THE SMALL ISLAND OF THE PARISii

THe small island of the Parisii refers to the founding of Paris. The Parisii were a tribe of Celts that settled on the small Island “ Ile de la Cité”  on the Seine River.

  From a physical perspective, it has a number of key advantages. One, it’s a forge in the river and these places are very advantageous to hunting. Animals tend to congregate in these areas to cross the river and because of vegetation . Two, it is a great defensive position. Thirdly, logistically it has a number of advantages. Again to cross the river and then to travel down the river for trade and commerce . Finally, Paris grew out wards from this small island. Paris’ from the larger perspective is at a crossroads of both water and land routes significant not only to France but also to Europe . Further, Paris is positioned at the centre of the Île-de-France region, which is crossed by the Seine, Oise, and Marne rivers. The city is ringed with great forests of beech and oak; they are called the “lungs of Paris,” for they help to purify the air . Most curious , at one time these forests where thought to have magical powers and they were feared.

During Julius Caesars campaign , the Romans historians wrote that Caesors men came to him fearing the forests. The Celts were making much of the forest being dangerous to intimidate the Roman soldiers. It is here where Caesar made one of his famous sayings, let them believe what they want. He said it was such conviction and confidence, he inspired his men to victory.

Curiously, it optimized Ceasor . Ceasor was unusually gifted for his rational mind, as well as his keen insight in to human nature. He was a leader par excellance ; this speach was everything about him and was pivital in his career . Futher and most curious, it was a vague omen of Napolean who had much in common with Ceasor; their personalities and events in there lives somewhat over lap. In my poinion, they both hatched  their fatal flows, there, ( their "acheles heals" ) in this area.

Napoean declaired himself emporor and had the pope crown him in Notre Dame and it was here where Ceasor begain to think of himself as a God. In essence, their arrogance got the better of them and lead to their demise.

Even futher, if you will entertain, much like the Myth of the judgemnt of Paris where in Paris seduced  Helen away from her family and caused war;  Both Ceasor and Napolean seduced their people and took them to war. Both agences of love or demonic force, curious. 

So what a great center , from a small island  protected on all sides by the Seine river and then a magical forest.

Metaphysically, the  Ile de la Cité has quite a story . I strongly feel it has been over looked do to Christian and provincial beliefs .

I believe it is far from random that  the eastern end of the Île de la Cité  where cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris now stands has been over the years valued for it’s spiritual nature.

For me , this site is one of the most interesting and quirky centers on Earth.

which is situated on a spot that Parisians have always reserved for the practice of religious rites. The Gallo-Roman boatmen of the cité erected their altar to Jupiter there (it is now in the city's Museum of the Middle Ages), and, when Christianity was established, a church was built on the temple site. 

Right underneath Notre Dame, they are repeatedly digging up traces of ancient inhabitance . It is known that there are layer after layer of temples built on top of one another.

Most curious, it is known that the ancients had a practice of locating on sights they felt had special powers. And this is more than convincing to me, you can feel the energy there. Not just for its beauty which is abundantly clear, there is a nexus of many things. Logically, it makes complete sense, it is overwhelmingly beautiful and historically it is ground zero. All the major events have crossed through this area. All this is not random, and for me , it is very symbolic.

In the larger picture , Paris is the city of love. Art is love and love is art. The city radiates romance the fumes and warmth of love. It always insures every thing about art , love and culture. It is my favorite city. My favorite cite and building is Notre Dame. And most symbolically, it says so much about my passions and life. My fascination with ancient cultures, love for art, history and architecture . For me, it is my Vatican and symbolically it reflects my life and beliefs so much more than anything else. As for my past, it represents everything I like. Having grown up as a Catholic, it reflects me so much more than the Vatican. The Vatican represents everything I don’t like about the the Catholic church , culture and history in general. Notre dame reflects everything I like.

Notre Dame is not contrived by art, it is art in itself. The Vatican is contrived by art and everything that is contrived.

The ancient Roman saying goes,

Cupid dislikes beauty contrived by art.

Notre Dame is so real!

6 am

4.30.11

BACK GROUND STORY :

These girls were very young, probably 14 or 15, what was unusual, both survived and had babies at the same time. It wasn't uncommon for mothers to die giving birth, especially young mothers. This was of particular interest to Leonardo Da Vinci, who was most interested in women as creators.

Interestingly enough, At this time, Leonardo was discovering evolution ; at the time, this was very intuitive.

South of Florence, Leonardo was discovering fossils on hiking trips. This generated  much thought. He was far too bright to dismiss the evidence en-light of the times where  in the dominate belief was Creationism;  curious, it was at this time he was doing his dissections of corps in the morgue ; this was unheard of and very risky ; and that of women, both very heretical  and if convicted he would burn at the stake . 

It is said, he was so curious, he couldn’t resist entering dark, deep caves south of Florence ; at the time, people were terrified of dark caves and his hiking partners refused to join him . In one of these caves he found the remains of an ancient whale. 

What I know of him, it was impossible for him to get it out of his mind. It is likely it stirred in his subconscious mind.

I strongly believe it explains the mysterious, primordial background in the Mona Lisa which followed this drawing. Clearly, he used this setting to symbolized the creators, women. It is further speculated, he admired and was so fascinated by women, he imagined himself as one. You have to understand, his powers of observation and thus empathy where super human. The power of his imagination could almost place him in side his subjects, so when he studied a subject, it is no mystery he basically digested them.

As a side note, Leonardo Da Vinci was known for being very attractive and charming; from the descriptions, of a feminine nature . I doubt modern speculation that her was gay, possibly bisexual. Do to the mores at the time and who he was, access to women was rare. There was suspicions of artist and this kept them away

 from women .

PLACING YOU THERE :

Imagine the scene, you’re the artist and across the plaza their are two teenage women with infants on their laps. It is a beautiful spring morning. Springs were very special in those days. They symbolized survival and birth much more than today. The sky is an angelic, crisp ,  light blue. The morning mist and dew, the merchants stir and the pigeons wrestling starting their day looking for food. The sound of 16 century Italian spoken , very rough and provincial., hardly recognizable by modern Italians.

You’ve been up early walking the morning streets, looking for subjects and inspirations. Having been given a commission, you’re excited. So excited you’re up at the crack of down with a mission in mind.

It just can’t get better than this. The city seems to glow and the people are radiant . It seems like your catching each and every expression. Your mind has never been sharper, one painting pops out of your brain after another . Normally, it would be too much, but you have that calm and in your bones, you can feel it. Like a hunter, you know this day is special and your master piece is out there.

You turn the corner, and their they are,  feel the rush. A bit overwhelmed, you marvel at the two young mothers and their knowing, charming gaze of motherhood.

So many paintings in your mind,  but slowly they settle to one. Joy and motherly contemplation passing between them as their babies play on their laps.

What a magical expression?

Clearly etched in your mind, you go back to your studio and merrily transfer the painting so firmly in tour mind to canvas. So simple and effortless, it seemed too good, almost as if it’s divine.

Placing so the public can see, it is clear as day, the energy is frightening to many. It must be magic. It is too real. I new he was a sorcerer . But the overwhelming beauty and achievement pauses them subliminally, they are beguiled and it is so fitting for the day.

5 am

4.29.11

KR

FRANZ KLINE

FRANZ KLINE

~ an invitation to process

It’s not what you say,

it’s how you say it?

Franz Kline’s action painting is very much about the how you say it as apposed to the what you say.

The where,

when

&

why,

also fade too;

seemingly into a zen pond of now,

present tense clarity.

With a brush in your hand,

a heart beat & clear head,

what’s really going on?

You’re really inside yourself looking out.

How are you expressing yourself?

You will notice again,

and again,

as if looking through a microscope at each and every action,

there is a universe of possibilities and often with in these,

Various patterns and relations emerge.

Much like jazz,

isn’t interesting how he did that,

Pure form ( way in which that happen )

and the what is really all that which I’ve just said impacting a canvass .

It is an elaborate traffic map or sign.

It is almost as if you can watch a instant replay of what the artist was doing .

It’s an invitation to process .

The meaning of the doing,

is in the process.

It is a very abstract question.

Ta Da,

Abstract expressionism,

in away replaying motion and emotions in motions which have sort of mathematical relationships .

They show up as graphic principles,

rhythm,

harmony,

and even cacophony .

This is different than traditional art and our western way of thinking,

which is,

litteral.

I am looking at a barn,

it is wood painted red and white.

I shall painted as I see it.

Yup, that sure is a barn.

Well I’ll be dammed,

he painted in the crack and the barn fly at the upper right corner.

A friend of mine had the saying:

There are are people that go to the Louvre to [ say ] they have seen the Mona Lisa and then there are people who go to actually see it.

One step further for me,

what was it like for this guy to paint the Mona Lisa,

can I put myself in his shies ?

As Im imagining,

do I care about the painting in the literal sense?

no,

by stroke,

Im mentally walking through this painting,

and that is what the Abstract expressionist what you to do.

Just have an emotional response,

as if you just heard a musical expression,

and it aesthetically pleased you.

6am

4.27.11

KR

THE THREE MYSTERIES OF ANCIENT EYGYPT 

Having emerged themselves deeply in Egypt ,

time and again, 

students have reemerged from Egypt saying they were from another planet.

AS if they reemerging from the black flowing backward dark and deep nile.

As the African saying goes,

it’s the dark , still water that drowns a man.

Baptism in the Nile,

may have had a very symbolic meaning.

Submerged in the nile and all it symbolize of Egypt,

it is very likely they sheered a sort of metaphysical skin.

The essence of rights of passage and Egypt was no doubt full of them.

Funny, and ironic, we know about the snake charmers of Egypt ,

their favorite snake. Further, the charmers secrete is to sync with the reptile. Further, the base of our brain, is reptilian and its echo,

it’s flame , smoke and more poetically,

innocent is the deep base of our subconscious. as if it stemmed from a base,

much like a ship. A ship flouting on mystery.

THE MYSTERIES 

One, 

the Nile River flows backward and floods. The Nile made life possible for the Egyptians  . Floods  , which happen regularly as if it were a long, expanding and contracting making life along it’s edges possible. We talk about the biblical floods, The Egyptians had these every year. As spices , we emerged from the sea. Such floods may have had something to do with this. Further, now we know, the universe was brine from the big bang; and how we know this, is by measuring the stars. The Egyptians knew this very well .

Two, 

the Egyptians worshiped the sun. The Egyptians build the Pyramid to keep this in mind. There worship of the sun and their severance for the Nile was right on the money. Spiritually , very grounded.

Most curious, the sun and Niles both fade into mystery . The Niles flows to the mystery of and Depth of Africa. Imagine the mysterious world of dark Africa at the time. Also, the Sun, where in the hell did it fade to. Their world had so much mystery.

Three,

The most prized color of the Egyptians was purple . THe ground sea shells into a purple dye and died their royal sails purple. It is likely their linen sails faded to a beautiful violet . Purple as a color gets more beautiful as it ages. Imagine these sails on the nail and in the Mediterranean  . Often retiring with exotic gifts brought back from other unknown cultures. Of then with very special guests.

Further,

Cleo part and the nobility like to use purple for there eyes and dress. Imagine what this subliminally suggested to Egyptians.

8am

4.22.11

KR 

Ptolemy ~ Mysterious

THE WINNERS WRITE THE HISTORY BOOKS

~ Napoleon wrote that and I think it is most telling. History has a way of magnify leaders at the expense of others. Napoleon and many leaders were great men but they also had many great helpers.

On person I question allot is Alexander the Great, he strikes me as a glory hog. Much like Custer, a brilliant field general, but ruthless and there isn’t much said about his circumstances.

Alexanders Father Phillip 2 was a very successful leader who devoted a very good army. Alexander adopted all this and have very, very good officers and generals. Also, a very seasoned and great army.  From what I’ve read of Alexander, his demeanor and words, it seems we really over estimate him. The Persians called him the devil for what he did to them. He was very, very violent and without remorse. He strikes me much like Custer, an egomaniac who actually killed his friends. He drove his army into the ground and the reason why they turned back in India was because his army was about to rebel.

There is allot of evidence that Alexander benefitted from his advisors.  The myth that he was completely independent is very questionable. What you saw on the battle field is one thing, but in private completely different. Greek men were known for being so close to other men that they had gay relationships. I think it is very likely that Alexander reasoned and thought out his strategies with an inner circle and then took all the credit. Alexander was a great doer and executed plans very well, but I think her hand much better thinkers in his inner circle.

It makes complete sense that Ptolemy was a master thinker who knew how play Greek leaders. Much like Aristotle  , who taught Alexander they knew how to keep a low profile and how to pass on their ideas without resistance and appearing threatening .  The greek leaders were known to have radar for threats and the really smart Greek thinkers new this in most cases. The thinkers that didn't obey this unspoken law ended up dead like Socrates. History is full of thinkers who operated from the shadows for good reason.

In sum, there isn’t a whole lot that speaks of Alexander as that deep of a thinker, but one of his famed generals Ptolemy who took over Egypt there is much evidence that he was very bright.

One of Alexanders most clever moves was to  incorporate the cultures he conquered into he Greek culture as soon as possible . To basically, fuze the two cultures. This lines up as With Ptolemy perfectly. It is why Ptolemy established  a very successful dynasty in Egypt. Alexander on the other hand, was the complete opposite and if it was left to Alexander, his control wouldn't have lasted long over the people. It would have been a matter of time until they rebelled, but given he immediately changed his way and gained their loyalty it is why they remained in control.  This has Ptolemys finger prints all over it.

Ptolemy 1 founded The Ptolemaic dynasty  Egypt for 300 years and was the most important, in it's influence upon the civilisations of the world, of all the kingdoms which owed their origins to the conquests of Alexander the Great.

We all know about Cleopatra , she was part of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

I don’’t think it is ransom that Ptolemy inherited Egypt. That is exactly what a great mind would want.  Further, it most curious that Ptolemy’s influence on Alexander is not that well known, but I think he had a bigger influence than we think.

So , when Historians and cultures point the finger at some one and call them great, look closer and at where the other finger are pointing. 

7am

4.23.11