In the Reflective Mirror / Various Artistic Influences 02: Music Playlist

10. 13. 2010 6:49 a.m. Post Canvas and Paint series

In continuing the theme of various artistic influences, I
need to first address the musical aspect of the reflective mirror of my
creative journey past and present.  These
posts are simple playlists of music from the past and present that have had
significant influence on my art. In doing these musical playlists and
reviews (some of the reviews are by music critics and fans of the artists), I
hope to introduce my readers to new and exciting music.

• CD: Xerrox Vol. 2 – Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai):
  released Dec 01 2008, Genre Electronic

Reproduction, alteration and decay are the main focuses of
Alva Noto’s Xerrox series: the music consists of samples altered by inserting
noise through several rounds of copying. The resulting tracks seem to atomizing be
before your ears, with an occasional effort to coalesce. Where Vol. 1 offered a
sequence of alternating short raw pieces and mid-length ambient tracks, Vol. 2
presents itself as a more even and almost continuous suite of pieces. Vol. 1
was subtitled “Old World”, this one is “To the New World”, but the meaning of
those subtitles remain obscure and might very well be restricted to the
geographical origins of the samples (provided this time around by Stephen O”Malley,
Michael Nyman and Ryuichi Sakamoto). You can either study the copying/decaying
processes used by Carsten Nicolai, or simply dive into this soundworld of
gritty textures, glitch pulses, and skeletal pieces whiteout melodies.

~ Francois Couture, Rovi

I find Alva Noto solo works, and his collaborations with
Ryuichi Sakamoto to be quite beautiful. The technical production quality is
incredibly intricate and well mastered. The music transports you to a world of
micro-tonal sound that envelops and loops itself almost to noise, while
sustaining the mood of silence and space.

Each post under this musical series is accompanied by an image
from my Post Canvas and Paint series. I feel that this particular style of
Electronic music, both the earlier analog space music and the present digital
IDM lends itself quite well to the style of work in the Post Canvas and Paint series.

In the Reflective Mirror / Various Artistic Influences 01: The Park

The Park 1997

Lately, I have been feeling rather nostalgic and reflective.
The essence of being an artist, or just human, I presume. Because of this there
certainly has been a sense of longing for things past, their presence
resounding in the influence of various people, periods in time, and artistic
disciplines.

Presently, while writing this post, I am listening to a 10
hour playlist I created of four unique ambient sound artists: Chihei
Hatakeyama, Alva Noto, Sawako, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, all of whom weave found
organic sound samples and electronics to produce dreamlike soundscapes. I
mention these artists because they are currently what I find compelling in new music.
I will share excerpts from reviews about
their music in future posts. This brings to mind that half a lifetime ago in
the year 1977, while driving from NYC to Philadelphia at 4am, I came across the
WXPN’s (University of PA) Starsend electronic music program. Listening to the
surreal sounds of Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schultz was the start of many
journeys into experimental music and avant-garde arts in general.

All of this became a reflective thought and ideas for
posting this past week when I saw the film “Smithereens” by Susan Seidelman. I
have not seen this film in years. I remember first seeing it in the early 80’s
when it was first released in NYC. I was excited about coming across the film, and the opportunity of stepping back in time.

But I have been thinking about other influences of the past
as well. How perhaps music, film, festivals, theatre, family, friends travel, exhibits
and art etc., have conceptually developed the artistic vision I have.  I hope to explore this phenomenon in future
posts as well. For this posting, I am including a work of art from 1997. It is
one of my all time favorite collages. It is a large 42 x 48 inch composition
depicting the remaining memories of family reunions, during Fourth of July
picnics at the park and in Glenside, PA in the 1960’s. The title of the piece
is “The Park” and my first major showing of the work was in NYC at Agora Gallery
in Soho in 1997.

So I would like to introduce you, my blog buddies and
readers to “In the Reflective Mirror / Various Artistic Influences.

Let me know what you think of the various postings, and
include your creative influences that stand out and reflect your life’s
history.

And up next a musical playlist….

Go Out and See

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There is so much beauty that surrounds us. It is a beauty
that can bring us joy when we take the time to “Go Out and See”.  This past week, I had the pleasure of being
part of a beautiful day and a challenging bike ride. It provided an opportunity
to see the lovely landscape of farms, rivers and mountains that form parts of
western Haywood County, North Carolina.
It is that time of year when the leaves are coming back as the green
foliage slowly progresses up the mountainside. Winter is being left behind and the
memory of the cold distant mountain is replaced by soft layers of life and
biological growth.

Our journey begins at the town of Crabtree, where we head
west on Riverside Road. Here we bike for several miles next to the Pigeon River
until we reach the town of Riverside. It is here that we start our first
serious mountain ascent. It is approximately 1.5 miles of winding switchback
climbs. Our fast and perilous descent takes us to the town of Panther Creek,
where we begin the long sweeping terrain of hills and straights. Halfway
through our journey we merge onto Fines Creek Rd. In the town of Fines Creek is
the only gas station in more than 15 miles in any direction. We fuel up on
nuts, fluids and protein, and encourage each other for the mammoth climb to come.
One man, who is fueling his tractor,
asks us are we going up the mountain, in which we reply…yep that’s the plan. He
smiles and laughs and says “good luck”. He obviously knows something about the
mountain we don’t. But we know it is a 1.5 mile climb with a 5% gradient. It is
straight up with one or two slight curves. It is intimidating. We start the
climb and there are times when I look up and all I can see is the road horizon
in the sky. There are times when I want to stop, my will in question, my legs
in pain, but realize how difficult it would be to start uphill without momentum.
The descent at speeds nearing 40 mph is
a test of skill and nerve to say the least, but liberating. For nearly 2 miles,
one can only hold on aerodynamically and hope that no unforeseen problems
arise. Finally, after 18 miles, our return to Crabtree is a quick flowing pace
that allows for some reprieve and scenic viewing.

After the bike ride, the best part of the day is the drive
afterwards. We retrace our journey via the car and take photographs. Eighteen of
two hundred have been digitally retouched and included in the slideshow.

So what do we gain when we “Go Out and See”? For me, there
is the liberating feeling of joy that can stay with you a lifetime.  There is also the possibility of discovering things
once unknown in my surroundings and in my soul.

What motivates you to take time out of your busy schedule to
“Get Out and See”? What would you like to discover in nature or local history? What
would it mean, and how would it enrich your life?

Take a moment and think about the last time you made the
extra effort to get out and discover. Let me know what you found.

Race Day April 3rd 2011

Mountain biking race day at Tsali Recreational Park, North Carolina

It is Race Day

Take what life gives us

Let us meet under the great pavilion

Where the sounds of aspirations

Are heard in the ballet of bikes

It is race day

Clutching our forged carbon loves

Sinewy muscles tense with sweat

We dream the dance

The dance of the mountain

It is race day

There is life in every breath

Let us meet silently at the starting gate

The noise of wind and sky to shatter our thoughts

While colors merge

A kaleidoscope forms

A kinetic fleeing pursuing blur

Rotating wheels and quick descents

Gorges rivers trees and falls

Pick yourself back up

Your pain body calls

And look up into the crying sky

To a transformative end

Finding yourself deep inside

It is race day

Transcending our weekday life

We are here to meet in joyous celebration

The sound of Kopeland

The sound of music

Victory for one

Pleasure for all

While arms and smiles embrace

Here at Tsali North Carolina

Its sure to be

A great race

A Mysterious Thing … The Photograph of a Place in Time

Biking around Lake Junaluska, Maggie Valley, North Carolina

It was a golden morning and a beautiful start to the day. It was a Monday and there was a
chill in the air as the cold wind made its way down the mountain and across the
lake. I’ve always been mesmerized by beautiful seascapes and landscapes—where
water, mountain and sky meet. Drawn to their spiritual vastness, I sometimes
find (if it’s a good day) revelation and beauty, hidden…deep inside the
soul.  When transfixed by such a mysterious place—we question its magnitude.
In-turn, we can at times find our very own inadequacies.  We come to know our fears and our doubts. Usually
if I attempt to elevate myself, with pride—by thinking:  I can do this…or I can do that—whatever the
thoughts may be, I then know I am no longer centered.

It is a golden morning and a beautiful start to the day. It is early April 2011 and spring is
on its way. There is anticipation and a longing for the discovery of beauty and
the Self in recollection. I am still mesmerized by beautiful seascapes and
landscapes—where water, mountain and sky meet. There is a planetary energy, a
Consciousness that lifts my Spirit. Transfixed I find it is a mysterious thing—the
photograph of a place in time. I remember the beauty of the moment and my
present fears and doubts are washed away. I will elevate myself today, with joy—by
thinking: I can do this…and I can do that—whatever the dreams may be.
It is April and it is spring and all the growth of my soul and Spirit is before me.

If you have a photograph of a place in time that transcends your life experience, embrace it and share it with others.

Namaste

Last Night a Dream and a Celebrated Life Deeply Loved.

A dream can be like a blooming rose touching all our senses.

Several nights, in the last two weeks, I have dreamt of loved ones whom have passed on. And still their love remains. My daughter and my mother came to me and shared their life energy and love with me. They brought moments that had been forgotten and weaved them with the essence of my own thoughts, perceptions, and desires. Dreams always seem to be about people, places and life’s moments intertwined. There are waves of reality, sometimes in a surrealistic manner, merging us with the floods of memories, emotions and deep aspirations. We at times never want to wake up, as we reach across the void to touch and hold on just a moment longer.

What does a dream mean to you? How does one interpret those dreams? These are questions that we have, on many occasions, asked ourselves. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a dream as; a series of images, ideas etc., occurring in certain stages of sleep.

There is always a deeply hidden, yet revealing message in a dream. The nature of a dream is its ambiguity. When we sleep with a dream, we see and feel the unknown, and when we wake, there is the longing for connectivity, revelation and a glimpse into the meaning of our lives.

This post is an invitation for you to describe what a dream means to you, or share a dream that has given you a sense of a life celebrated and deeply loved.

In Celebration of a Life Deeply Loved 02

An excited young "Lady" looking forward and enjoying life

In Celebration of a Life Deeply Loved 02

“I’m Free”

Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free. I’m following the path God laid out for me. I took His hand when I heard him call. I turned my back and left it all. I could not stay another day, to laugh, to love, to work or play. Tasks left undone must stay that way. I found that peace at the close of the day. If my parting has left a void, then fill it with remembered joy. A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss. Ah yes, these things I too will miss. Be not burdened with times of sorrow, I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow. My life’s been full, I savored much; Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch. Perhaps my time seemed all too brief. Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief. Lift up your heart and share with me. God wanted me now, He set me Free!

In Celebration of a Life Deeply Loved 01

Dionanna Lady McFadden-Smith

In Celebration of a Life Deeply Loved 01

A Rose

A long slender Rose represents my life

The Rose is sensitive, elegant, delicate…

But Vicious

Harsh to the touch

Manipulating…Deceiving

She makes you want to touch but

You may not touch

Sharp thorns protect her

The Rose is peace, love, beauty

Her red petals speak of love,

Passion, deep down feelings

The Rose needs care

Lots of care

Water, water…constantly

Soil…Rich soil nurtures her mind

Makes her beautiful

The ground is her home

Hard, solid, tough

Nature is her world

 

By

Lady McFadden

February 10^th 1992

At the Summit, the Tree of Life Love Art and Faith

The Blue Ridge Mountains at the Summit of Waterrock Knob

 At the Summit, the Tree of Life Love Art and Faith

“Just as the sun shines equally on the cedar and the little flower, so the Divine Sun shines equally on everyone, great and small”.

“Love can accomplish all things. Things that are most impossible become easy where love is at work”.

“Faith and hope give way to love; we had found already the One we were seeking”.

Quotations from:

Sermon in a Sentence: A Treasury of Quotations on the Spiritual Life

ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX

Trees have always presented themselves as being unique and mysterious to me. When I began drawing years ago the most interesting structure in a landscape was the tree. There are so many forms in the roots, trunks, and branches that can create beautiful art and design. As an abstract and surrealist artist, trees seemed to embody a great mystery.  And for me, sitting under a tree provides a place of rest, visions for creative thought, and spiritual recollection.

Walter W. Smith

At the Steps of Wall Street and the Powers that Be, Our Price for Freedom

Sometimes In the Waking the Reality Is More Pressing than the Dream 2011 remix

Sometimes in the waking the reality is more pressing than the dream.

Last night, I awoke after a troubled sleep. A desperate sense of uneasiness embodied my Spirit. I really wish the soul of the world somehow was different, had been different, since the beginning of time. Perhaps then, millions of people, of all races, throughout creation and evolution would not have had to fight so hard for their freedom. That fight certainly continues today, in the streets and at the steps of institutions throughout the land with a fervent oscillation of desperation, purpose and will.

We want freedom they shout!

Last night I was dreaming that I was in a Wall Street Bank that had been converted to a video store. I was attempting to return three videos and was told I had purchased a video that I knew that I had not, a video whose contents I was at odds with….

It was the stripping of my freedom.

It was a beautiful building. The architecture was designed to rise above all in its majesty and prestige. It once was a symbol of power and hard earned wealth. And now the money terrorists had taken over…literally in the dream and in life….

Scenes of surrealism abound….

In the dream I spent several minutes walking the aisles viewing such great documentary and feature film titles such as Food Inc., Gas land, Citizen Kane, District 9, Sunshine, and Inside Job. While cruising, I simultaneously began noticing a sense of tension in some of the patrons. However, most had come to grip with the situation and seemed to be not at odds with their oppressors, the money terrorists. A group of Tibetan Buddhist Monks (who I must say are at the forefront of courageous freedom fighters) are reciting mantras, handing out pamphlets and inviting everyone to India, Tibet and Nepal. A group called Meet the People Time Forgot is touring America e.g. the Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, Independence Hall, and the Philadelphia Zoo. The organization is known for its strict membership requirements i.e. only the downtrodden, the young, the old, the disabled, the unemployed, the underemployed, the disenfranchised and those lost at sea may apply. During short interludes, in life,  when all their possessions were not being taken from them, they were to be found in the rear vaults; amusing themselves and passing time by playing games of pinochle, gin rummy, strip poker and blackjack. The Buddhist Monks, after having given out the pamphlets, gracefully sat down (yoga style) and held a ‘throw-down’ Zen tea party…unreal Tea Partiers were not invited. Everyone seemed entranced, even one of the money terrorists could not resist the enticing smell of freshly baked goods such as biscuits, cookies, cakes, chunks of butter, lard and manure, and jelly-filled pastries from Dunkin Donuts. On the winding staircases that circumvent the bank, teenagers (e.g. two or more black youths (a “Wolf Pack”)), hip grunge girls from Seattle (listening to Nirvana on their IPods) are strolling (oblivious to the stealing of their constitution and American values) while sipping from designer tea cups; their right hands delicately holding small thimble sized cups of licorice, jasmine, ginseng and caffeine free Echinacea tea. The aroma and taste is downright toxic, I shake my head in affirmation; I pause, center myself, and prepare to “take on the man”.

Yeah, he puts up a good fight. They all do, the money terrorists—a lot of power and influence they possess and wield. And he is nonetheless persistent in his disillusionment, dreaming of ways of putting me down, kicking us to the curb. So I have to be as willful in my rebuttal, in my response, in my voice…..

So I protest, and line the halls of institutions and squares all over the world shouting… I am willing to die for my freedom and yours.

Join me….

And never give up the fight.

At the Steps of Wall Street and the Powers that Be, Our Fight for Freedom