Thursday, September 30, 2010

oh, grammar!

iiiiiiiiiiiii cccccccaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnn'tttttttttttt slleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

I just don't care if it's the fashion or not, I don't like black tights with light coloured skirts. It puts me off my food. and tights. and skirts. and none of that is cool.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

What was it that crossed my face

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In the mountains, ascending to Val d'Ese, we came across this lunar landscape.
Corse.

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new hair. new sewing machine.
Grimsby, ON.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

James Turrell

James Turrell is a conceptual artist. His medium of choice is light. I had the great opportunity to see a collection of his works on permanent display at the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, PA.

Emergency Exit

The Polish Pavillion at the 12th annual International Architecture Exhibition in Venice presents Emergency Exit by Agnieszka Kurant and Aleksandra Wasilkowska.

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(image credit: Jan Smaga and http://www.labiennale.art.pl/)

Longing for...

Ever wondering if there was a connection between architecture and choreogrpahy? Ever wonder if you could choreograph a space depending on the architecutral design of that space? Well... here is your answer:

above my face

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le vieux port.
Bastia, Corse.

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The whales of the world. One of my many maps.
Drummondville, QC.

comfort food

Everyone has there comfort food.
I have many. We are going to go with comfort cookies today.

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Monday, September 27, 2010

He ate my heart, and then he ate my brain.

- "libertá per Ivan Collona" graffiti in the Pavillion V at UQAM. The Pavillion V is the one sandwiched between the erotica video movie theatre and the other miscellanea sex shops.

- The tuna sandwich at lunch just isn't cutting it

- taking a trip to the toilet only to find a needle deposit box. in a public washroom in the Pavillion J. The Pavillion J is not sandwiched between any sex shops, but I guess it's where all the crack whores hang out, and is why they chose it as the location for said needle deposit box. It comes with a handy sign inside the washroom stalls saying "les aiguelles, les applicatuers, ne les laissent pas trainer".

- coming out of lecture feeling the life sucked out of me as if by a vampire, only to see it's raining.

- strap on my rain pants and take off on my bike to David's house. Thank God for David and his amazing cooking skills and stocked kitchen of cooking gadgets. Some engineers get into photography for the gadgets, but David got into cooking!

- ride home in the rain but this time up two hills, which I conquered in full rain outfit soaking wet glory. Be hold the muscular maëva.

- I need a stiff drink. Now.

caught with the flame of the upper earth

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Bastia, nowadays capital of the department of Haute-Corse, was the capital of the entire island under Genoa’s colonial administration, and it was the Genoese who laid the foundation of northern Corsica’s prosperity by encouraging the planting of vines, olives, chestnut trees and other more experimental crops – there’s even a village called Sparagaghiju (Asparagus) in the hills above St. Florent.

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From the Drummondville surrealist series. A Narnia-esque lamp post in the snow.
boul Mercure.
Drummondville, QC.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

fall weather

It's that crispy time of year. The leaves have started turning here in Montréal and I hope I get a chance to take a trip in the beautiful Québec country side during one of the most beautiful seasons.

Fall weather is perfect for breaking out the tea, scarves, knitting and the soups. (some of my favourite things).

Tonight after walking around Mile End and the Plateau with my friend checking fall fashions and buying us some real bagels, fresh and warm right out of the oven, I came home to make one of my favourite soups.

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(image courtesy of 101cookbooks.com)

why did you bend your face

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Bastia, Corse.

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Previous life. four of my students and the board of Maëva love.
Drummondville, QC.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

cette photographie qu'on appelle humaniste

"... la photographie est un langage compréhensible pour tous."
- Laure Beaumont-Maillet.

Friday, September 24, 2010

why did you hesitate for that moment?

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One of the most beautiful discoveries I made that year. A sacred monument to Mary in a crumbling alleyway wall.
Bastia, Corse.

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My fridge covered in thoughts from my friends.
Maaike, Anna, Shannon.
Sara, Zsuzsa.
Rhona, Katie, Faith, Cait.
Jin.
my students Gabrielle, Milena, Joelle.
Monique.
Erin, Patrick and Arlene, Becky.
Latifa.

Drummondville, QC.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

why did you glance back?

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in the heart of the town of Bastia.
Corse.

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my first yarn bomb.
monster bench foot.
GPAG, Grimsby, ON.

Monday, September 20, 2010

why did you turn back?

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Le vieux port. In the distance you can see the island Elba. This is where Napoleon was exiled to and eventually died. He said what tortured him the most was that he could smell his homeland but never return.
Bastia, Corse.

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my favourite tree, and my favourite corner. Rue Brock.
Drummondville, QC.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

swept into nothingness?

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View from atop the casino/place de gaulle, of plage st-françois, the other side of the bay/porticcio, and a corsica ferry coming into port, in February.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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Sunrise getting into my car to go to work.
Drummondville, QC.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

that old argument

I'm sure you've been in a museum or gallery and heard a person near by say "this isn't art. my kids could do that". We all have heard it. It makes others cringe more than some. I've always wanted to find the right argument to share when I hear someone say this, in any situation.

Meyer Schapiro in his text "The Nature of Abstract Art" translated into French as "La nature de l'art abstrait" and this weeks reading for approches sociologiques et les arts visuels, has done just that, given me the argument to share in those situations, with those people:

"Si aujourd'hui un peintre abstrait semble dessiner comme un enfant ou un fou, ce n'est pas qu'il soit puéril ou dément. Il a valorisé ou adopté des qualités liées à la liberté d'imagination à laquelle il aspire: la spontanéité des passions et l'insouciances des techniques, qualités présentes chez l'enfant, qui crée pour lui-même sans avoir à tenir compte des responsibilitiés de l'âge adulte ni des exigences du sens practique."
(page 35, La nature de l'art abstrait par Meyer Schapiro, 1937)

How could you not enjoy, and finally not want to understand, the spirit of a child. That is probably one of the most beautiful things on the planet, the free, not yet tainted spirit of a child, explorative, uncomprehending but not afraid to try anything.
Thanks Schapiro!

of myself thus

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Parc Berthault. The park I walked by everyday to go to work and to come home again.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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Part of the surrealist Drummondville series.
Drummondville, QC.

Friday, September 17, 2010

that hell should be reinhabited

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Mom and Maëva go to the beach, in February.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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My first trip to St-Mich. and I loved every second of it.
Mémé and Lia inspecting the creek. St-Michel des Saints, QC.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

why did you turn back,

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Ajaccio as seen from le seniter chemin des crêtes.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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The snowman that melted because summer came in March.
Drummondville, QC.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

plea to the higher authorities

Dear Brain,

Please don't fail me now. I know it's hard to concentrate, and especially in French, but I'd really really like to understand some if not all of what happens in approaches sociologiques. That would really help me out a lot.
In return I promise not to burden you with any more horrific episodes of Dexter like the season finale from last night, for a while anyway.

Love Maëva

Monday, September 13, 2010

grown colourless

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The citadel in February.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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The apartment that got away.
Tupper ave. Montréal, QC.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

streaks of black and light

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Le vieux port. Also known as Le port de plaisance Tino Rossi.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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My previous life.
Drummondville, QC.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

and black among the red sparks

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chez maëva.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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maëva's marvelous mushroom soup.
ginger, shallot onions, onoki mushrooms and broth. simmered to perfection.
Drummondville, QC

Friday, September 10, 2010

getting shit done

recueil de texte pour "Approaches sociologiques et les art visuel - check.
checking on the status of my loan - check.
allo-stop membership - check.
permission to write academic paper on Lady Gaga and Perfromance Art - check!
hanging out in the park with sparkling fountain - check.
going out for beer at casa del popolo - (will be checked off after tonight!)

It's Friday!!!!

Here only flame upon flame

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January sky and sea.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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Divas. Cait and Amy come to visit for a night and a morning. We have artichoke heart and mushroom risotto. Cait buys a singer sewing machine at the second hand shop on Lallement and Amy buys sunglasses and a porcelain hand. Maëva and Cait shake it up with the whales, Diva stylz.
Drummondville, QC.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

la rentrée est fait

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maëva returns to university. this time in French.

and the past.

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My girls. Maëva, Beth, Anna. On the beach.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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Madeleines. Made on New Years Day 2010.
Grimsby, ON.

Monday, September 6, 2010

I had forgot you

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The October sea and sky.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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Lipstick forest.
Montréal, QC.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

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need I say... anything?!

if you had let me rest with the dead

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Chemin des crêtes. Surrounded by macquis, sun and the sea waiting below.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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Tess takes a cat nap in the sun.
Drummondville, QC.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Gaga academics has already exploded all over the internet.
How you ask?
By Gaga Stigmata the "new technological breed of journal" dedicated to the theoretical study of the Gaga monster.

And I seriously dig that.
And I will likely read through every single piece written in this journal.
Thank you Lord, for granting me the researching skillz to find this gift to just further mind fuck my brain.

Bisous,
Maëva.

Friday, September 3, 2010

if I had grown from listlessness into peace

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the sea was different everyday. this was in march.
Ajaccio, Corse.

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Latifa visits Drummondville.
Drummondville, QC

Thursday, September 2, 2010

GAGA

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(image courtesy of V magazine)

I'm in the genius camp.
and more to come on this.
including (probably/possible) academic paper (i hope) in french (i hope).

MTL part dix

Student card = check.
Grand bibliothéque library card = check!
New cheap grocery store discovered = check.
Bike ride encounter with La Centrale co-worker = check.
Amazing bike ride on Hutchinsn and Bernard = check.
breaking the TV = check (I was due for that).
secret sweet streets discovered = check. (Duluthe is my new haven).

Also I smashed a lamp that was in my closet today and then kneeled on a piece of glass. Good work. I also somehow managed to get a perfect print of my bicycle chain on my knee. How I ask you, How.
Then I read about Lady Gaga on the couch with chocolate my neighbour gave me and a giant cup of tea (necessity of life) to the music of the fan.
While in Outremont with Monique this morning in a health food store searching for Thayer's that we can't find anywhere a girl came up to me and handed me a pamphlet about cream. I flipped through it and then Monique said "I think I saw your name in there" and low and behold there is a cream in their line called "Maeva". Maeva is the new thing. it's en vogue. name your kids maeva, or you dog. soon you'll be wearing maeva clothes, and riding a maeva bike.

Get ready, the Maeva revolution is around the corner.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

MTL part neuf

- Xenakis on vinyl
- cat sitting and the mysterious grischat who turned up and captured my heart
- strange landlords
- canicule
- Bill Evans trio
- strange neighbours
- neighbours swearing wickedly in quebecois french at 3am
- empty beer bottle in hand bag
- running into cyclists
- running into pedestrians
- new hair
- missed calls
- new connections, more connections
- cider and wolf parade and broken social scene and joy division
- first day at internship
- art and archives
- opening at skol
- pink fabric with unicorns for Lia
- cello
- circus act preview
- hot nights
- knitting
- meso soup and amazing korean ginger tea
- the girl that emerged from the forest and then went back in again
- performance art
- hookah bar and strange conversations

if you had let me wait

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rue Fesch in the old city. Ajaccio, Corse

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jungle corner
Drummondville, QC.