The beauty of Islamic patterns

Have you seen these pictures of the beautiful details and stunning light effects of the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Iran? What an amazing space, and the ambiance seems wonderful for celebrating one's faith, or just taking some time to be introspective. It reminded me of a mosque I visited over a decade ago now while on a cruise. We were lucky enough to have a stop in Casablanca where I got to visit the Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in the country! The top picture was taken of me in the courtyard. The scale was very impressive, as you can see from this picture:

What is harder to see in this picture is the beautiful and intricate designs found all over this building, both inside and out. You can see some of the tile work better here (that was a group of school boys we found taking a break on their way to school in the morning).

Typically, Islamic art focuses on the depiction of patterns and Arabic calligraphy, rather than on depictions of people. Apparently many Muslims feel that depictions of humans is a form of idolatry and therefore forbidden by God. I actually studied Medieval Art in college so I love my strange, flat, stylized depictions of people in religious art from that period. But in Casablanca I fell in love with both the simplicity and the complexity of Islamic religious art and it's lack of people. The patterns are mesmerizing on their own but when you put them together in a room the beauty is exponential. There is something about the effect that does allow you to become absorbed, like it creates a different world to inhabit. In this way the designs are well-suited to a religious space where I assume people want to take time to reflect and look inward.

What's the future of opera?

While I am not a "music person", being married to a composer means I know a lot of people who are passionate about music and involved in it professionally. This last weekend I found myself at a dinner party hosted by a librettist and an photographic artist, and attended by two composers, a retired opera director, and an architectural writer (I was the only one there not in "the arts"). It was a great evening and there was lots of wonderful discussion around art and the nature of being an artist (my favorite quote of the evening: "It's an art trench not a war trench"). But the conversation naturally made it's way to opera and the future of this particular art form. 

Do you enjoy opera? Have you ever seen one? We were lucky enough to have a connection at the LA Opera and through them we were able to score some tickets to two wonderful operas. I loved them but understand why they aren't everyone's thing. For me, the music was beautiful, the costumes and set design stunning, and the skill of the performers mesmerizing. But they do tend to be long, and the stories aren't very modern, and tickets tend to be very expensive. The cost is one of the big problems in opera at the moment. It costs a lot to put on an opera so the tickets to see an opera are expensive. But, this restricts the viewership and makes opera something only for the elite. In this way opera's business model is not sustainable and therefore opera is in a crisis.

But there is hope. The Metropolitan Opera has tried to make their performances more accessible by doing HD broadcasts into movie theaters. And D and I went to the incredible "Invisible Cities" performance here in LA. It was amazing. It was an opera, but performed at our train station while it was open and in use. And the whole performance was mobile: the singers were placed throughout the station, often in modern garb so they blended in until they started performing, and viewers wore headsets that allowed them to walk through the station and come upon various scenes being played out. It was self directed and it that way was very immersive. And juxtaposing the music against the happenings of a major train station at 8pm on a Friday night was unique. It has forever changed the way I look at Union Station.

Invisible Cities was a new and modern take on opera. The cost to put on the performance was less than if they had done it in the opera house, the ticket cost was affordable, and it was interesting to all sorts of people (those new to opera and hard-core opera fans). If opera can continue to move in this direction I think it will have a chance.

Image of Invisible Cities performance via.

Inspired movement

I love dance in all it's forms. Ever since I was a kid watching musicals I have found it to be a beautiful and engaging form of expression. It can be fun or serious, dramatic or subtle. And employed well it can certainly be moving.

That's why I love the work of the art troupe WIFE. I was lucky enough to meet the founders of the troupe here in LA a few years ago before they formed their group, and I have been eagerly following their careers ever since. The first WIFE piece I had exposure to was their video for a piece called "The Grey Ones" (the top video). It's such a simple idea, using projections on bodies, but executed so well that I find it completely beautiful and intoxicating. They have done a live version as well and I would so love to see it performed in-person! One of their more recent collaborations is on a video for The Acid which you can watch below. Another simple concept that they manage to make spellbinding.

With our current culture of over-stimulation and immediate access to everything so much can feel derivative. What I love about WIFE is that their work feels genuine and unique. It's a modern take on dance and art that seems to focus on creating an experience for the viewer. For me, watching their work means being taken on an emotional journey. And isn't that one of the goals of art?

LACMA: An LA favorite

Walking through the Urban Light exhibit

This last weekend we visited one of my favorite places in Los Angeles: LACMA. It's a wonderful museum that has so much to offer, especially for a family with a little one. The Pepper loved it! We started the day with lunch (and drinks) at Ray's, a restaurant and bar with lovely outdoor seating. One of the best parts was that they have lounge seating so we were able to secure a nice big couch for the Pepper to crawl all over and roll-around on. She even flirted with some older boys (5 year olds) that were eating with their family on the other side of the couch.

This installation is something I knew would be fun for everyone. At first the Pepper was a little overwhelmed by being surrounded by all the long yellow things. But she then embraced it and walked all the way through to the other side.

The elevator at the BCAM (modern art wing) of LACMA is pretty amazing. It's huge! And a bit slow. But at least they give you something interesting to look at while you wait.

I'm a Richard Serra fan and it's always a treat to get to walk around this piece. I love that the museum gave it it's own gallery as the it allows you to enjoy the space and movement that Serra was exploring.

After exploring some more galleries we of course had to take a walk under the infamous Levitated Mass. I personally find this piece a little underwhelming but from eavesdropping on other visitors many people do get a thrill from walking underneath such a large suspended object.

It was such a lovely day. And we only experienced a small part! I want to come back for the James Turrell exhibit before it's over, and revisit the Medieval art collection which I haven't see in years. And we didn't have time to visit the Calder sculptures on this trip. But we'll certainly be back soon!