There is nothing that can adequately prepare you for the breathtaking work of photography that you are about to see below in this week's edition of Flickr Finds Africa. I can't even remember what I was searching for when I stumbled across these photographs by New York/California-based photographer and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke but I am so glad that I did. I literally held my breath as I was looking through his work! All the black and white images are from his travels in Madagascar and the two color images are from Ethiopia.
I know - ridiculously stunning! You can check out more photographs by Jarin Blaschke via flickr as well as through his website.
Well - another week is off to a roaring start. Ok - not so roaring as I can promise you I'd still prefer to be in dreamland right now, but the week has started regardless of how I feel about it. Anyway...how was your weekend? Mine was kinda exhausting but I also got to spend time with my mom, sister and several aunts and tons of cousins which was great. In addition, the weather in D.C. was in the 70s on Sunday which alone makes everything better (albeit a little scary as global warming sends us another little reminder).
Anyway, those of you who visit on the weekends will have already notice one big change in the header of the blog. I was a little tired of the collage from so many months ago and wanted something a bit more calm yet elegant. Looking through some old photos that I took in Kenya a few years ago, this one really stood out to me for the first time. The calm wide open space, the ending (or beginning) of a day all just felt very right to me! There is still so much that I need to do to tighten up look of the blog, but I'll eventually get there.
If you look to the right, you'll also see a new Flickr badge and that's because I finally opened a Flickr account of my very own. I see so many talented photographers on the site that I admit to being a little intimidated considering my very amateur status, but what is there to do but bite the bullet and carry on? I really have been enjoying this time with my Nikon and Polaroid so why not share? I've put on some of the pictures that stand out to me that I've taken recently. It's also exciting because I now have a place to put all these pictures (ok, only the good ones) that I'm taking more and more frequently.
AND, I finally updated my blog roll! I can't tell you how long I've been procrastinating with this so it's great to finally get it done. I read so many fantastic blogs every day that it's great to share all that goodness with you!
SOOO....please tell me what you think of the new header and definitely head over to my flickr site and take a look at what I've been snapping away at!
Man...I'm so glad today is Friday! Despite having Wednesday off, it's been a hectic week full of conferences and meetings after meetings. This is certainly a town that loves to do a whole lot of talking! It also hasn't helped that my head just hasn't been in the game at all so needless to say I'm looking forward to a few days off.
These days, it feels rare when I have the feeling of wanting to listen to something sweet and laid back. Ok, let's rephrase that. I'm the queen of laid back, but there are few times I listen to stuff that one would put under a "sweet" category. And yet....I have this song chillin' in my youtube rotation and it's been there for quite a while.
I can't really explain why. The song isn't earth shaking, yet I feel like it doesn't need to be in order to do it's trick. In fact, the entire album of Sam & RubyThe Here and The Now is that way. Yet it remains catchy enough to keep me coming back which I like. The story of this duo is also interesting. How in the world does a guy from Green Bay, Wisconsin musically hook up with a Ghanian girl?!? I guess it's all about finding a commonality in a shared love for music and being able to complement each others skills very well which this couple does to their great advantage.
Ruby Amanfu, migrated to the U.S. as a young child with her family and grew up in a very Christian home in Nashville where it was basically gospel music or bust. She eventually found the likes of Madonna and clearly that was all she wrote. She headed to Berklee to study music but fell prey to the whole "why just study music when I can be making music" genre and eventually went back to Nashville where she began a solo career.
Being in Nashville, you can bet your dollar that their album has a bit of country and folk in it, but it greatly blends in R&B and Pop. One of my other favorite songs on the album is Chillin' which is just like the title of the song suggests. This is totally the laying in the grass, feeling the breeze and watching the clouds go by kinda music. To here more of their album, definitely check them out on both iTunes and Amazon!
Well, I'm off for another weekend. Have a good one!
Do you love to dance? I absolutely love dancing! When I'm feeling down and out, stepping to a great dance tune leads to the fastest recovery. When something great happens, my first instinct is to bust a move. I will even admit that when I'm having a crappy day at work, I'll close the door to my office, crank up a tune and just start dancing (luckily my office mates are just as insane so it's turns out to be super fun). Just dancing for 2 minutes in the middle of the day can make all the difference in the world to me. Honestly, in one of my next lives, I'm totally going to come back as a professional dancer!
As write all of this by way of introduction to Salia Nï Seydou. This dance company started 15 years ago in Burkina Faso when dancers Salia Sanou and Seydou Boro met in Drama school in Ouagadougou. Combining their love for drama, cinema and dance, this duo has provided a new expression of African dance which combines the meaning and emotion found in modern dance with the aesthetics found in traditional African dance. They have established the Center for Choreographic Development in Ouagadougou dedicated to all-African choreographic training and cultural exchange. Even though the company is based in Paris and tours heavily throughout France, the constant exchange between the two countries keeps things fresh.
Just looking at these images and the videos got me digging around the D.C. area for dance studios. I just totally need to make some adjustments in my schedule to be able to take a class!
So taking it back to where I started...do you love to dance? Where do you go dancing in your city/town/village?
As I cruise along my day, I usually have some song or two playing on repeat in my head. Recently there has been quite a lot of "Dancing in the Dark" playing and I'm still trying to figure out what that is about. While I'm use to music being constantly with me, recently, I've started to have a lot of paintings going through my head. At first I didn't understand what was going on, but I think the issue is that I really miss my painting class. I recently took a time out to save for all things holiday related (i.e. presents, flights, etc) and I honestly can't wait for the new year to roll around so that I can start again. I didn't realize just how much I enjoyed it until I no longer had that 2 hours to look forward to each week. I initially thought this was something I would go to the paint store, get some supplies and just tackle alone, but clearly that has not been the case. I think I'm still a little intimidated by it and want the eye (or maybe just reassurance) of someone who knows what they are doing.
This beautiful painting by South Africa artist Irma Stern(who I've blogged about before here) has been on repeat in my head as I contemplate how it was done - the various strokes, which layers came first, what things I would change if I were painting it and more. This is an entirely new feeling and experience for me. While I've always loved paintings, I just never thought about trying it out for myself until this summer. Now I look at paintings through such different lenses. I see how difficult an art painting is, how much dedication it requires (much like everything else in life), and how fun it can be.
When you think "Africa" and "tiles" (just in case this is something you think about often), your gut instinct will usually lead you to think of Moroccan/Tunisian tiles as just about everyone and their mother loves their designs. While it's difficult to argue with a classic beauty, I'd like to expand your geographic tile pool all the way south of the Sahara to include these ridiculously awesome tiles by Southern Art Ceramic Designs that I discovered via Elle Decoration.
There are so many of them to love. I'm particularly drawn to the Flora Moda category. The bright, colorful designs bring out instant cheer and even though the designs are complex, they give off a simple vibe that I'm lovely. My hot-minute of ceramics reminds me that these may be pretty but it's no easy feat. All those colors and patterns take a load of effort and a "I'm so in the zone" type of patience.
In addition to loving the Flora Moda collection, I really love these Blue Boat tiles which would obviously be perfect in the bathroom to help brew or maintain any nautical fantasies.
These Classic Filigree tiles are also a favorite of mine, especially the soft pink tones against the gray and black. I can't decide where in my fantasy house I would put these....
Do you have any fun tiles in your home? Which of their gazillion categories are your favorites? Where would you put these tiles if you could?
One of the most exciting events currently taking place on the continent this week is the 8th edition of Bamako Encounters - African Photography Biennial. Held every two years since 1994, this edition kicked off on Saturday (November 7th) in Bamako, Mali and continues for an entire month. The entire event focuses on African photography and provides a venue for over 100 photographers from all over the continent (including those that live abroad) to meet, exchange ideas and experiences and showcase their work to the world. The schedule is packed with workshops, portfolio reviews, workshops and tons of outreach activities to draw in the local community. To this end, the events will take place throughout the entire city and especially in neighborhoods that make it easy for locals to attend.
This year, the theme of the event is "Borders." As the curators explain:
"In Africa more than anywhere else, the co-curators explain, borders are a complex issue, whether artificial lines designed by men or natural barriers. The biennial proposes to explore this question and look at how borders affect peoples, identity, religion, territories, economical resources, sociopolitical contexts, movement and displacement."
Even though I am clearly not in attendance, this is definitely the place I'd most like to be right now. I have discovered so many amazing photographers through this event and I just love being able to share them with you so I hope you continue to come back and see all that photography from Africa has to offer!
I came across these wonderful pictures by Italian photographer Alessandro and I was immediately transported to the shores of the Seychelles. I could immediately feel the setting sun on my face, hear the waves gently lapping against the shore, and me sitting there enjoying the scene. I have never been to the Seychelles, but Alessandro's pictures certainly make this one of the places I definitely want to visit.
How was your weekend?? I had a great time this weekend. I went down to Chapel Hill, N.C. to hang out with a friend who is about to drop a sprog so this was the last hurray before the full motherhood business comes into effect for her. I got to hang out with her as well as another friend I hadn't seen in over 4 years. One of the highlights of the weekend was a pre-game (UNC v. Duke) concert by The Gravy Boys. The weather was absolutely perfect and for 3 hours we just sat and listened to this amazing group play "Acoustic Americana" songs (lots of bluegrass, country, and covers of the likes of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash). I had taken both my Nikon and my polaroid so I found myself snapping away the entire time. It got to the point where this lady actually asked if I was a professional photographer (insert wild laughter here)! I am really looking forward to seeing how the pictures turn out later this week!
One of the easiest things to do when one lives in the city is to get so overwhelmed by all the options of things to do that instead of actually going out and doing them, you get caught in a rot of theroutine. As any urbanite can easily tell you, the first week of each month usually has some special event happening in the city. D.C., in a flex-my-medium-city-muscle move, has First Thursdays at the Phillips Collection. In addition to wonderful lectures about current exhibits, cruising the rooms of a major gallery "after hours," and being trusted to sip wine while looking at an El Greco, first Thursdays features great music and last night was my lucky night as both the live music and the DJ were jamming African beats.
In the auditorium, the D.C. based group Chopteeth were on stage jamming their hearts out. This 14-member band focuses on Afrofunk music coming out of 1970s West Africa. Needless to say they were awesome! While there were a few conservatives actually sitting down in the auditorium seats, people were dancing in the aisles and having a great time.
After dancing with Chopteeth for a while, I had to dash to catch the rest of the art work. While its feels very counterintuitive to pay for a museum in Washington, D.C., this museum is oh-so-worthy so I wanted to see as much as I could. I eventually ended up in the music room with DJ Todd Threats was mixing up the Ghana Soundz album (yeah…a real live album, not iPod). Mingling around sipping wine with beats like this in the foreground….I’m sooo all for this! Can’t wait to see what they bring in December.
Are there any great music events happening in your city/town/village this weekend??
Thanks so much for joining me here this week!! Hope you have a great weekend!
I've had Kenyan artist Rosemary Karuga on my mind for a few days now so I'm really glad that Thursday has finally rolled around for me to share her with you! Whenever I think of collages, I think back to my early years in art classes and mine were definitely now gallery worthy like these!
These are so intricate and stunning that it's often difficult to believe this is actually paper!! I would love to get up close and see some of the clippings that she uses! You can find more about Karuga's work at Contemporary African Art Gallery.
How is this acrylic on canvas? It feels like someone out of digital art, but lo and behold, it's actually Algerian painter Tahar Boukeroui just doing what he does best. It honestly just leaves me breathless!
I know - ridiculously stunning! You can check out more photographs by Jarin Blaschke via flickr as well as through his website. 
In addition to loving the 
