Decorate the bus!: Italy's Amalfi Coast

 Amalfi Coast, Italy

Bravo's floor tile took me to letterpress journals, to floating scarves, to books of frabric samples, takes me back to - floor tiles.

I was lucky enough a few years back to study philosophy in Italy for a few weeks (what up Lacan!), even luckier was when it was all over I still had parts of my brain intact and a couple of extra weeks to do all those things of the body that philosophy seems to discredit (or at the very least ignore). Eating and sleeping my way across the Italian countryside, I got off a regional train on the side of the road outside of the coastal town of Amalfi, walked down seven hundred and fifty steep concrete steps, and when i finally reached the street below - looked up to see the biggest display of decorative tile I could ever imagine.

If you love The Real housewives of New Jersey as much as I do, this might not seem too out of place, but believe me - this was something special. While I waited patiently at the bus stop to take me to the sea side (the other side) of the mountain, I thought to myself - back splash- geometric design or landscaoe?

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That musing on tile patterns didn't last long, as it turned out, while laying in the Mediterranean sun,  I got pretty home sick. I didn't want any more caprese salads, and opted instead for a good ol'back home cheeseburger and chocolate milkshake. The only problem being that the only milkshake I could find was on the alcoholic drink menu, and I had to explain to a very confused waiter that I wanted it without the shot of Kaluha and no rum either. The cheeseburger was square instead of a circle and I could taste a hint of alcohol in the milkshake, both taking me away from the childhood memories I was trying to rest in. The saving grace of that meal: A man at a nearby table asks the waiter where his heart is. The waiter does not hesitate and places a hand on his chest, "here."

JFK might not have been so glad to see me, filthy from an all night plane ride, but I couldn't wait to use the bathroom there and get back on good ol'back home Interstate - 95.

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For my next feet of Auto-blog-ism  - - expect pigment and journeys even further into the psyche. 

Wednesday Work: STOP Motion/Stop Animation: The Brothers Quay

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While studying abroad in Rome a few summers back, I had the good fortune to be introduced to the Brothers Quay, both their work and the artists themselves, while participating in a philosophy course dealing with ideas of vision and rationality. (or was it reality, or realization??? hmm, it did begin with an 'r'. The whole experience a blur!)

And I don't know if its the changing weather, a changing mood, or if I am just preparing to nestle down in the studio with my demons for a while (oy! demons!), but I have been obsessed - obsessed!- with all things macabre lately (see also, steampunk): The Brothers Quay fitting the bill quite well.

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Twin brothers born in Norristown, PA, these boys are Philadelphia locals made it big. Both attending The University of the Arts back in the 1960s, moving to England shortly thereafter to study at The Royal College of Art in London.

All you really need to know however, is this: Phantom Museums: The Short Films of the Brothers Quay (2010). Netflix it - watch "The Epic of Gilgamesh, or This Unnameable Little Broom" (1985), then watch "The Street of Crocodiles" (1986). Then watch them again. Try to wrap your brain around these TABLETOP realities created from everyday objects, from garbage, from your lunch scraps.

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Their sets are teeny-tiny. Their attention to detail is ENORMOUSly articulate and thorough.

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You want to watch it, own it, be it - NOW.

But...maybe you don't. (I'm heartborken.) In that case, check out these videos on Vimeo, "The Best of Animation/Stop Motion/Puppets" in today's music video scene. The image below is from
N.A.S.A feat Karen O and Ol' Dirty Bastard, the song is "Strange Enough".

Let's go, come out with me, bring your scissors, your glasses, your teeny-tiny working fingers and a video camera, let's make the world a smaller place - one full of much larger possibilities.

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