Monthly Archives: November 2015

Having No Goal

Posted on by Bill Chance

“When someone seeks,” said Siddhartha, “then it easily happens that his eyes see only the thing that he seeks, and he is able to find nothing, to take in nothing because he always thinks only about the thing he is seeking, because he has one goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal.”
― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha

Buddha Liu Yonggang, Chinese, b. 1964 China, 2013 Painted Steel Crow Collection of Asian Art Dallas, Texas

Buddha
Liu Yonggang, Chinese, b. 1964
China, 2013
Painted Steel
Crow Collection of Asian Art
Dallas, Texas

Depth Of Field

Posted on by Bill Chance

“Her life with others no longer interests him. He wants only her stalking beauty, her theatre of expressions. He wants the minute secret reflection between them, the depth of field minimal, their foreignness intimate like two pages of a closed book.”
― Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient

Crow Collection of Asian Art Sculpture Garden Dallas, Texas

Crow Collection of Asian Art
Sculpture Garden
Dallas, Texas

Crow Collection of Asian Art

Crow Collection of Asian Art Sculpture Garden Dallas, Texas

Crow Collection of Asian Art
Sculpture Garden
Dallas, Texas

What is the plural of ‘Pegasus?’

Posted on by Bill Chance

What is the plural of ‘Pegasus?’

Mark A. Mandel, linguist (i.e., language scientist and researcher), PhD in linguistics

The original was Greek, but we adopted it in English in the Latin form, ending in -us, not the Greek -os. So we use “pegasi”, not “*pegasoi”. We can and do also use “pegasuses”, as we say “campuses” and “calluses”: Eunji Choi is right about expressions like “the Mickey Mouses of the world”, but that’s not relevant here: “pegasus”, like “atlas” and “medusa”, is proper only in origin.

Pegasi Downtown Dallas Texas

Pegasi
Downtown Dallas
Texas

The Soft Wind Carried the Moment Away

Posted on by Bill Chance

Over the hill and across the ford and down by the meadow gate
May her days be many, her days be few,
The dream of the maiden will never come true.
For the soft wind carried the moment away,
And the birds they sang, but they would not stay
By the meadow gate.
—-Kate Chopin, By The Meadow Gate, last stanza

By The Meadow Gate

Again In The Meadow James Surls 2002, Steel, Paint Hall Sculpture Garden Dallas, Texas

Again In The Meadow
James Surls
2002, Steel, Paint
Hall Sculpture Garden
Dallas, Texas

Unthinkable Complexity

Posted on by Bill Chance

“Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts… A graphic representation of data abstracted from banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding…”
― William Gibson, Neuromancer

One of the nice things about travelling around the… well, around… looking at sculptures is when you find stuff by sculptors you’ve seen before – and especially when you’ve done entries on them.

At the new Hall Sculpture Garden at the side of the new KMPG Plaza Building in the Arts District I found Stainless Internet by George Tobolowsky. His work is scattered around the Metroplex – including two at the Irving Arts Center:
It’s a Slam Dunk
and
Square Deal #2
Take a look at them – compare and contrast.

The Stainless Internet George Tobolowsky 2015, Stainless Steel Hall Sculpture Garden Dallas, Texas

The Stainless Internet
George Tobolowsky
2015, Stainless Steel
Hall Sculpture Garden
Dallas, Texas

The Stainless Internet (Detail) George Tobolowsky 2015, Stainless Steel Hall Sculpture Garden Dallas, Texas

The Stainless Internet (Detail)
George Tobolowsky
2015, Stainless Steel
Hall Sculpture Garden
Dallas, Texas

A Consolation For the Weary

Posted on by Bill Chance

“In the squares and in the streets we are placing our work convinced that art must not remain a sanctuary for the idle, a consolation for the weary, and a justification for the lazy. Art should attend us everywhere that life flows and acts.”
—-Vladimir Tatlin

Tatlin's Sentinel John Henry 2001, Yellow Painted Steel Dallas, Texas

Tatlin’s Sentinel
John Henry
2001, Painted Yellow Steel
Dallas, Texas

A well-placed large sculpture by John Henry. I like the title – I’ve always been a fan of Tatlin’s Tower – someone should build one of those – a real big-ass version.

Make Me One With Everything

Posted on by Bill Chance

“Said Buddha to the hot dog vendor, “make me one with everything.”
― New York Magazine

Outside of Wild About Harry's Deep Ellum Dallas Texas

Outside of Wild About Harry’s
Deep Ellum
Dallas Texas

I’ve always had a soft spot for Wild About Harry’s – the local frozen custard mini-chain. They used to have a location in San Antonio, above the Riverwalk (now closed). Years ago, I was wandering the Riverwalk in a sad funk full of Holly Golightly Mean Reds and I stopped by Wild About Harry’s for a frozen custard and it made me feel better. Thank goodness for small mercies.

Now there is a branch opened in Deep Ellum, and it is good. If you need a little pickmeup, be sure and stop by.

Don’t let the scary hotdog man near the door frighten you away.

Radio Antenna Hot Dog Man - I don't remember where I took this.

Radio Antenna Hot Dog Man – I don’t remember where I took this.

Tears Were Warm, And Girls Were Beautiful, Like Dreams

Posted on by Bill Chance

“Even so, there were times I saw freshness and beauty. I could smell the air, and I really loved rock ‘n’ roll. Tears were warm, and girls were beautiful, like dreams. I liked movie theaters, the darkness and intimacy, and I liked the deep, sad summer nights.”
― Haruki Murakami, Dance Dance Dance

Monco Poncho and Fans Four Bullets Brewery Richardson, Texas

Monco Poncho and Fans
Four Bullets Brewery
Richardson, Texas