I’ve learned a lot about these ceramic traditions on my trip to Athens, and they’re really special. A little historical background: these were the two cultures that preceded and most heavily influenced Classical Athenian culture. The Cyclades are a flock of Aegean islands fenced in by Greece, Turkey, and Crete, the mythical home of theContinue reading “Ceramics Saturdays: Mycenean and Cycladean Wares”
Author Archives: mourningdove
Athens Day Three: Aristotle, Dough Balls, and Lots of Vases
Technically this was Day Four of Athens, but we spent Day Three almost entirely at the conference. The presentations were interesting overall: my favorite was by Kent Chan, who works on Euro-American ideas of “The Tropics” and considers stereotypes about heat in his video installation for Weather Engines, “Heat Waves.” Sightseeing Day Three started offContinue reading “Athens Day Three: Aristotle, Dough Balls, and Lots of Vases”
Day Two in Athens: The Agora and Ancient Greek Technology
After a quick breakfast at our corner taverna, Taia, we hopped on the tram for a winding trip from Kassomouli to Syntagma through the National Botanical Garden. From there, we walked through Plaka–both really touristy and really beautiful, with jewel-box Byzantine chapels and crumbling villas tucked at the end of alleys–to the Roman Agora. WeContinue reading “Day Two in Athens: The Agora and Ancient Greek Technology”
First Day in Athens: Anchovies and the Acropolis
I’m here in Athens tagging along with my colleague Birgit, who’s presenting at a really cool project called Weather Engines at the Onassis Stegi art center. The exhibition collects various interpretations by multimedia artists of the factors that drive weather–human and nonhuman, and Birgit is one of the scholars making presentations that help put theContinue reading “First Day in Athens: Anchovies and the Acropolis”
German Game of the Week: Bildergalerie-Solitaire
I learned a new form of solitaire from my colleague Birgit last week while we were in Spreewald. It’s fun and not too hard to win: you just have to make sure not to fill up all the open spots in a row if there are any cards already down that belong in that rowContinue reading “German Game of the Week: Bildergalerie-Solitaire”
Aikido and Rhetoric: Diplomacy
All life is a manifestation of the spirit, the manifestation of love. And the Art of Peace is the purest form of that principle. A warrior is charged with bringing a halt to all contention and strife. Universal love functions in many forms; each manifestation should be allowed free expression. The Art of Peace isContinue reading “Aikido and Rhetoric: Diplomacy”
People Gardening
So at around 10:10 am every weekday morning, the caretakers at a nearby nursery school pull a wagon stuffed full of adorable toddlers past my kitchen window on the way to the park playground. There are 4 toddlers on each side of the red wagon, facing each other and holding on to a yellow gripContinue reading “People Gardening”
Mask Lift
I’m going to kind of miss wearing a mask when we finally can stop doing it: it covers at least 60% of the evidence of my actual age!
Field-Trip Fridays: End of Spreewald Week
We finished up our retreat in Spreewald yesterday, so I’m at last posting the pics I took with my real camera. Friday night we paid a final visit to Schloss Lübbenau, built in the 19th century on the site of the family seat of one Count von Lynar or another since the 17th century. MostContinue reading “Field-Trip Fridays: End of Spreewald Week”
Ostereier, etc.
The Zorbish folks here get seriously into Easter. They have a tradition of making beautiful Easter eggs using techniques including batik-dying, etching, and embossing. Back in the day, these used to be presented to feudal landlords as tribute–decorated on Good Friday to be eaten on Easter Sunday. But now they’re blown out and kept asContinue reading “Ostereier, etc.”
The Rookery 