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Tuesday 28 December 2010

Year of the White Rabbit

From the depths of earth to heights of Saturn
We’ve solved all riddles, turn after turn
Break every chain, our ignorance burn
Except the riddle that fills the urn.
  Omar Khayyam

Growing up in the Orient I never noticed how much it influenced me. Everything I’ve learned or practised seemed logical, ordinary and universal…until I moved away – to the West. Suddenly the names of the favourite poets and foods sound exotic to my own ear (Rubaiyat or Domloma, anyone?...), some of daily habits acquired a quirky flair…

My quirkiness peaks around New Year, when I bury myself in Chinese astrology prognoses. See, I am not superstitious at all; I don’t mind black cats, empty buckets or spilled out salt. Does believing in horoscopes equal being superstitious? Chinese astrology looks pretty scientific to me: it is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars.

According to Chinese astrology, a person's destiny can be determined by the position of the major planets at the person's birth along with the positions of the Sun, Moon and comets and the person's time of birth and Zodiac Sign. The most commonly known signs of Chinese astrology are the 12 signs of the Animal Zodiac.  They originated outside of china, supposedly in the northern central Asia.  These 12 signs derive not from the 12 months of the year, but from the 12 years of the Jupiter cycle (Jupiter takes approximately a dozen years to complete one orbit of the sun):

Rat (1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996)  Positive: Influential, sociable, imaginative, and charismatic. Rat people will always stay loyal to their friends.  Negative: Power-hungry, gossiping, indiscreet, and meddling. These individuals don't always plan for the future.

Ox (1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997).  Positive: Diligent, stable, and possesses a strong sense of purpose. These people build long-lasting friendships. Negative: Stubborn and bigoted. Ox people aren't often flexible.

Tiger (1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998).  Positive: Brave, strong, charismatic, and benevolent. Tigers are risk-takers and true adventurers.  Negative: Impetuous and hot-headed. These people aren't good at taking orders from others.

Rabbit (1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999)  Positive: Tactful, intelligent, caring, considerate, and virtuous. Rabbit people don't like conflict.  Negative: Pedantic and secretive. These people can appear a little cold and distant at times.

Dragon (1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000) Positive: Successful, proud, lucky, and enthusiastic. Dragons are determined people and able to inspire others. Negative: Rigid and easily infatuated. Dragon people don't like routine.

Snake (1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001) Positive: Intuitive, wise, perceptive, and compassionate. Snakes prefer the finer things in life. Negative: Lazy and extravagant. These people may have a problem with depending on others.


Horse (1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002)  Positive: Popular, engaging, refined, and persuasive. Horse people are hardworking and independent. Negative: Selfish and unscrupulous. These individuals may be rebellious and shun the advice of others.

Goat (or Sheep or Ram) (1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003) Positive: Sensitive, imaginative, and well-mannered. Goats are peace lovers who don't like disagreements. Negative: Pessimistic and tardy. These people can let others take advantage of them too easily.

Monkey (1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004)  Positive: Very inquisitive, curious, and witty with leadership qualities. Monkeys are popular people. Negative: Deceitful and self-absorbed. These individuals can be childish and drawn to mischief.

Rooster (1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005) Positive: Enthusiastic, dignified, and resilient. Roosters are well-organized and good time-keepers. Negative: Bossy and pedantic. These people are often a little too outspoken and hate being criticized.

Dog (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006) Positive: Intelligent, loyal, fair, and constant. Dogs are always willing to listen to others' problems, and to fight for a good cause. Negative: Cynical and tactless. These people don't always forgive easily, especially those who cross them.

Pig (1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007)   Positive: Gallant, kind-hearted, and sincere. Pigs rarely lose their temper and always try to avoid arguing. Negative: Materialistic and pig-headed. These individuals have a problem saying "no" -- to people, and to food!

Aha! You looked yourself up, didnt you? So what is your sign? I am a Goat, plus a Piscean, plus a Pine (in druid horoscope).  Usually I forget a few days later all the smart suggestions made by the stars, but the process of discovery is quite fun, I tell you. 


2010 is passing under the sign of a Tiger - a Yang Metal year, and it's a year of much activity, drama, changefulness, crisis, and unpredictability. Tiger years are associated with political and social instability or upheaval, and thus 2010 was expected to be challenging and turbulent overall. So, wasnt it challenging and turbulent overall? You betcha! 
 Moon rabbit No.8 by Randi Antonsen
2011 year is the year of the white metal Rabbit. It symbolizes diplomacy and is actually starting February 3.  After a rather difficult year, the coming 2011 year of the White Rabbit promises to be very interesting in all aspects of our life: less changes will take over our real world and mass changes will happen in every sphere of life that stand on an inner level. In other words a lot is going on behind the scenes (no news here, I suppose).

To me stars predict a mixture of good and bad luck in 2011 (sure, good luck alone would be too much to ask, heh?) Stagnation at work, law suits, turbulences in personal life, and bad health. Ehhhh, thanks a lot! Did I mention I am not superstitious? So, everything will be fine. 

Lets see what 2011 has in store for us. I wish you all good health and good luck! Happy New Year, everybody!

Love, 
AB 

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Art of Dressing up an Oligarch

Being an artist often means being skint… The artist has to eat and buy nice shoes… Family members are supportive and generous, waiting patiently for the Muse to strike; but they really do need an occasional help.

So, when I am asked to do some work I am pretty happy.  Not having a career but various temporary jobs with no particular direction has its plusses (yes, it does); it means trying out different roles and learning diverse skills and information. I can narrate about the history of Swiss cheese-making for hours or tell you the depths of Swiss lakes by heart…

Where was I?.. Ah, work.  So last night I get a phone call with a proposal to assist one Russian oligarch in finding a suitable coat while he is visiting Zurich.  I agreed with an easy heart: how difficult can it be, right? Wrong! I was phoned by 4 (four!) different people to tell me how IMPORTANT this man was… so at the end of the evening I begun to imagine it was Putin himself  roaming wintry streets of Zurich - coatless and incognito.

What does a professional anyone do before jumping into business? Right, he investigates. So I decided to make a check of the best shops of men’s fashion in the city. Getting up early and pulling the best clothes on I am wondering if they let me in the shop in MY coat… They did, all right, and they have been so polite and caring, I might go back there again just to get that special treatment…

My first destination is Tom Ford house. When an exceptionally well groomed Adonis hurriedly opened the door for me, I forgot the purpose of my visit, I swear. All I could say was “May I come in?” (Duh, it’s a shop, you fool…) I pull myself together for the next boutique (PRADA was it) and at the end I am actually having a kick of it. By the early afternoon - armed with a nice list of nice shops with nice coats - I head for a café at Zum Storchen to get some rest: shopping is a tiring business (shopping for the others that is…)

I order a cappuccino and start planning the upcoming meeting. Ten minutes before the appointed time I become nervous and unsure of my ability to advise to Putin… Twenty minutes AFTER the appointed time I order a glass of prosecco and become a little suspicious.

The oligarch cancelled. Telephone calls followed, apologies were made and costs covered….Surely, there are more important things to do than buying a coat (pfffffff….). The sun slowly starts to lean behind the Alps, and the lights of Zurich get ready to twinkle and I am contemplating the idea of ordering another prosecco…  

And that is how my career of a personal stylist has died without producing a single blossom. It is not a very Christmassy story, but I hope it made you smile…what else matters?

Merry Christmas to all.

Love,
AB

P.S. If you want to know who the Rolls-Royce of the world of coats is, give me a shout. :-)

Tuesday 14 December 2010

Pablo, Pablo, What's your secret?

Of course, Picasso had more secrets than just one: secret affairs, secret wives, secret ingredients… The most famous artist of the world remains largely…a mystery.  A retrospective of three decades of his work is now held in Kunsthaus Zürich, where in 1932 Pablo Picasso had his first museum exposition. 
 ´The Painter and his Model´ (1927). Image courtesy of Focus Magazin
Last sunny Saturday afternoon was perfect for wandering the narrow streets of Niederdorf, Zürich, stopping at cafés for a cup of Glühwein or hot chocolate, observing the sun go down; and stepping into the Kunsthaus to marvel at Picasso’s work. And wonder. And whisper: “Pablo, Pablo, What’s your secret?” Only the asymmetrical heroines of his paintings looked laughingly at me and remained silent. Oh, they knew the secret, I am certain…
 
Installation view, photo © jpg-factory.com
Pablo Picasso
The Yellow Belt: Marie-Thérèse, 1932
Courtesy Nahmad Collection, Switzerland
© 2009 ProLitteris, Zurich
 Pablo Picasso, Bathers with Beach Ball (Baigneuses au ballon), 1928, Oil on canvas, 15,9 x 21,9 cm
Private collection © 2010 ProLitteris, Zurich
Installation view, photo © FBM Studio Zürich
More information on the retrospective of Picasso's work in Zürich you can find at www.kunsthaus.ch  
Picasso
Until January 30, 2011
Kunsthaus Zürich
Heimplatz 1
CH–8001 Zurich
Opening times:
Sat/Sun/Tues 10am–6pm
Wed–Fri 10am–8pm
Closed Mondays

Here is a fragmend of a documentery film Le Mystère Picasso by Henri-Georges Clouzot , made in 1955 . (You might want to switch off the music - scroll a little lower and on the right side - to hear the masters comments while he is working).

So, what is your secret?..

Love,
AB

Thursday 9 December 2010

Eureka!

Are you inspired? Do you have to be? Does being inventive make a part of your job description? How do you do it?!..

Ancient Greeks didn’t see much mystery in creativity. From their perspective all ideas came from the single source: the gods. Each of Zeus’e nine daughters, the Muses, were curators of  art departments: poetry, song, dance, and so on.
Convenient, non? Where can one get their phone numbers?...Ummm?... It was also common to attribute inspiration to “madness”; creativity was an act outside our control.  In fact the phrase “You must be out of your mind” did not equate to insanity, it referred to the notion that creative ideas are originally conceived outside the human body.  

In the Middle Ages Italians, like the Greeks, explored the idea of madness (pazzia) as a key to creativity. It wasn’t pure insanity, rather a melancholic temperament.
Freud believed that creative acts are fed and shaped by the unfulfilled needs of the creator. Childhood experiences and unresolved conflicts were the focal point of his thesis on creativity.

For me inspiration has two branches: rational creativity and pure artistic creativity. I learned to deal with the first one. Brainstorming with a notepad and a pencil, defining framework, add a deadline et Voila!, the solution comes. Pure artistic inspiration is a tricky one. The harder you look, the better it hides. And then it jumps out on you when you least expect it.  

Sometimes being stuck is a source of inspiration itself!  I raised a couple of eyebrows speaking about inspiration. People expect something outstanding, highly dramatic or turbulent…How about Hungarians as a creativity catalyst? (I can’t explain it, it would take a book!) Or how about a book? Or even a book cover? One of my last paintings was inspired by an art book about Paris. I saw its bald cover, and I saw a painting in my head. Another question is whether I managed to transport the idea onto a canvas. Talent is a topic for another time :-). 
Be inspired!

Love,
AB

Wednesday 1 December 2010

Today is different

Whose morning doesn’t start with sorting out junk mail? What about those Fw: Fwd: FW: Fwd: Fw: mass e-mails? I don’t like them either: on one hand they normally come from someone you know, on the other hand it is always some teary or banal impersonal message and a request to resend the letter to 15 (make it 100) your best friends. I never do. Unless today. I'll skip the text and post these photos. The message? You'll figure it out.

Have a great day and don’t forget to tell your loved ones you love them.
Love,
AB

On January 15, 2005, twenty-one-year-old Katie—the girl “with a contagious smile and unrelenting optimism” who had been battling cancer for three years—married twenty-three-year-old Lapeer County sheriff’s deputy Nick Goodwin, her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, at Church of Christ in Hazel Park, Michigan.

Photos were taken by Romain Blanquart.
katie-kirkpatrick-nick-sleeping-in-hospital
Katie Kirkpatrick and her fiance, Nick, rest prior to their wedding. Katie has terminal cancer and spends hours in chemotherapy. Here Nick waits while she finishes one of the sessions.
katie-kirkpatrick-putting-on-earring
Even in pain and dealing with her organs shutting down, with the help of morphine, Katie took care of every single wedding plan. Her dress had to be adjusted several times due to her constant weight loss.

katie-kirkpatrick-in-wedding-dress-sitting-with-nick
An expected guest was her oxygen tank. Katie had to use it during the ceremony and reception. Katie's parents look on.
katie-kirkpatrick-in-wheelchair-being-serenaded
Katie, in a wheelchair, listening to her husband and friends serenading her
katie-kirkpatrick-resting-at-reception
In the middle of the party Katie had to rest for a bit and catch her breath. The pain doesn't allow her to stand for long periods of time.
katie-kirkpatrick-in-wedding-dress-snuggling-with-nick
Katie passed away just five days after her wedding at the McLaren Regional Medical Center in Flint, Michigan

Nick said of the wedding and Katie’s passing:
It was wonderful. It was a dream come true. She was the most beautiful angel ever—just caring and selfless, and such an inspiration to everyone. She was always smiling no matter what happened, no matter what news she got. She was as close to perfect as they come.