From Vampires to Martinis
Quote de jour
"Why don't you get out of that wet coat and into a dry martini?"
~Robert Benchley
A reader asked me where I got my blog ideas from. A simple question but the answer is more complicated. It got me thinking about my creative process which led to more thinking. Since this blog is a visual diary of my interior and exterior life, I decided to show an example of the process. I'd heard about two museum exhibits on fashion with intriguing titles: Seduction and Gothic: Dark Glamour, both at FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology) http://www.fitnyc.edu/ in New York City. For some photos of the exhibit and back story, please visit my favorite blogger of the New York social scene, David Patrick Columbia and his New York Social Diary http://newyorksocialdiary.com/node/32724
First step of creative process: relentless reading. Second step: Experiencing/photographing/note taking. Third Step: Ruminating, editing, writing, tweaking, hand-wringing, posting. Forth step: repeat steps 1, 2 & 3.
The Seduction exhibit on the ground floor displayed a historical overview from Victorian times to the present. More nice than naughty and not earth shattering. I almost wondered whether it was worth climbing down the stairs to the Dark Glamour exhibit. Oh yeah, baby, Hades here we come. I opened the door into a dark crypt-like space. It took a while for my eyes to adjust and then they widened in delight. Alas, no cameras were allowed to capture the brilliantly executed, nightmarish mise-en-scene space of niches, grottoes and iron cemetery fence enclosures. Zombie-like mannequins wearing high end goth fashions in black, black and more black with splashes f red. Two-way mirrors, curio cabinets of the bizarre and exotic accessories like skull and bones jewelry in moody lighting would stir the imagination of any writer. You can be sure I filed away some images for future scenes in novels, but you won't catch me wearing black lipstick anytime soon.
The FIT students get to design some display windows in the same building. My visit to the Gothic exhibit no doubt influenced my photography of a students display.
Before you could say Dracula, I felt an urge to visit my favorite local cemetery to capture a Gothic flavor of my own.
Then I went grocery shopping and bought a jar of garlic-stuffed olives, which led to inventing a new martini... It wasn't much of a stretch to go from Goth, vampires, garlic to cocktails. That's how it my brain works. It's a never-ending fun house of ideas. Someone once asked me if I ever get bored. I laughed. I've never been bored. Ever.
"Why don't you get out of that wet coat and into a dry martini?"
~Robert Benchley
A reader asked me where I got my blog ideas from. A simple question but the answer is more complicated. It got me thinking about my creative process which led to more thinking. Since this blog is a visual diary of my interior and exterior life, I decided to show an example of the process. I'd heard about two museum exhibits on fashion with intriguing titles: Seduction and Gothic: Dark Glamour, both at FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology) http://www.fitnyc.edu/ in New York City. For some photos of the exhibit and back story, please visit my favorite blogger of the New York social scene, David Patrick Columbia and his New York Social Diary http://newyorksocialdiary.com/node/32724
First step of creative process: relentless reading. Second step: Experiencing/photographing/note taking. Third Step: Ruminating, editing, writing, tweaking, hand-wringing, posting. Forth step: repeat steps 1, 2 & 3.
The Seduction exhibit on the ground floor displayed a historical overview from Victorian times to the present. More nice than naughty and not earth shattering. I almost wondered whether it was worth climbing down the stairs to the Dark Glamour exhibit. Oh yeah, baby, Hades here we come. I opened the door into a dark crypt-like space. It took a while for my eyes to adjust and then they widened in delight. Alas, no cameras were allowed to capture the brilliantly executed, nightmarish mise-en-scene space of niches, grottoes and iron cemetery fence enclosures. Zombie-like mannequins wearing high end goth fashions in black, black and more black with splashes f red. Two-way mirrors, curio cabinets of the bizarre and exotic accessories like skull and bones jewelry in moody lighting would stir the imagination of any writer. You can be sure I filed away some images for future scenes in novels, but you won't catch me wearing black lipstick anytime soon.
The FIT students get to design some display windows in the same building. My visit to the Gothic exhibit no doubt influenced my photography of a students display.
Before you could say Dracula, I felt an urge to visit my favorite local cemetery to capture a Gothic flavor of my own.
Then I went grocery shopping and bought a jar of garlic-stuffed olives, which led to inventing a new martini... It wasn't much of a stretch to go from Goth, vampires, garlic to cocktails. That's how it my brain works. It's a never-ending fun house of ideas. Someone once asked me if I ever get bored. I laughed. I've never been bored. Ever.
Oh I love both exhibits. A lot. I will show both to Kristina tomorrow. The pink and black is so beguiling. Black and white are Kristina's favorite color combo.
Seduction and Dark Gothic are also exquisite names....
Dry Martini...Never had a martini except for a lemon drop... but love garlic and olives.
Despite my nighttime, vampirish hours sometimes, guess I am NOT a vampire since I love garlic.
But I am sometimes or often a VAMP.
Reply to this
K, you're a riot LOL!
Reply to this
I loved the pic you took of your martini, nicely put together.
I loved the glimpse into your creative process. I never thought to actually analyze how mine works. I may just have to ponder on that. I enjoyed taking the trip with you. Your detailed creative description of the basement had me wanting to see it and I just don't usually do goth at all.
Reply to this
Thanks, the Goth exhibit was mesmerizing. Re: the creative process. I try to strike a balance between feeling(experiencing in the moment), thinking( analyzing, dissecting,cognitive choices),and doing,(the physical hands on act of creating(writing,photographing,editing,collecting, painting, cutting, glueing etc.).
Reply to this
I must echo Kathryn's sentiments on the exhibits, I couldn't put it any better than she has! I do have a certain attraction to the style of Goth without doubt, though I too will leave the black lipstick.
I do like the way your mind works, and the way you mix up a martini, that does look delish, may have to go out for a few items tonight, lol, funny how I never get bored myself, hmm..........
Reply to this
Ruth, us creative types are never bored
Reply to this