/ rhett, new york city 2009

"those who have suffered understand suffering and thereby extend their hand. the storm that brings harm also makes fertile. blessed is the grass and herb and the true thorn and light." 

/ patti smith

/ mmmmmmmm this is it.

/ i've loved marina abramovic's work for as long as i can remember. last fall at moma i saw a documentary featuring her life, work, and her 2010 retrospective at moma after which the documentary is named -- 'marina abramovic: the artist is present'

the documentary was fantastic. i left feeling invigorated, empowered, and hopeful. i remember crying in the theater at various parts, especially during the clip i posted above. there is a long back story to it, but marina had a long-time relationship with another artist with whom she collaborated with and did performances with for over 20 years. they broke it off following their final performance piece together, aptly called 'the lovers - the great wall walk' in which they both started walking towards each other from the ends of the great wall of china and met in the middle after 3 months of walking.

during marina's retrospective, ulay came to the exhibition without marina knowing and sat across from her. the raw emotion is so overwhelming to me as an outside observer, i can't imagine what either of them is actually feeling inside. the expressions on their faces and within their eyes says it all.. it's like they are having a silent conversation with just eye contact and emotional gestures.. one of the most beautiful things

 / a few images from a small series i did on chinatown back in early 2011

/ special thanks to my friend chris gampat of the phoblographer for featuring my work in a beautifully written article on his blog today! check it out HERE

and happy friday everyone xx

/ fleeting moments, (2009, 2010, 2011, respectively)

justin dillard, writer & friend/ brooklyn ny 2012

'don't only practice your art, 
but force your way into its secrets,
for it and knowledge 
can raise men to the divine.'

/ beethoven

/ old photographs coming back in new light very very soon

'if you love and get hurt, love more.

if you love more and hurt more, love even more.

if you love even more and get hurt even more, love some more until it hurts no more...' 

/ william shakespeare

/ self portrait, december 2012 manhattan ny 

'knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. when we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape'

/ opening night, john cassavetes 1977

/ many important decisions to be made this year

/ all the pretty hopes, february 2009

/ lets make december beautiful

'the inner freedom from the practical desire,
the release from action and suffering, release from the inner
and the outer compulsion, yet surrounded
by a grace of sense, a white light still and moving,
erhebung without motion, concentration
without elimination, both a new world
and the old made explicit, understood
in the completion of its partial ecstasy,
the resolution of its partial horror.
yet the enchantment of past and future
woven in the weakness of the changing body,
protects mankind from heaven and damnation
which flesh cannot endure.
                            time past and time future
allow but a little consciousness.
to be conscious is not to be in time
but only in time can the moment in the rose-garden,
the moment in the arbour where the rain beat,
the moment in the draughty church at smokefall
be remembered; involved with past and future.
only through time time is conquered.'

/ from section ii of 'burnt norton' from ts eliots 'four quartets'

/ saw this brilliant film yesterday at the moma on my favourite artist, marina abramovic
so inspirational, emotional & full of life - highly recommended

/ beautiful things

'time present and time past
are both perhaps present in time future
and time future contained in time past.
if all time is eternally present
all time is unredeemable.
what might have been is an abstraction
remaining a perpetual possibility
only in a world of speculation.
what might have been and what has been
point to one end, which is always present.
footfalls echo in the memory
down the passage which we did not take
towards the door we never opened
into the rose-garden. my words echo
thus, in your mind.'

/ excerpt from ts eliots 'the four quartets' from section I: burnt norton

/ serenity

'laughter & tears are both responses to frustration & exhaustion. i myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.'

/ kurt vonnegut

/ love this quote, whoever made this however spelled confucius wrong

/ beautiful images that inspire feelings of winter

/ beautiful song & perfect for the first snow of the year xxxx

/ all the blessings come to this.. lauren webster ny june 2010

'music teaches us the passing of time. it teaches the value of a moment by giving that moment value. and it passes. it’s not afraid to go.'

/ anna kamienska, from in that great river: a notebook

/ working on a book on relationships, should be done with layout by mid-november!
excited because it's been a long time coming

/ louise bourgeouis the spider the mistress and the tangerine 2008
beautiful & inspiring film

cameron colby thompson/ brooklyn ny october 2012