VIII
Labour is blossoming or dancing where
The body is not bruised to pleasure soul,
Nor beauty born out of its own despair,
Nor blear-eyed wisdom out of midnight oil.
O chestnut tree, great rooted blossomer,
Are you the leaf, the blossom or the bole?
O body swayed to music, O brightening glance,
How can we know the dancer from the dance?
Growing up I don’t think I was terribly adventurous. The Witch House in Salem MA made me a little nervous, as did the railing of the tower we climbed, but I liked the safe perch on my dad’s shoulders. My childhood was filled with love and I never felt pressure to be anyone but me. I love this photo of my mom in her denim suit with rainbow tee. The broken arm happened at my neighbor Laura’s house when I decided that the tree branches looked just like gymnastics uneven bars, and I tried to do an underswing dismount. I learned that day some of my limitations. There is this quote.“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” I really can’t think of a time from childhood to present that the idea of failure stopped me from reaching my goals and being who I am. Even though things were rocky in middle school and high school, the challenges were all opportunities to create my own path, supported by my family. After I dropped out of the high school where my father was a teacher I took a year to school myself at home. My parents figured out a way for me to be able to attend a high school for the arts, which was opening in Minneapolis and had dorm rooms for students who didn’t live in the area. I was in the fine arts program and was pretty set on going to Cooper Union in New York for college. I ended up having a last-minute change of heart and decided I needed to be a dancer. My parents put me on an airplane. I flew out and auditioned and the next thing you know mom and dad and I were on our way across the country in a station wagon with a trailer. Four years later they came back with the station wagon and trailer to see me except my diploma, wearing a pink fur mini dress and black point shoes. Which my ballet teacher had been teaching me how to use. A few months later, we were back in the station wagon heading to New York City. All the best parts of myself come from my mom and dad. From the examples they lead with and the foundation that has allowed me to feel supported and loved. Happy Mother’s Day and tons of love to both of you.
New sculpture inspired by the work of #anniemorris and #ugorondinone who have both created stacks of organic polychrome shapes in a much larger scale. Mine sits on a base with four feet, inspired by Queen Anne and Georgian period paw feet. Mine are not as ornate but the toes do have a lovely gilt toenail polish.
