After a lengthy drive in Frida the van (because she has a gaffa tape 'mono-brow' like Kahlo) , we slept peacefully in the Shippon, a former cattle shed, and our collective studio for the next two weeks.
Day one - we explored the site. The place is overrun with rabbits, in nearly every direction you see them scurry away. Alice is temped to trap one so we can eat rabbit pie.
Day one - we explored the site. The place is overrun with rabbits, in nearly every direction you see them scurry away. Alice is temped to trap one so we can eat rabbit pie.
We also ventured out for supplies to Ambleside, the nearest town which is dominated by outdoor clothing shops, hikers and cafes. In the van I read Kurt Schwitter's life story out-loud to Alice. We were pleased to return to our humble abode and could see why Schwitter's would settle here.
I admire the resourcefulness and resilience with which Schwitter's made his work. When he was forced to flee, as he was from Germany and Norway (twice), its understandable that he counteracted that by making Merzbauten, artworks that were literally attached to their architectural surroundings. Be it a shed in Cumbria, a basement flat in Oslo, a hut on a Norwegian island, or his parents house in Hanover. Schwitters invested his artistic skills heavily into his environments, despite their temporality. Its interesting that his concepts still carry. He planned to take a Merzbau to MoMA in New York, "a moveable and infinitely expandable idea" (from the Merz Barn info leaflet).
This reminds me of Gesamtkunstwerk "translated as total work of art, ideal work of art, universal artwork, synthesis of the arts, comprehensive artwork, all-embracing art form or total artwork" (Wiki), confirming my suspicion that life=art / art=life, they are inseparable.
We also made the link between Kurt Schwitter's Ursonate poem and Sue Tompkins who I mentioned in the previous post. We are winding up our evening listening to her now dis-banded group Life Without Buildings.
-Laurie
I admire the resourcefulness and resilience with which Schwitter's made his work. When he was forced to flee, as he was from Germany and Norway (twice), its understandable that he counteracted that by making Merzbauten, artworks that were literally attached to their architectural surroundings. Be it a shed in Cumbria, a basement flat in Oslo, a hut on a Norwegian island, or his parents house in Hanover. Schwitters invested his artistic skills heavily into his environments, despite their temporality. Its interesting that his concepts still carry. He planned to take a Merzbau to MoMA in New York, "a moveable and infinitely expandable idea" (from the Merz Barn info leaflet).
This reminds me of Gesamtkunstwerk "translated as total work of art, ideal work of art, universal artwork, synthesis of the arts, comprehensive artwork, all-embracing art form or total artwork" (Wiki), confirming my suspicion that life=art / art=life, they are inseparable.
We also made the link between Kurt Schwitter's Ursonate poem and Sue Tompkins who I mentioned in the previous post. We are winding up our evening listening to her now dis-banded group Life Without Buildings.
-Laurie