at the gallery again

this morning there was a talk with the ballet photographers and ballet dancer misty copland at the leica gallery. i had been on the wait list and was lucky a space opened up.

i actually hadn't realized that two of the photographers were dancers themselves (kylie shea and diana markosian). the talk began with the curator requesting that each try to put into words what they were trying to express with their work. i don't remember what each artist said, but here are the thoughts that i did take note of: 

kylie shea mentioned that her photos reflect the grit and grace of a dancer - the duality of hard work and the beauty of dance and the beauty of nature - her photos in the show were self portraits taken in the studio and outside amidst rain and flora. diana markosian shared that she came to photography through her writing and stories of her family history in russia and armenia. i was also fascinated that she said the color in her photos was a result of her film going through the airport security x-rays. (chanda and i had commented on the color in her work and had wondered how it came about). during the q and a i asked if the artists could share what camera they had started out with and how it first shaped the way they saw the world through its lens. kylie shea began with a canon slr (single lens reflex) when she was dancing in seattle. she fell in love with taking photos and avidly read manuals and took classes to learn the technical aspects. for diana markosian i only remember that she decided at her college graduation and her mother shared the cost for her first camera. henry leutwyler received a little kodak camera with an outer square flashbulb when he was six years old. i don't think i phrased the second part of the question properly, because i think i really wanted to hear what photos were taken with those first cameras.

the final thoughts that i remember: 1) henry leutwyler reminisced that when he arrived to document the day of misty's final performance, she walked up to him limping . . she had gone through hip surgery just a month or a few months before and was also experiencing pain in her ankle. he never understood how she made it through that entire day. they also both shared how they first met and how they worked together: misty would arrive at his studio and he would take several photos and then they would go out for food and drinks. this went on for over over two decades i believe! it sounded very casual and fun. (they met at a gala or a big party of some kind, and henry swapped table seating tags so he could sit next to her . . i think that's how it went.)

2) in answer to an audience member's question of what suggestions she had for young dancers to help with taking care of themselves, she said rest was important . . making sure one took time to relax and let go of pressure and commitments. 

greg met me afterwards and we walked to lifethyme health food store for some cold cuts to go with the bread i had bought earlier in the morning at the green market.

we also stopped at the library as i had parts two and three of the hobbit movie on hold. while there i checked to see if there was still space in the lecture series being offered by a local university professor, and there was! i was so surprised. i thought for sure that it would be full. the librarian signed me up and made sure i had all the reading material. i'll take a pic of it tomorrow and describe the class and everything i need to read before we first meet in march. i better make sure i get my work done! i should also get a notebook.

greg's birthday

 

leica gallery had an opening for their latest exhibit of photographs which we attended . . 

an exhibit of ballet photography from three different photographers, two of whom were ballet dancers, and one of whom had documented misty copland's final performance with american ballet theatre. pre-registration for tickets was required and i was fortunate to have seen the advertisement for it in time.

korrina met us there and we walked home to celebrate greg's birthday.

i was going to make fettucini alfredo, but korrina had brought delicious food from work so i didn't need to: foccacia, arancini and cauliflower salad.

discussing japanese kanji characters . . 

while whipping up cream for the chocolate mousse dessert . . 

i used a recipe from my new york times cooking app. it called for six egg whites, four egg yolks, twelve ounces of bittersweet chocolate, and a teaspoon of vanilla. i made sure the eggs were at room temperature and i added the sugar very slowly. also, chanda helped me fold in the whites. it turned out so good! i made mousse for his birthday once before . . years ago . . but i'm not sure what recipe it was. (actually, i just found the blog post about it here. i was so much more motivated to make dinner in those days!)

first day of april

i met chanda at the cafe and had a decaf mocha coffee.

it went up to 67 today. everyone was out and it finally felt like spring.

i met greg by the veterinarian with zuzu and cricket, for zuzu's eye follow up.

she got an all clear. the vet thought her eyes had improved dramatically.

after dropping the cats at home, greg and i rode the citibikes downtown to a special exhibit of neighborhood photos of tribeca from the 70's to the present. it was part of the legacy of tribeca resident robert simko who died last year of cancer brought on by exposure to environmental toxins from 9/11. a poignant obituary was posted in the local newspaper he co-founded and can be read here. 

there were photos of the skyline from new jersey along with pics of battery park city before it was built up and was still just sand from the building of the world trade towers, along with photos of the towers burning and meetings of the community afterwards. it was a story of his life in nyc . . how he viewed the intersection of people, structure and light, and what the city meant to him and the influence of his friends and the neighborhood around him. 

signing the guest book . . 

afterwards, we walked across the street to brookfield place, greg's old haunts. he wanted to get some seltzer from the rite aid, but it had closed. 

we ended up at the haagen dazs in the oculus instead.

the light was beautiful on the river . . we just hoped we could get home before the approaching storm arrived.

six brants, branta bernicla, perhaps on their way north for the summer? (they winter along the east and west coast of the states.)

we had cod and kale (from the green market this morning) and leftover potatoes for dinner. it thundered and poured as i made it, and as we ate.

another hot summer day

morgana made buttermilk pancakes with raspberry compote for breakfast . . 

and then we visited the dawoud bey exhibit at the whitney museum . . 

 

(i've also listened to a whitney onnline zoom lecture about this exhibit.)

 

(yes, it was very hot outside!)

and had special treats at pastis afterwards (including the most amazing baba rum i've ever had) . . 

 

pluto enjoyed taking a siesta with morgan in the hot afternoon while i went to the italian deli for dinner items.

 

penne with tomato sauce and zucchini sautéed with garlic . .

an evening walk on the high line . . 

(large metronome by artist naama tsabar for the high line's current art exhibit titled the musical brain.)

there was a party happening on top of the standard hotel . . 

it was another warm, but beautiful, august summer night.