Things disappear

 Nearly 3 weeks ago, we went to see Omid Asadi's Hansel and Gretel (2021). It had been exposed to the elements for a while, and the paint reminded me of blotted lipstick, or crushed petals.

Its disappearance is part of itself; it is very linked to this time, this place, though the wider cultural references make it connected to other times and places as well.

I started writing this blog again, realising that things on the internet disappear, and the things I think about are forgotten, the thoughts disappear. 

The Asymptote site led me to The Willowherb Review, something I hope stays around for a while yet.

Ideas about flowers

Reading the article ‘A Comparison between Asymmetric Japanese Ikebana and Symmetric Western Flower Arrangement.’ by Marie Moriyama & Megumi Moriyama, (in the journal Forma, 1999) made me wonder again about ideas about flowers in western art. That article was linked to by Christopher James, in his piece Teaching Ikebana in Australia.

When I think of flowers in art, I think of still life paintings. Reading the wikipedia page on still lifes led me to Gerard de Lairesse's Groot schilderboek (1712), and specifically the 12th book of that work, the treatise on flowers. I feel very lucky that such things are available on the internet (thank you bibliotheck voor de Nederlandse lettern). However, it is a bit intimidating as a text, and I feel like it will only be a starting point for understanding more about the subject.