Day 354 Be Good

November 28, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

A relaxed day in Baltimore…

I started out today with David at the American Visionary’s Art Museum’s Bazaart, an “annual holiday art market” where I wound up buying one gift. Many types of art were for sale—jewelry, textiles, photos, paintings, apparel, sculpture and other art that did not fit into any of these categories. I always find it especially rewarding to be able to meet and talk with the artists. 

As we left, we stepped outside onto AVAM’s “bird’s nest” balcony where I took a few shots looking down on moving figures around the mosaic egg and someone kindly took a picture of us together with the damp and darkening city in the background. On the way to the main museum, I couldn’t resist capturing a reflection of David and me in the outside museum mosaic wall. We could not leave without visiting the Sideshow gift shop in the main museum where we bought some Christmas presents.  

We found a bite to eat at Turp’s Sports Bar on Charles Street with excellent crab soup and hamburgers, explored some shops in Hampden and then went to the closing show of the Erotic Art at Gallery 788 where I discovered one of my multimedia art pieces had sold. On a white background with black letters are the words “BE GOOD,” the two O’s filled in with condoms.

Making money is always good, but spending time in Baltimore with someone I love is priceless.

My gift today is priceless time. 

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> Day 355: Play Matters

You can find links to my other posts on this project here:
http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

              

Day 331 Eroticism

November 5, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

Mannequins and traffic cones

Tonight I was one of the artists at an erotic art show opening at Gallery 788. Eduardo, the gallery owner, has put on this erotic show for seven years and its popularity was evidenced by long lines for hours outside the street entrance. The art and especially the performances drew crowds and money was raised for Planned Parenthood. My piece, a street shot of a mannequin strategically held up by a traffic cone, takes on a colorful and humorous tone with help from Photoshop. 
 

The event started me thinking about the difference between eroticism and pornography. They both arouse sexual desire but porn stops there. On the other hand, eroticism goes beyond arousal to offer aesthetics, thoughtfulness, humor and new ways of seeing. For example, an image of a nude body in fine detail might arouse but if the artist depicts the body as a landscape of light and shadow, hills and valleys, the viewer experiences more. The erotic appeals beyond carnal appetite and transcends art which is only evocative. Pornography is sex without a relationship while eroticism is sex with a relationship that carries the viewer further than the prurient. 

Bottom line though is that definitions come down to personal taste. Whatever one’s artistic tastes, the highlight of this event was people watching. It was an eclectic group in age, personality and dress or undress (with an absence of obvious religious garb). Even Baltimore’s Mr. Bowtie, after waiting in line on the street, arrived in his green Bermuda shorts and bow tie. Tonight was a feast of an experience.

My gift today is a smorgasbord. 

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You can find links to my other posts on this project here:
http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html

Day 255 Anything Goes

August 21, 2015

(If we live with an open and grateful attitude, every day will bring a gift. This is one of 365 gifts during the year I turned 70.)

"Anything Goes" exhibit at Gallery 788 with comfortable conversation area.

I volunteered to gallery sit this afternoon at Gallery 788 where I have four photos in the current exhibit, Anything Goes, and where Baltimore’s diverse talent shines. Owner Eduardo was busy preparing for another nighttime event.

This afternoon was quiet with a few interesting visitors. A small boy wandered up the steps to the second floor gallery. He was alone, appeared with an antique eggbeater and began to talk as if we were longtime friends. (The strangeness of it reminded me of the little prince who suddenly appeared and asked the downed pilot to draw him a sheep.) This loquacious child was confident and bright—really quite delightful. He pointed out that he had come up the steps by himself. When I asked him where his grown-up was, he said she was downstairs. After about five minutes his grown-up appeared, explaining that she wanted to give him some space to explore. In a few days, he will begin kindergarten.

Another artist who was gallery sitting, Allie, and I talked for a while. Then a tall, bearded black man appeared and jumped into a metaphysical conversation that included love, history, science, math, women... and more that eludes my memory just now. While I listened to Jorge Ekwueme reach out on tangents and miraculously pull diverse facts and ideas together, my brain skidded around inside my head, trying to keep up. Now I know what mental friction burn is. What is the origin of origins?

Anything Goes would be a good name for Gallery 788. You never know what might happen but whatever it is, it’s bound to be interesting and thought provoking.

My gift today is a metaphysical discussion.

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Day 256: Good Energy


You can find links to my other posts on this project here:

http://bjschupp.blogspot.com/2014/12/365-gifts.html