An inspiring break, this one. I wasn't going to take Friday off of work, since we didn't officially have it off and I intended on saving vacation pay for Christmas in the Big Apple. But I woke up Friday morning, everyone but me with the day off, mother in town and all, and couldn't bring myself to go in. Thanksgiving was nice... family and wine and games and all... but the rest of the break was so much better. I slept in late on Friday, the Beau had to wake me. We immediately went to get brunch/lunch at our favorite place. Delicious as always, it gave the Beau a great idea: to go see if the new Museum of Contemporary Art designed by celebrated architect David Adjaye was open and inviting. Friday was very overcast and very cold, which is my most favoritest weather. We drove over, he ran in, and next thing I know there we are in the lobby of this carefully beautiful building. Its really an incredible space, subtle and calm, soft and cold. A few images...
This is the lounge -- filled with "love sacs" -- cantilevered over the sidewalk
The skylights were walkable and part of the roof deck (note the two feet in silouette in the skylight)
The museum's exhibit space is white, understated, and clean, stark. The two area's meant for hands-on interaction (the library and the rooftop coffee shop) are suddenly warm and amiable with dark wood finishes and more textures. What an incredible building. I was utterly inspired... David Adjaye is, I think, my new favorite architect. Thankfully, he has monographs, which brings me to my next subject: Nureyev. You see, the Beau's mother wants a list of things to get me for Christmas, and I'd been struggling with it. After the museum, while enjoying some delicious coffee in its rooftop, he had another great idea to go see a movie together. We left for the theater, discovered we had a bit of time before our movie started, and ended up in Barnes and Noble, perusing the books. A gorgeous cover caught my eye while we browsed:
It was the raw black and white photo as well as the understated cover design that caught my eye, then when I looked closer and found it was a biography of a celebrated ballet dancer. I am very new to the world of dance, as far as dancers go. I've only been giving it serious attention for about a year and a half, when I first tried the aerial fabric dancing. I've always been and artist, but always staid in the safe disciplines where one did not have to deal with the audience's reaction until one wanted. With dance... well, the audience is right there. There is no hiding in the shadows. There is no claiming ignorance. Not that I've exercised that option very often, but I've always taken comfort in its being there. Anyhow: As of late, I have been enjoying a slow and heartfelt introduction into the world of dance... first with an intro to modern dance class during the last semester of college; seeing the Alvin Ailey dance troupe's production of the "Golden Mean" (I think it was...) in New York City last Christmastime; videos, books, photos... so it was quite a pleasent surprise to see that this book was a biography on a ballet dancer. And even better that I was in the process of making a list of things I want for the Beau's mother.
After Barnes and Noble, we headed to our movie. We saw Dan In Real Life. What a fantastic and lovely movie. I am beginning to think that anything Steve Carell is in is friggin wonderful... the guy is a genious. The movie, however, made us late to family time... we were supposed to be at my brother's by 7 for dinner. We didn't get out of the movie until 7:30. But to be honest... the day of hookie from work, from my family, from my daughter (who was with Gramma) all to spend it experiencing things with my Beau was altogether saccharinely romantic. It was wonderful.
Saturday was two and a half hours of training at the circus center. And it was lovely. I hurt after, but it felt fantastic. The Circus Center is in Boulder, which is where we lived before I graduated and became gainfully employed in the "big" city of Denver (hence moving there). Once we were done with training, I grabbed coffee from one of the places I used to love getting coffee from, then a smoothie that goes by the name of Green Monkey (because it has spirulina in it, among other delicious things). Part of what I love about harsh and intense physical demand is that what you eat/drink after tends to have a much more intense flavor... or perhaps its that I am so much more sensitive to the taste. And to top off a good workout with two flavors I adore and don't get much any more (can't find good coffee in the "big" city and the Green Monkey is from a small, one of a kind cafe), was, dare I say, sensational. A treat only acheived through context, if that makes sense.
And finally, today. Sunday. After a little of this and a bit of that, the Beau and I sat down to watch "Capote." What an intense movie. Philip Seymore Hoffman was absolutely amazing in that role... we watched one of the special features on the dvd which piqued our curiosity in the professional photos of the murderers. The feature didn't show any of them, which struck us as odd, seeing as it was showing most of the other real photos of the subjects. So I googled their names, hoping they were posted on the web somewhere, and I ended up googling the photographer himself. Richard Avedon. And how weird is this: The photo of Nureyev on the cover of the book I put on the christmas list? The one that caught my eye? Richard Avedon. Not only that, but I also bought one of his monographs at he Met last Christmas as a gift for my former boss and his wife. It had caught my eye because of its raw nature not only in style but in its subjects: there are a number of circus performers, dancers, to boot. And paging through his photos, getting even more inspired, I see another photograph I recognized from an essay I love about Le Corbusier an his fetishes. My brain is firing like a barrel of fireworks with an errant, lit match...
Stunning! I can't decide what to do next... jump, swing, flail, read, create, cry, breath, click... I'll try breathing for now. What a wonderful and much needed break from quotidian!!!
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