at the Ex

Mapping

I am always intrigued by maps, any kind, any purpose. There is something about the density of information and the spidery web of linework... roads and boundaries, topographies and waterways, distances and relationships... that is so functional but also so aesthetically pleasing.

Eastern Telegraph Co System Map

But the potent aspect is the sense of exploration and discovery that it holds. Beyond its literal expression, it is one's own imagination and experience, of past and future movements and discoveries. A map is not about the linear progression of points in time, but it is a soaring aerial tour of what one could see or do or have or know - a diagram of the spatial organization that held and guided a journey or relationship or development.

New (Old) NYC Maps on Google Earth

But of course maps come in many forms and for many reasons. Most recently I came across this simple and striking interactive map and information graphic. How could I not be captivated- maps and graphics and information, together as one. The monochromatic map background of lines and grids is clearly set off by the stark, colorful bars and cubes of statistical information. Fascinating content, as well.

the clothes make the man

 

Your best work must go in the window. And catch the eye of those passing by.

thinking fast

I am intrigued by fast decision makers. Intrigued when they actually present [consistently] great decisions. These people are rare. More often I find myself skeptical. And irritated. Immediately.

And frightened. I am quite a careful decision maker, quite deliberate in my actions and responses. To a fault. But on the other end of the spectrum are those fast talkers/movers/shakers who know the answer before the question has been asked.

And often, the question is not where they begin.

And these people get the first word. Ah, you say, but think of the tortoise, think of the hare. Its only important who gets the last word. Right?

Not so much. The first word can be a total fallacy but it laid the foundation for anything that came next. It takes time and energy to curb the momentum of public opinion once it gets rolling. And if we have to begin our platforms from these stances... well, its possible that we begin light years away from our mark. Relatively speaking. And dependent on your mark, of course.

And this is the state of our politics. Get the first word, make it fast and furious, and you've set the stage. Take the time to deliberate and question and develop your reasoning and you've already lost the race. Because it is a race. And the tortoise has a long life but man, we know how bunnies can breed.

true love cafe

the promise of cherry beach

 

cave of...

"...time loses its contours underground." I saw the Cave of Forgotten Dreams last night, and was blown away. Not so much through Mr. Herzog's expression of the caves (3d!) and the philosophical stance he wages (rather distracting), but simply by the art itself. On their own, these paintings are amazingly beautiful... indeed, reminiscent of Picasso as the film mentions.

chauvet lions

chauvet horses

I think what is striking is how much beauty there can be in something so removed from its creator. We have no idea who or why these were made. Herzog and the archaeologists theorize and extrapolate using a blend of science and soul searching to try to recreate a context for these paintings outside of their literal location, which is just present day France. And the context they are striving for is bigger than any of us can really take on. They are looking for a way for us to know ourselves.

picasso's 'essence' of a bull, left. the second sketch came first.

Because perhaps we haven't changed? We look over the span of time and we see ourselves, a similar hand, a similar eye to create imagery and motion. After Picasso saw the caves at Lascaux he said, in varying ways and many times, 'We have learned nothing. They've invented everything.'

chauvet bulls

 As I said before, the art is beautiful: the strokes are dramatic and emotive, utilizing perspective, shadows and surrealist techniques to generate movement and narrative. It is beyond what I ever assumed of cave art, which I thought was flat and primitive. And supposedly some of it dates thousands of years apart, layers of time. To see the film is visually seductive- the 3D can be rather odd at times but overall it allows for this incredible detail and depth to a landscape that is unearthly to begin with. And yes, it makes you wonder who and why... it humanizes something that we view as science, as animalistic. It reminds us how much we don't know, how much can not be preserved or discovered that would even begin to tell the true story. So we take it as is, using our own eyes and our own stories to reconstruct theirs. We could be so wrong, or so right.

Oh, and you get to see albino alligators in 3D at the end... the mutants that are looking back over the abyss of time. I don't know, ask Herzog. But also beautiful, and unearthly.