Sometimes simple is best . . .

While on Governor's Island yesterday, I stumbled upon an "electronic art festival" in the island's chapel. Thinking "what the heck" I decided that it might be worth a peek inside for a change of pace. The installation, Blue Morph, is credited to artist Victoria Vesna & scientist James Gimzewski. An investigation of nanos shifting within a Blue Morpho butterfly, the work itself within St. Cornelius is relatively sparse: soft ambient sounds, blue tinged windows and backscreen projection of light patterns which overlap masked stained glass. Cushions and seats are scattered about inviting viewers to sit and soak up the atmosphere. Simple. Yet, effective. I found the space to be a welcoming contrast to the humid external bustle of free bike rental day. Or, perhaps, I'm simply a sucker for flickering light effects . . .




photo by creighton blinn, all rights reserved





photo by creighton blinn,
all rights reserved



photo by
creighton blinn,
all rights
reserved





photo by creighton blinn,
all rights reserved

Cheers



A Week Ago (out on the town)

Last Wednesday, my nest mate and I attended a reading at the Ding Dong Lounge. While located uptown, this latest installment in the Tract 187 Culture Clatch series also fell under the umbrella of the annual Underground Howl Festival. We each took a turn reciting some verse as part of the open mic, as well as hearing some good performances given by others. In addition, I had my camera with me that night and was able to snap some photos. I was taking both black & white and color that evening, though the former seem to have come out better on a whole. Here's a sample:



photo by Creighton Blinn, all rights reserved




photo by Creighton Blinn, all rights reserved

 And, naturally, what evening would be complete without a little . . .



photo by Creighton Blinn,
all rights reserved























Cheers all.

Last Night at Reggio's

Last night I preformed a poem at the Cornelia Street Cafe Son of a Pony poetry series. I had been away from the venue for a few months, and it felt good to return again. I put in a strong showing, as did my dear TC, who read as well. In high spirits, we felt up for a little celebrating before heading home. (By chance, it also happened to be the one year anniversary of when she moved into her current apartment). Without much difficulty, we settled upon Cafe Reggio's for our simple, though no less tasty, feast. I snapped a few photos of the Village at twilight, some of which, I may post on another occasion. For now, however, I shall focus on the pictures I took inside the cafe. Cafe Reggio's is an establishment with much of what is usually referred to as character, which in this case consists of many antique art objects densely installed throughout the space.  In theory this might sound claustrophobic, but, in practice, it is not, creating instead a favorable atmosphere for their good food.  I did not chose to take any photos of this overall effect though, as my taste in framing tends more towards details than the overall picture. I sometimes suspect that it is so that I might focus in on an object, in an attempt to capture more fully a sense of mood or personality: 



photo by creighton blinn, all rights reserved





       





photo by creighton blinn, all rights reserved



There was a melancholy feel to these two pieces, which were placed near our table, especially the top one, as if the bust were of a saint silently accepting the beatings inflicted by the not so innocent seeming coat rack.  Indeed, the shape of the figure suggests to me a reliquary of martyr as much as the portrait bust of a young noble.  Meanwhile, his lady watches apprehensively, near at hand, yet still, powerless . . . 

Then there was this plate with its ghostly glare about it: 

photo by creighton blinn, all rights reserved

Of course, I do not always need to read a narrative into an image; I can also simply enjoy the beauty of pools of lights:

photo by creighton blinn, all rights reserved

photo by creighton blinn, all rights reserved

All in all, a good end to what had been a rather hectic week, as well as a good start to the weekend. 

Cheers