Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Cape Cod, Marcel Duchamp quote, art, and a change of pace.

I should have posted this before my last post since I wrote it before leaving our sweet little rental on the Cape.  Here it is:

"Cape cod, U.S.Open, endless walks on the recently-abandoned-by-holiday-makers National Seashore, where the only social contact is with the curious seals.  Add to that fresh lobster tails,  and some great Zinfandels.... this has been our tried and true formula for the last four years, the week after Labour Day.

These lazy days, out of our usual context of forest, garden and family visits, are a total change of pace and place, in other words, a holiday.  It seemed this year, that I needed this week more than other years, and it is only on this 6th day of our week away that I have finally found calm and peace. 

The rains of the early part of the week crimped our beach activities substantially but not completely.  The walks were shorter but no less enjoyable animated by our daughter who was happy to escape the constant sunshine of her Californian home and revel in the coolness of the effects of hurricane Katia on the American east coast.

I have done very little embroidery.  I brought the usual traveling project, another cross-stitch, William Morris bird adaptation.  It's hard to do any other kind of project away from the studio, I need too many things around me to accomplish something less mechanical.  And conversation is always so absorbing when Kathryn is present, I don't have the same incentive to focus inwards.  But there is an opportunity to read in the mornings after breakfast while everyone is adjusting to the day, and I continue reading Lewis Hyde's 'Trickster makes this World' which is an immensely stimulating book and has given much grist for our talking mill.  

I liked particularly the quote by Marcel Duchamp: 

                                                                 "'The word 'art' interests me very much.  If it comes from Sanskrit, as I've heard,
                                                                    it signifies 'making'....Everyone makes something."

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