ByGD
From what I understand of Azores history, the islands served as transAtlantic fueling stations and historically housed whalers and fisherman. But it’s easy to imagine them as a pirate’s paradise. Do the locals identify much with pirates the way folks in the American Southwest do with bandits? Or are pirates always the bad guys in Azorean stories? Whether this is sanctioned public art reflecting the local culture or punk protest of it, I think these are words to live by.
ByGD
I remember when the height of latte artistry was a poured rosetta pattern. I have conflicted feelings about social media, but I think photo sharing has had a part in helping the latte art grow. Maybe it’s off-brand; I’m probably supposed to rant about pretentious beverages and performative something or other. But I love that people are lavishing attention on the preparation and consumption of their coffee. Lattes have a sizable environmental footprint; complex worker’s rights impacts; and an often opaque supply chain. We should not be consuming them casually. If latte art causes us to pause and appreciate the results of all that work and effort before we guzzle it down, I think they’re doing us a favor. And even if we just thoughtlessly enjoy the image, I am fascinated by any intentionally ephemeral artform.
ByGD
One of the first times I visited Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park was for a special performance of site-specific ballets commissioned by Pacific Northwest Ballet. The event, called Sculptured Dance was such a big hit that it became an annual event for several years. I’m not sure if I’m remembering correctly, but I think this was also the first time I saw Donald Byrd’s choreography.
