Musings

I have spent the last few days getting ready for my teaching trip to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England. I am really looking forward to this, both because of the teaching and visiting. I am going first to a town close-by to present a lecture and this will allow me to meet again with a student I had first encountered in France. I hope to see the piece that she started in my class , which had really impressed me. It will also be so nice to see her again and discover what her group does.
The Festival of Quilts is a fabulous event. The exhibits are truly inspirational, there is a huge merchant's mall. But what had most impressed me when I taught there 2 years ago was the personal displays of individual artists or groups: their booths were build with hard walls (plywood) painted a light grey color, so when you entered the booth, you really had the feeling of entering a real gallery. Both signage and lighting were excellent and it did so much to showcase the qualities and originality of each artist and the mission of each group. I can't wait to see the work of artists featured this year.

Of course, because of all that preparation, my work on the new piece has not progressed very much. The piece is in my mind all the time, I think about it, try to solve problems and find creative solutions for them and design the parts that still need to be created. Of course, since this is all in my mind, who knows if it will work when I physically try to implement these ideas. However, that stage, when thoughts become reality, is what I love even though it can also be a very uncomfortable time.

I did take the time to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympic games. All political and economic considerations apart, I was really blown away by the artistry and the combination of art and technology. I thought it was quite magical and almost made me feel that I was entering another world and dimension. One thing though that is at the edge of my consciousness and that I am not sure I can put into words: some of the elements of this production were so powerful because of the sheer number of participants. So where does that leave the individual participant? Doesn't the "person" disappear? Again, I am not sure that I can explain my feelings but there is something here that bothers me slightly.