MANIA

This is a woodcut by Shiko Munakata, it is called Orchid and was made in 1956. I love it.

Catherine Kubillus by Sophie Schulte von Brünningshausen

George Harrison: Living in the Material World 

I’ve just finished watching this documentary and the sun came out, no joke, I’m writing these words in a ray of light.

Everyone has a favourite Beatle, mine for some strange reason has always been George Harrison.

Perhaps because I could identify with his position in the band or
maybe when I started to listen and understood the lyrics, I fell in love with what he gave in his songs.

My father came to me a couple of days ago and mentioned this documentary about George and that it will inspire me.

I was never a huge Beatles fan but they were around, vinyls, colourful covers of my parents…the songs like nursery rhymes almost, for most children of my generation, who never knew the phenomenon as it actually happened.
I guess, I always related to him because he was doing his own thing, he recognised others outside of the group unit and was in his own way an innovator when it comes to his song writing, mixing styles in a clever way and ahead of his time but never the loud one.

Whereas Lennon and McCartney had a sort of competition with each other, he just started doing his own thing.

He was a collaborator and brought people together. 

His spirituality and friendship with Ravi Shankar which started a movement in the western hemisphere.
He mortgaged his house to finance Monty Pythons ‘The Life of Brian’, just because he wanted to see it. 
A peek into this close knit unit of 4 extreme artists all blessed in their own way, that had come together, like it only happens every other century or so… And it shows you what true talent really is in this weird age of GM celeb fame factories which might look like the real thing but it’s artificial flavour all the way.
Listen to his mates talk about what a magical guy he was and enjoy a little of this great person.
This documentary made by Martin Scorsese, has great interviews, vintage footage and obviously an animating soundtrack that makes you want to listen to his music again, with a new won inspiration.

Possible Side effects: It is a long documentary, so be prepared to just sit still for a while.

Catherine Kubillus by Sophie Schulte von Brünninghausen

Let There Be Light

I have a particular affair with light – natural light and I think it’s getting serious…

I didn’t realise it at first but there were certain movies that seemed to enhance the mood and it was only until a little while ago that I realised it’s the light the films were shot in.

 I want to mention two known directors and their pieces I like to give as an example, one is Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon and the other Adrian Lyne’s Nine ½ Weeks.

Kubrick even went so far to acquire certain Zeiss lenses, used by NASA in the Apollo Moon landing and had them mounted onto film cameras, which is kind of unheard of and just the kind of thing a real genius does.

Lyne uses natural light and a fog machine to create atmospheres and you will see it in his films, it creates a noticeable effect.

The ability to capture that one moment; has always been fascinating.

The good actor to me is the one who allows the viewer, the spectator to fill the last bit with his own imagination, which is what makes it personal and most actors don’t have the discipline or compassion to leave it to you.

Here is what I think, any experience is better if you challenge yourself. 

 So keep it light, keep it natural.

The little black book…Ernest Hemingway used it…Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh…I came across it for the first time in my mothers Austrian summer house, I found an old faded black sketch book, a Moleskine, it was like love at first sight, I had to have one.

So I searched and scouted every art and book shop and just couldn’t find one, I had almost given up, when they seemed to have re-emerged.

I have been using them for years and have diaries, sketch books, note books.

I always have one in my bag, I can’t live without one. 

I later found out that the company had ceased and been bought in 1997 and is now based in Milan, Italy.

“Please forgive me if I don’t talk much at times. It’s loud enough in my head.”

(Source: thevirtualtypewriter, via runaway-to-europe)