Agnes

Some of us have second names. My second name is Agnes. I never really liked it. Now, for the first time in my life, I'm very happy about it. This is how Agnes Varda's last interview (September 2018) began:

"What are the strongest memories of your childhood?

My parents named me Arlette. and I changed it to Agnès when I was young. I didn’t like it because I don’t like names with “ette” – you know, it looks like a little girl’s name. Jumping, charming and jumping. I didn’t feel like being like this. So I chose Agnès."

My perspective on the name Agnes has changed, because Agnes Varda is a person I admire hugely. I haven't seen all her films. In fact, only a few. Everything about her is simply authentic. The most recent film I watched was Faces – Places (2017). Not sure if I'm allowed to post this (copyright holders, please forgive me – credit: Agnès Varda © Cine Tamaris):

Now I'm planning to catch up with her (her films ...)

A first short list (shortlist) is:

Cléo from 5 to 7

Jacquot de Nantes

Jane B. par Agnes V.

Filling the gap

Just found that I haven't used this blog for years ... and obviously I won't be able to make up for all the missing posts. But here are a few images: 20 September 2014: Jasper performing in 'TAKE FOUR' at SJE:

And here are Jasper and Martha modelling during a photo shoot for a painting:

More to follow - some day soon :)

Not sure

Here I am, sitting in my attic again. Something I haven't done in while, even though it's such a good place. Summer is almost gone, and rather than making the most of the September sunshine I sit long hours in the office most day, so that it's already getting dark when I finally jump on my bike to cycle home. Feels a bit like I lost balance. Recently, after a jazz gig in the Burton Taylor Studio (OxJaMS concert featuring Robin Jones and Eric Young with George Haslam, Richard Leigh Harris, and Steve Kershaw) I took a picture of a young woman, arranging a great 'selfie' with the musicians:

Driving to crystal fighters music

... and feeling like so many years ago, when there was nothing more invigorating than driving around in my tiny car and having the sound on full blast! Not that full blast in those days was anywhere near the sound we're getting from car sound systems these days, but I dare say it didn't stop us from having just the same exuberant fun (and possibly annoying anyone nearby)! Hard to find the means to explain ...why do I like 'You and I'?

Slowness

Today, on a day off work, I re-discovered my addiction to being slow ... My absolute favourite book for a very long time was Stan Nadolny's 'The Discovery of Slowness'. It's a long time ago I discovered it, still living in Germany, and I read it in German: 'Die Entdeckung der Langsamkeit'. Slowness in Nadolny's book means the ability of a person to wait. I guess it's rather unlikely that anyone who knows me associates me positively with this very ability. I assume that - quite often - I'm impatience personified. But that's exactly the point. The way life seems to work these days is bound to create impatience, haste, speed and so-called efficiency.

Taking time to discover what lies behind the next bend, or waiting for the light to colour the world, showing it at its best, or discovering the clouds and 'hanging on to them':

I love Tate Britain

Two weeks ago we went to see the Schwitters exhibition in Tate Britain. It was good. Schwitters always made me curious, his collages are brilliant, and he was full of inspiration.

 

Apart from being amused and intrigued by Schwitter's collages all over again, we also couldn't help admiring lots of Turners. And - overall - just re-discovering Tate Britain, which is such a good place to be ...

Trumpet and Sax

Waiting in a music school can put your ears to a test. In one room behind me is someone happily and loudly trumpeting. In the room next to it is a tenor sax. Tentatively and a bit subdued it tries to let jazz sounds getting through the door and walls.

Now, the paragraph above was written weeks ago and failed to publish. Now I'm in a completely different location, waiting for a John Naughton lecture to start: The future is mobile, the future is bleak ...