Soft, transparent drapery carved from marble and stone...
I was overwhelmed when I was confronted by these suspended fragmentary sculptures in the archaeology museum in Athens last year and remembered to post these pictures today because I'm going back there soon. I haven't travelled since Spring last year and I feel so something-or-other (I can't think what word.. glad, grateful?) to be going on an adventure. Especially to this magical place which I started to think today holds something similar to Scotland and perhaps that is why it attracts me. I have my ancient Greek too which helps.
I remember seeing all these sculptures when I studied Classical Art at university. I also did some stone carving at arct college, it was such hard work. I can't remember the context of this art now, were they made by slaves? I spent a whole day alone in this museum and remember feeling carried alone by an otherworldly floating feeling, much like the sculptures. Is it silly to feel that their damage and decay adds so much beauty to them? I'm sure the museum would rather have fully intact pieces. However, like Sappho's fragments, we make what we like of things and can find a great deal in a tiny fragment and that is quite wonderful really.
I took the photographs with the intention of using them for drawings but I haven't managed to start anything yet. I remember feeling inspired to create in this place though. I might take a sketchbook on this trip. Has anyone been to Athens before and can recommend any other museums? I believe there is a beautiful one for Cycladic Art. I'm also very interested in religious art and I'm sure there will be a museum for such.
Anyway, it's going to be hot so I hope to spend a great deal of the time in the sea and maybe take a boat to an island. Trying not to get burned. I realise in writing this that I find it very odd to write about anything that may be to come. As if I don't really believe anything will come. Or maybe I worry about cursing things but I do seem to have quite a gloomy view of late, as happy as I am when I'm outside in nature or reading books.
I think I still have quite a bit of residue... anxiety and tension, something like post-traumatic stress even?... left over from the period of working at the hospital. It's been about 6 months since I left and I do feel better for being away from that environment, though equally I find it sad that I'm not doing that good work with the patients anymore because I know I did a good job. I just couldn't do a good job at protecting myself.
I don't suppose things will ever be the same again after seeing the things I saw there. I think there are layers of innocence which we shed in our lives through experiences related to death and the suffering of others, ourselves too of course and seeing so many people in so much pain during this period has changed the way I feel about everything. I think it may become something more affirmative eventually but for now it all still feels quite bleak and cruel and hard to know what to do with.
Headless angel flying. Have you ever seen the film Angels over Berlin? It just came to mind. Such a beautiful film. My dad used to rent me lots of obscure German films when I was studying the language at school. Aguirre, the Wrath of God really came in handy... Now I'm trying to learn Greek and I love this language although it is quite difficult. I did the first lesson of Rosetta Stone the other day which seemed a great way to learn but I think the full programme is expensive so I'll stick to free online stuff and books for now. The best way will be being back there and listening to people and trying to say little things. Learning a language feels like having a magical power to me. I remember feeling like that when I started to learn the piano again a few years ago and the notes on the page really speaking to me. So is it a shame or not that we built that tower?!
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I do like to share things on here now and I'm surprised at how much I blethered today, it all got a bit stream of consciousness. Most often I just don't know what I have to say any more. I must say I do like this phrase though - Láthe biṓsas - "Live hidden" (An Epicurean phrase, because of his belief that politics troubles men and doesn't allow them to reach inner peace. So Epicurus suggested that everybody should live "Hidden" far from cities, not even considering a political career. Cicero criticized this idea because, as a stoic, he had a completely different opinion of politics, but the sentiment is echoed by Ovid's statement bene qui latuit bene vixit ("he has lived well who has stayed well hidden", Tristia 3.4.25). Plutarch elaborated in his essay Is the Saying "Live in Obscurity" Right? (Εἰ καλῶς εἴρηται τὸ λάθε βιώσας) 1128c.) But equally I think it's healthy to express ourselves, probably very necessary in fact and it's something I maybe don't do enough. I find myself often not talking when I'm around groups of people because there just seems to be so much going on anyway, is there really any need to add to it. That I don't use my skills enough is another version of this I think. But I might be in hibernation and will surely wake up at some point.
The museum curator must have enjoyed this.
Oak leaves made from copper.
.
Awed by her splendor
stars near the lovely
moon cover their own
bright faces
when she
is roundest and lights
earth with her silver
(Sappho)
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Oh and thank you for the comments on this set by @waikiki That was the last of the sets I shot in Portugal last year. It was such a pleasure to be there with her. It was a little hard for me to be creative in such a fancy big modern white house, it's really not my style but because it was all done with friends that made it feel better. I would love to see all those people again this year.
