Wednesday, May 26, 2010

May 26, 2010


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MOTION, STILLNESS, and PLACE
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I recently took a trip to Minneapolis with my son and his friend to see Conan O’Brien’s live tour (among other things). Our little vacation became much more than that—vinyl records (imagine that!) and art became its alternate focuses. On the third day, we decided to walk from our hotel to the Walker Art Center, about half an hour away.
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We had to cross a freeway to get there.
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What we found was a bridge that may have been just a big hunk of steel and bolts simply fulfilling its purpose: to transport people across the highway safely.
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But what we found while walking towards our day of modern art was an astonishing piece of art in itself.
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(image credit http://garden.walkerart.org/artwork.wac)
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Looking back, we can  appreciate the bridge's architecture and design, but as we approached, all we saw was a bridge—painted  pleasant shades of blue and yellow. After we climbed up to it's walkway, what struck us at was a poem written atop its highest beams.
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And there we stood, walking slowly above the hustle of highway traffic, reading the words written upon the
structure that seemed to melt into sky.
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Upon our return, we found out that the bridge's architect/artist had comissioned John Ashbery to write a poem specifically for the bridge. By doing this, a walk across a bridge that we wouldn’t think twice about became an experience that I just can’t get out of my head.
Inspiration!
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And I cannot remember
How I would have had it
It is not a conduit (confluence?)
But a place. The place, of movement and an order.
The place of old order.
But the tail end of the movement is new,
Driving us to say what we are thinking.
It is so much like a beach after all
Where you stand and think of going no further.
And it is good when you get to go no further,
It is like a reason that picks you up
And places you where you always wanted
To be.
This far.
It is fair to be crossing, to have crossed.
Then there is no promise in the other.
Here it is.
Steel and air, a mottled presence,
Small panacea and lucky for us.
And then it got very cool.
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-John Ashbery
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This slideshow is as close of an experience as you can get without being there! The photos were taken by trekfeet on flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7239727@N02/sets/72157621935769959/show/
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More Minneapolis pic's in a few days!
Karen xo

2 comments:

  1. Hi
    I am enjoying your inspirational thoughts.
    When ever I see an inpirational saying I think of you.
    I copied a few down to send to you. Maybe they would be good on a rock or just for your reading pleasure.

    The time you enjoy wasting
    is not wasted time.

    Ability may get you to the top,
    but it takes CHARACTER to keep
    you there.


    Live with Passion.

    Live the life
    you've Imagined.

    It's never too
    late to start
    the day over.

    Learn from the
    mistakes of others.
    You can not live long
    enoughto make
    them all yourself.


    Happiness held is the seed,
    Happiness shared
    is the flower. Emmerson

    Hope you enjoy these.
    Karen

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  2. What a wonderful story and beautiful slideshow. How nice that it was something that you discovered for yourselves; I can see you and your son walking slowly and reading the lovely words as you cross in the air. Thank-you for sharing with the rest of us. I have retweeted in hopes it will get to even more people!
    Bonne journee!
    Jeanne Duperreault (on twitter I am jaduperreault and i hve a bk blog: http://bookdiscovery-jeanne.blogspot.com

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