and "restricted access" - these expressions are part of our modern world... Whether one agrees or not. Then there are hybrid answers, with a range of relative intensities for the "yes" and "no" components: "Yes, it is possible to visit the premises - please go that way", or "Yes, the estate is open to visitors but I am afraid you can only access it on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10am to 5pm". Sometimes there is an interesting twist, an addendum to one of the above answers such as "... except for next Saturday, however, as the premises will be closed for a private event". Once again, fair enough.

To give a specific example, Oxford colleges can be quite puzzling; some of them seem as difficult to enter as a fortress. When one finally manages to go in, still one has to face the "Private" signs that appear here and there - sometimes closing the way to what look like the loveliest bits of the garden... Ah!

Besides the Oxonian collegiate system, a couple of recent episodes were the starting point for this post - I hope they may highlight less well-known sights of Oxford and its surroundings. About a month ago I was told that the Rhodes House, whose entrance is on Parks Road, can be visited quite easily if one shows a University Card (no great surprise here). Still its opening times are rather peculiar: Monday to Friday from 1pm until 4pm, if I remember rightly. A few days ago I took advantage of a sunny spell to have a quick lunch and then walk to the Rhodes House to have a look at the gardens, if possible. No problem at all - I showed my card and entered. A hint: have a look at the tapestry displayed in the corridor leading to the wooden door that gives access (finally!) to the garden: the drawing is by William Morris. :) I expected the gardens to be neat and flourishing, and so they are. There is nothing exceptionally distinctive about the Rhodes House, I would say; yet it is definitely worth a visit, if you chance to walk by it and are looking for a quiet and colourful place.

As I went back to the department after my short visit to the Rhodes House I glanced at the notice board of the Museum of Natural History. There was an advert which mentioned the Wytham Woods - I thought I had never heard of this place, and thus decided to find out more as soon as possible. So I did, and with great surprise I discovered that it is not possible to walk in and stroll around, as one would do when visiting the Botanic Garden or the Harcourt Arboretum. No - a permit is required. Precisely, a letter shall be sent to the conservator of Wytham Woods, if one has an interest in visiting the area. Which I did, of course - please refer to the photo above. In my life I have sent letters to relatives and friends the world over; I wrote to Santa Clause, to a couple of private companies and to a music band (well, I was sixteen...). Sending a letter to the conservator of an "area of ancient semi-natural woodland" in Oxfordshire is a completely different story!

A few links that might be of interest:

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Morris - William Morris on Wikipedia ;)

- http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/index.htm - Oxford University Museum of Natural History

- http://www.wytham.ox.ac.uk/index.php - Wytham Woods website

- http://wildcru.org/wytham/ - one of the first websites I found when I looked for information about the Wytham area

Flowchart #2 - I decide to write about writing

As you may have guessed from my previous post, I am quite fond of everything that is related to typefaces and letterforms - with a special interest in handwriting - both in their standard and more creative expressions.

When it comes to calligraphy, it turns out that there are a few websites one may be curious to explore: for instance,

- http://www.calligraphyonline.org/index.html -- click and learn about the "Society of Scribes and Illuminators"... With such a name for their society the website deserves at least a visit, don't you think?

- http://www.clas.co.uk/index.html -- a recent discovery, hence I cannot say much about it; their summer course looks interesting...

- http://www.freehandwriting.net/ -- probably one of the first websites I found out about; I have never met Monica Dengo, but I had a chance to attend a short workshop run by one of her students and thought it was brilliant! Also, at least one of Monica Dengo's classes takes place in Venice... Not a bad location, huh?

Some days ago I thought of a connection I hadn't considered before. Penmanship as it is presented in the few above-listed websites stems from a rather specific - almost élite? - point of view on the matter: here writing by hand is not seen as a necessary skill allowing to communicate and express oneself, but rather as a more abstract activity - where sometimes one may even wonder whether the aesthetics became more relevant than the content. Thus it presupposes, by definition, that one learnt how to write in the first place, from the alphabet up to entire sentences and paragraphs, distinguishing between upper, lower case letters and so on. Have you ever asked yourself this question: how did I learn to write? How long was this process, and what was the evolution of my handwriting up to its present form?

I then decided I would look into this matter. With a scientific approach, of course.

And eventually, I drew the flowchart that is shown below.

An Oxford promenade

I finally managed to scan some photos that I took around town with my camera (yes, one that works with films!) between June and September 2011. Some of them show bits of the city that are now undergoing major changes, which is why I thought it may be interesting to upload them on the blog. :)

One comment: I am not at all sure that the word "promenade" in English can be used in this context - probably not. ;) Here is the trick though: I am referring to the French noun, that indeed means "walk". Languages are amazing.

... Believe it or not.

The British... and milk.

Such a friendly and welcoming (literally!) mural...

I hesitated with this photo - I thought, perhaps I wound't fancy having my children photographed and then appearing online if I were their parents. I hope I didn't make the wrong choice.

Random links

If you have one minute of free time, go to http://www.thetravellingbarn.co.uk/

All right, the website is clearly under construction, but one question arises naturally: what are these people doing, and what is their aim?

Let us consider the known data: "build a barn", "the vision", "hire us" (menu bar). My personal (partial) conclusion was the following: these folks have some experience in wood carving and construction, and they will build a barn with a given shape and size. Then they will "put themselves on the market", so that if someone desires to get a barn for a festival, for a wedding... or just because they got bored with their 8th floor flat with a wee view on a tube station, well, there you go, call "The Travelling Barn"!

Now, what do you think? Posts most welcome. :)
For something completely different, I went bookshopping today and saw a couple of books about clouds. Hmm, interesting, I thought. I thus discovered the "Cloud Appreciation Society": http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/
Oddly interesting.

On the field #3 - The Harcourt Arboretum

Since I suspect it may be difficult to read what is written on the white board in the photo above, let me add a brief introduction to this post: I took this picture during a recent visit to the "Harcourt Arboretum", which is, as the website explains, "an integral part of the plant collection of the [University of Oxford] Botanic Garden" (http://www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk/Harcourt/obg-harcourt-intro.html).

Flowers on an ash tree.

This magnificent estate is located South of Oxford in a small town called Nuneham Courteney; according to the guide who took us around it extends over around 130 acres - about 53 hectares, if you prefer these units. I arrived there at 6pm, and before spotting the white board I had an unexpected and relatively close encounter with a colourful peacock. During the walk we also chanced to see rabbits and deer. This was all very interesting but, needless to say, trees are the true attraction. There are oaks that are thought to be around 300 years old; beautiful ash trees, rowan and hazel trees, cherry and apple trees as well as holly bushes and nettles. Ah! I found out that the latter are delicious food for caterpillars and thus a promising sign towards a season rich in butterflies, too. :)

And then there is the "Bluebell Wood" - words fail me here, to be honest. The wood itself is somptuous; bluebells make it look almost eerie.
I suggest checking the website for a complete list of seminars, walks and workshops that take place both on the main site (on the High Street, just opposite to Magdalen College) and in Nuneham Courteney throughout the year. It is worth it!

On the field #2 - Recent discoveries

Did you know that Oxford has a "Story Museum"? If yes, well done. :) If not, you may wish to check this link: http://www.storymuseum.org.uk/the-story-museum. I took this photo a few days ago - I guess I was enticed by the poster, which has a picture of a window on it, and which happened to be visible from a window, too. A window through a window. Hehe.

There is a small problem though: clearly, the website is a bit out of date. Now, I can confirm that the museum is still not open to the public (I went there thinking that it would be ready and running - not really), but it looked like there will be an exhibition in May. So it may be worth heading to Pembroke Street to have a look - a suggestion. ;) There is an undeniable relevance - and art - in telling stories, and collections of such pieces of wit and creativity - every human population has one, I believe - should be taken care of. I particularly liked this Siberian proverb that is quoted on the website: "If you don't know the trees you may be lost in the forest, but if you don't know the stories you may be lost in life." Comme quoi...

On a different - but rather related, actually - note, if you happen to be in Bloomsbury, London and have some spare time, I would suggest you to visit the Foundling Museum (previously known as the Foundling Hospital): as advertised on their website, it is "Britain's first home for abandoned children and London's first public art gallery" - http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/. I came to know it in the occasion of a specific event: http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/events/view/back-to-front-weekend-by-yinka-shonibare/. It was with great pleasure that I discovered this tiny museum and its incredible collection of memories, tokens and more.

Unexpected events

Happy St Patrick's Day! I am not sure I want to go to the pub tonight - I like to talk to people, and being forced to shout at them because the place is so crowded that there is a "wall of noise" hardly bearable may not be my cup of tea. This said, yesterday evening I went to the Folk Club on Abingdon Road; it was a lovely evening, and part of my way of celebrating St Patrick's Day!

Yesterday I also bumped into a very interesting series of YouTube videos. Initially I was driven to the first one because of this odd title: "Tiny Desk Concert"... I started with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, and ended up listening to about ten of these short concerts all set in the same place - an office. Brilliant! I am so glad I discovered this new source of interesting music. For this reason I prompty added the corresponding "official" website of the radio station (NPR) among the few ones listed in the side menu bar. :)

On a different note, today I went for a walk with my camera and ended up birdwatching: I spotted a wee tit (great tit or blue tit? Not sure...) on a beautiful almond tree (prunus dulcis). Who knows if one of the many attempts to take a picture of it was successful?

Look up... And listen

This is my first video with audio - wooow! Although it's a tiny achievement, I am pretty satisfied with the outcome. I took the black and white picture in 2007, while I was visiting my best friend who lived in Ireland at the time. That day we went for a beautiful trip to Glendalough, a site I would recommend for a visit if you happen to be around Dublin (http://www.megalithicireland.com/Glendalough%20Monastic.html). So... Thanks to Lucia and Paul for being my very professional guides. :) The audio comes from a sort-of-experimental recording I made in April 2011 - I was playing around with my bunch of magnet words (French edition!) and came up with this combination of "mots" which I quite liked. Don't ask why, please.

On the field #1 - A performance in central Oxford

Today after lunch I went to Broad Street to have a look at a performance I had read about on the very nice website of Modern Art Oxford - "Musica Practica". For some more official information I would redirect you here: http://www.modernartoxford.org.uk/whats-on/musica-practica/about/

Here are a few photos I took at the beginning of the performance. I must admit, I was probably more interested in how passers-by would react to this unusual presence than in the performance itself. This said, it was fascinating to see how the conductor moved his arms and hands (and sometimes his entire body) - I have always thought that these are very graceful movements. I stayed around for half an hour and saw tourists taking photos as well as "locals" (what does this really mean in a town where there are so many students arriving from almost every part of the planet?) acting as if nothing was happening. Suddenly a man wearing a white shirt stepped in, clearly trying to establish a dialogue with the performer. I suspect that this person is the artist and writer who is mentioned on the website (see above); I am not entirely sure that his entrance was an advisable move. Then I took this photo with the two of them, conductor and spectator (or second performer?), and when I looked again at the picture (here the third one) I thought: this is pretty much how any form of communication or attempt for popularisation of a given topic works. Often the "expert" may be regarded as someone standing on a pedestal - therefore difficult to interact with.

 

Yet here comes a "translator", here represented by the man wearing the white shirt: I can imagine he stepped in to make the meaning of the performance clearer (he would pass in front of the conductor intentionally varying the pace of his walk) and show that communication is possible and successful. "If I open a channel with the conductor then these people who keep on staring at him - without even approaching sometimes - may also start trying to query and engage with the performer."

Of course there is no guarantee of success, just like when one learns a new language; when one attempts at testing their knowledge by interacting with native speakers the comunication may be difficult and at times not very satisfactory. Still it would be such a pity not to try!