Scenes from an Exhibition, Berlin

Once upon a time ... I spent 3 months living in Berlin, documenting the international exhibition - TASWIR.  The hours were long and intense but the rewards, in terms of people met and things learned, were truly worthwhile. 

I love being given free reign to capture people doing their thing.  Had I known of the possibility, I would have dreamed of being an ethnographer when I was small and out searching for other peoples stories ... or I would have left to be a photographer as soon as I was old enough.  But I only knew of studio portrait photographers and never really thought about who was taking the photographs that appeared in magazines and newspapers. 

My world ... my mind, they seem to have been quite limited back there in small town New Zealand.  Although it was good place to grow up in so many other ways.

But now I'm out in the world and the adventures have been truly grand.  I'm posting this series of photographs in response to my poet friend, Ren Powell's, work challenge over on facebook. 

Today I wrote: A work meme from Ren Powell. Post your work for 5 days and nominate two others each day.  Day 2.  Today I nominated two talented friends, jeweler Kim Arrand, and colour therapist,  Marcia O’ Regan.

Today, I have a life to organise and work to do.  Thank goodness for sunshine and an end to the winter that was ...

A Round-Up of Things Read Lately ...

I loved this possible love story out of New Zealand.

I'm absolutely enjoying The Pa Boys movie.  I'll post an interview with the writer/director at the end.

I enjoyed this story: Bringing a Daughter Back from the Brink With Poems.

And this ...  Ballet Dancers in Random Situations.

The stories of refugees are, almost always, heartbreaking but we don't often get to read of them in our everyday news, so I'll share the story of Mazhar.

I photographed Sinan Antoon while I was working in Berlin, and listened to him speak.  I will find his book, The Corpse Washer.

I have been introduced to a new blogger.  He made me smile with this story.

And then there was this: Over 200 works of Marc Chagall have been gathered worldwide for this major retrospective exhibition to discover from 28 February to 28 June 2015.  In Brussels.

I have interesting friends on Facebook and so these mostly come from there, then it's also where I share.   This morning it seemed like an idea to share over here too. 

Perhaps there's something for you ...

3 beautiful things i found today ... day 2

There was much that I loved about living in Istanbul but I had to smile when I discovered that I had gone as far as photographing my favourite cheese there.  It's divine.

And I loved this small text titled For My Mother When She Doesn't Feel Beautiful.

Did I mention I've been listening to this song a lot lately?  Sting, They Dance Alone.

 

Climbing out of sad ...

Today was one of those really shitty days ...

I never used to write out of them but I will today ... write as I climb out the other side of some serious sad.

I usually go on a reading-jag, or a find a beautiful movie, or listenhard to music.

Tonight I found all this new music to consider.  I'll see if it's some to love.

There was Andrew Belle and In My Veins.  Laura Marling.  Lissie.  Olaf Arnalds, Old Skin.

Sometimes I just need to find someplacebeautifulenough and tonight I found hernameismoon.

I found her site perfectlywonderfullybeautiful.  And stayed there until I started to feel okay again.

And I had an idea that everyday over the next month I'll post 3 beautiful things found during my day.  Perhaps being proactive about beauty is how it should be. 

I noted quotes in my journal as I devoured the new website.  I loved ... 10 years from now, make sure you can say that you chose your life, you didn't settle for it.

Mandy Hale.

hernameismoon introduced me to awelltraveledwoman who wrote ... you should not have to rip yourself into pieces to keep others whole.

Wise advice I thought, wishing they sometimes taught useful things in school ... rather than all that other stuff that still involves me finding algebra, and other silly things, terrifying.

Georgia O'Keeffe photographs appear, randomly, throughout awelltraveledwoman's website.  It seemed like a place I was meant to find too.

Which reminds me ... Annie Lennox was there as I started to climb out of sad.  I was searching for an album she put out just before I flew from New Zealand.  The sculptor who moved into my cottage on the edge of the harbour told me of it.  She did a good thing, introducing me to Annie ...

Did I ever write of this song?  I love it so much at the moment ... Ghosts in the Orange Blossom Air!!

Perfect. It is.

Now, to for the roadtrip so I can play it all.