Friends of the Armchair Traveller

Urban Renewal II from Wheeler Winston Dixon on Vimeo . Many thanks Wheeler, pt

While I was chatting with my friend Darko about the visual patterns created by variations of frequency, he mentioned  Tan Dun , a Chinese composer who works with water sounds. Here's what Darko wrote: "Tan Dun's compositional origins reach toward traditional ritualistic washings and later (we may call it cultivised) so called "theatrical, public washings" and that is main reason he uses natural elements as instruments (water, paper and stones) with pseudo shamanic motions behind the scenes and incorporating some of classical Chinese string instruments into his arragements.  The piece I attended during one of Zagreb's musical biennales was his opera "Marco Polo" , a hard to "swallow" modernistic extravaganza with deep poliitcal background. After Chen Kaige's movies  (e.g., "Farewell My Concubine", 1993) Tan Dun's theatrical work is, in my opinion, the most relevant "high culture" connection between China and ...

 Another offering from AEON which surprised me. I hope you also find it surprising.                                                                               I sent the following to our friend Ian Gibbins: The video on waves was big news for me Ian, but possibly old news for you? However I would still like to hear your comments on that piece. You may know of some which take it further? And this is what came back from Ian: "The video is really good - but that underlying phenomenon has been well known for ages. The original versions used metal plates with sand or salt on them and then the edges of the plates were bowed with a violin bow or tapped lightly with a mallet or whatever.  The pattern of the vibrations is determined primarily by the resonant properties of the plate , or in ...

Some months ago I posted some items about Maggie Grout and her visionary project “Thinking Huts” . I first came across Maggie’s story via the Smithsonian Magazine. Since that time the enterprise to create a “printed” school in Madagascar has progressed to the actual building stage. This morning I received the following pics and information from Maggie: Hi Peter, The good news is that we will be completing the school in the second half of February! The printer will be on the cargo ship next month to arrive on time. So far we have raised about 200k and recently completed laying the foundation. Now we are cargo shipping the printer to Madagascar with an expected arrival in February so that we can begin printing the school in the second half of the month.     We expect to have completed the school in March 2022. Community volunteers will paint a mural that features gold elements and natural leaves. By then I hope we can travel and see the construction in person. We are current...

This article from the Smithsonian Magazine is all about excavation in the Middle East, particularly referring to the time of King David and his wise son Solomon. https://www.smithsonianmag. com/history/archaeological- dig-reignites-debate-old- testament-historical-accuracy- 180979011/?utm_source= smithsoniandaily&utm_medium= email&utm_campaign=20211116- daily-responsive&spMailingID= 45952087&spUserID= ODExMTAyNDM4MTIyS0&spJobID= 2121870389&spReportId= MjEyMTg3MDM4OQS2 It brings into question much that I've thought about since the age of 15, especially concerning the historical accuracy or inaccuracy of the BIBLE, the great book upon which people who give evidence in court swear to tell "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth". Here's a map of all the areas where major civilisations "collapsed" during the period between 1200 and 1100 BC: The Smithsonian article raises many issues relating to the   truth of any historical ...

The other day I received this new work from Darko who many of our friends know from our Facebook connections. Darko has recently been banned for life by the Facebook algorithm.    Darko Duilo - Marija, Marina, Martina (2021) While I was running the "Armchair Traveller" on FB Darko was a prolific contributor to our site, in every way, with his own striking images, with films by others which he suggested to us, and for his hugely intelligent commentary on many occasions. Now he has found a home on this blog and he will not be censored! Here are a few words which Darko sent me which may provide you with some points of reference: "It could be said that this work was primarily inspired by the classic psychoanalytic novel "The Three Faces of Eve" (1957) by the American psychiatrist Corbett H. Thigpen. At the end of the same year director Nunnally Johnson shot a visually impressive mystery drama feature film based on that book.  I brought the  demons of  connection d...

  Max Cooper's "Myth"   images by Susi Sie There’s an irony at the core of the Berlin-based artist Susi Sie’s work. Starting from a macroscopic scale – that is, just barely visible to the naked human eye – she builds scenes imbued with a breathtaking grandiosity, immersing audiences in the surreal landscapes that materialise when the Universe’s fine details are brought into human view. Eschewing digital effects, her films find beauty and wonder in the often mysterious nature of reality, and especially that which is often hiding just beneath the surface. Myth   conjures the cloud patterns of some unknown world, melding swirls of black, white, and vibrant shades of red that, at times, mimic blood moving under a microscope.  Myth   is part of a larger  project  from the London-based electronica composer and producer Max Cooper titled  Emergence  (2016). A work at the intersection of science, music and visual art, the audiovisual concept album ...

  Collages "Disquietude" “Over the moon” "Powerlines" “Too late” "Castles in the sand"

Very funny commercials from Swedish director Roy Andersson (auteur of We, The Living ).

  Some of you may already have seen it via Facebook. Burberry - Open Spaces / Dir. Megaforce from MEGAFORCE on Vimeo .