Today's Encounters

No pictures today but I did have some fun moments.

Apparently law students today feel pressure about the lack of jobs from the moments they set foot on a law school campus. Not good.  They need to embrace the no plan, plan.

When leaving work today I saw a young women with long brown hair except the ends were purple. Everything else about her was so typical suburban that the hair was kinda of a shocker. I loved it.

Biking up Franklin a guy stopped beside me to blast the drivers who keep weaving in traffic causing near death moments for us bikers. I couldn't place his accent, but it was lovely.

Biking in the city is amazing. I feel so speedy and get another perspective on neighborhoods and places I pass through everyday. I keep seeing folks interacting with the red rope sculpture by the lake.  Strangely there are signs on it that say no climbing when it's so clearly so perfect for climbing.

Tampa Spanish Architecture

I've always found this style of architecture gorgeous. When taking a trip to Tampa over the weekend, I couldn't help but snap a few pics.

Mushrooms

Sometimes what catches my eye is unexplainable to me. These mushrooms were kind hideous but were in the middle of an otherwise pretty manicured park. Their unexpected shape just popped out to me and I fell in love.

Architecture Sightings

So for this week we were supposed to find interesting architecture to inspire us for a project. For class, I went with the interesting highlights of otherwise sleek modern buildings. It'll be interesting to see what art comes out of it.

Hobo Family

I don't know why this family decide to be hobos, but the image of a young family on the tracks was so striking I had to take it.

Southern Oak Street

The Oak Lined Streets of Tampa are visually stunning. Google AutoAwesomed and it was interesting to see the effects it added.

Here and Now: Test 1

Here and now, it is way past my bedtime but I'm feeling wide awake. The fan is turning above me and for the first night all week the blinds are not banging against the window. I can hear the cars swishing on the wet road and a faint siren in the distance. The light is way too bright. the sunlight spectrum bulbs make it day although its the middle of the night and there are no shadows.The bed is piled high with pillows stacked haphazardly. And the stillness of the apartment is unsettling. I can smell the coconut oil from my hair and I'm thinking what's next. Can I drift right off to sleep or am I forgetting something important that I have yet to do.

Here and Now

I read a charming article in the NY times about how to focus your attention for travel writing. In her workshops, the author asks students to write immediately on the prompt Here and Now.  It is just another way of getting people to stop and use your senses to experience the everyday.

See the piece here: Writing in the Here and Now

I love its simplicity and want to try to practice the strategy as well as the visual capture that I've been doing thus far for this course.

Class Session III

This week people responded to my work but I didn't have the chance to share what I was aiming for. It was a unique perspective because they didn't know anything about the relationships I was trying to work through.  It was neat to hear how some ideas came across while others were lost.

I moved beyond the baby wrap and explored other wraps that I would use for different occasions. I thought about the relationships with the individuals and what kind of traces they left on me.

Brittany's Graduation Confetti Tissue Paper

I loved this image. I thought of her youth, her striving to make her own mark on the world, and beauty of it all. But it wasn't a class favorite as it was considered too staged. 

 Here are some others in that series that I rejected but perhaps have that more organic feel.

Grandma's 88th Silver Birthday Wrap

This one I really struggled with. I wondered what it must be like to have made most of the traces you'll ever make. To know that Death is near because its claimed so many others of your generation but to still have a passion to make an impact.

I tried first to play with some trees that had some life left. But when the sky turned dark and the rains were about to roll in I captured this image.

Man Wrap

As the rain began, I finally started working with what I considered the guys paper. For some reason I always struggle to find wrap that is not too girly or too childish for a man's present. I loved the softness of the plants on top (which were also amazingly soft to the touch). It softened the harsh lines of the paper and on closer inspection on my screen. I noticed the sidewalk was also pebbled with the same colors as the paper. It came together naturally. Then as much as I tried to wrap stones. The storm  gave the paper a movement I coiuldn't control but only capture. I chose this one because despite the wind blowing one way. The paper seems determined to go another.

Southern Komfort

So I tried to capture a video of this encounter but learned my phone take terrible sound! Instead I'll refer you to a link of the band Southern Komfort.

I will never forget my first time hearing brass band music. I feel in love and every time I hear it, I'm dancing again. The name Southern Komfort is so aprops, because although it is a New Orleans tradition more than a North Florida one, I feel transported back home.

Traces 5

Perhaps it's all the talk of traces but I'm seeing them now everywhere.

Here I'm peeking in the window of a restaurant you see random items. A basketball, a glove, coke cans.... are these things that folks left behind. Stuff the workers forgot about. 

Another business that is no more, but the puppies on the border play forever.

Info Overload

I couldn't help but smile at the number of infographics on this sign. It's a bit much for one to take in. It also brought me back to one of my favorites of all time....

{Insert Malaysia pic here}

Meaningful Words: Dress

"If you have the right dress, an occasion will arise."

-Audrey Ferber's mom

I thought that this quote was interesting given the readings for this week.  What comes first the event or you making an event out of it? 

When it comes to artistic expression, is it enough to attempt to create and then hope something stunning comes out of it. Or must you create with the intention of creating something in particular. Is meaning layered on in the creation or in the subsequent viewing or both. 

Uninspired

Feeling rather uninsired today. I snapped this for the colors in the woman's plaid. Colors that I think are normally hideous somehow work together here.

Hidden Chicago

 I took a Pub Tour of the West Loop with the Architectural Foundation. It got me thinking more about how much of city we ignore and walk by without realizing its value.

This image really captured that feeling for me with the surprisingly interesting fence and the complete disregard of the woman in the frame.

 Spotted on the tour a trace of Chicago's past uncovered in the middle of Jackson street.

The whole west loop was skid row for a long time. Here you can see pieces of the old brick streets and then rail line that went through.

The legs captured were unintentionally as I was literally trying to snap this in middle of traffic, but perhaps emblematic of how we walk by without ever noticing whats at our feet.

In contrast, we also can't for get to look up. I learned the history of the water towers (which perhaps every true Chicagoan already knows), but it was fasinating to me that these historical pieces are still there and can go without notice.

Art Encounters

Tonight we went to an actual show to look at pieces and try to find something that speaks to us.

This speaks to me literally. I stay away from art because I'm afraid make mistakes. I'm a perfectionist at heart and always worried that it may not be good enough. I'm trying to learn to go with my gut and trust my instincts and that may apply in places besides art.

This speaks to me emotionally. The artist seems to have interviewed women in a nursing home and then created garments from there. Then placed the women in the garmets in a painting.  I was rushing through but would love to go back and look at this again.

Trace 4

Unhappy with my traces so far, I grab my camera and head out at lunch determined to make a trace. I still have the wrap I used for the most recent set of baby gifts. How does one leave an enduring trace? Is it only children?  

I take two shots and choose this one to share.  This trace lasts only a moment though because its a public park and I don't feel comfortable leaving what some may see as litter there.

Ironically although it's the middle of the work day and most of the park is filled with white collar folks on their lunch break as I walk out a class of school children comes out to play.

I snap this on my back to the office. I am amazed that this sculpture is wearing socks.

Old Architecture in New (for me) Neighborhood

The words that struck me most was the purpose of the park as a "pleasure ground" for the wealthy.  

I was struck by the distinctive Prairie style of the light fixtures in Humboldt.

Inspired by the history of the landscape architect and his desire to recreate the prairie

A geman country house seems so out of place, but given the historical context makes sense. Now a Puerto Rican art center.

The architecture of more more and more

Trace 3

I notice the traces made by our bikes in the grass.

My attempts to capture them on film are not the best. Are all my traces to faint to count?

Book Fair

I browsed the Printers Row book fair today. I was struck by this book which has fabulous imagery of entertaining and food. They always say entertaining is an art. If so, it's definitely the one I want to develop and improve on.

I can't help but love a good book fair. It harkens back to my elementary school days when once a year they would put up a book fair and I would beg to take one or two home. My mom who knew I was avid reader encouraged me to hit libraries instead.

I wonder if book fairs still exist. I was visiting classrooms earlier this month and every kindergartener and first grader had an ipad so I suppose they probably have ap fairs now.

Biking home

I come across a news station on the ride home.  Who knows what they were doing on this random corner in the near westside, but they could not be more conspicuous. I'm drawn to the contrast of the red wrapping around the black particularly when splayed on the white marble backdrop.

Left Behind

I look up on my walk home and see another trace. The building of the Association of Letter Carriers has been empty since I moved in next door.

Why did they leave the wording but take whatever emblem or symbol beneath it away?

Even in trying to erase their prescence, it left a trace.

Encounter: Take Notice

I try to take notice of what I haven't noticed before.  For me today, it was the CTA signage.  Clearly these must have meaning to the conductor or worker, but as a rider I've never bothered to take notice.  I'm curious now as to what other signage I might find.

Encounter: A deeper look at the familiar

I see this building everyday. It's right next door to my office, but today it strikes me as stunning with its strong lines, triangular shape, and slight tilt.  I capture it briefly before moving back inside to work.

Traces

We are looking for traces of ourselves and I see you everywhere. Even though, you've moved out. I still keep discovering traces of you everywhere--a dirty sock here, a novel stashed there. And our puppy gone now for almost a month but still the dog hair is everywhere. I feel your prescence almost more acutely than when you were here.

I'm doing sit ups in the gym and looking up see the reflection of my neon shorts and bright shoelaces above. It's the only trace of me that can be seen. Captured in an photograph it's even more faint.

What trace do I leave?

First Encounters

Day 1: We are asked to look at encounters in a new way. We search out millineum park for an image that strikes us. I take a couple of shots before sharing with the class.

What strikes me. The graphic elements of the bridge and the idea of where it might leave. The incongruence of a dude on a bike clearly meant for a woman. The flowers in this semi-secret hedged garden have always made me feel excited.

I ultimately share this shot. It's the new Maggie Daley Park that is yet to take on shape and form. To me, it is reminscience of the gymnastics landing pits of my youth.It reminded me how our city is made up of tiny little building blocks. Some haphazardly placed and some well planned.