WHAT’S MOVING US
A blog for members to share the art, ideas, and inspirations that move them.
Guest contributor:
Keith Walpole is a writer and musician based in Brooklyn, NY. Alongside his Substack ‘Circles in Space’, he publishes a weekly newsletter, ‘Five Bullets’, which covers everything from art to music to history and science.
The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. - Mark Twain
“In photography you have to pursue and image relentlessly, no more, not contrive or invent but chase an image until you’ve nailed it.”
“Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real.. it is possible.. it’s yours.”
Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 1999
Andrew Bolton: In one of the most memorable moments at McQueen’s runway shows, two robots spray-painted a dress worn by the model Shalom Harlow. Here we talk to Shalom about the experience.
Shalom Harlow: I walked right up to it and stood on top of this circular platform. And as soon as I gained my footing, the circular platform started a slow, steady rotation. And it was almost like the mechanical robots were stretching and moving their parts after an extended period of slumber. And as they sort of gained consciousness, they recognized that there was another presence amongst them, and that was myself.
And at some point, the curiosity switched, and it became slightly more aggressive and frenetic and engaged on their part. And an agenda became solidified somehow. And my relationship with them shifted at that moment because I started to lose control over my own experience, and they were taking over. So they began to spray and paint and create this futuristic design on this very simple dress.
And when they were finished, they sort of receded and I walked, almost staggered, up to the audience and splayed myself in front of them with complete abandon and surrender.
It almost became this like aggressive sexual experience in some way. And I think that this moment really encapsulates, in a way, how Alexander related to—at least at this particular moment—related to creation. Is that all of creation? Is that the act of a human being being created, the sexual act? Is it the act of, you know, the Big Bang, if you will, that violence and that chaos and that surrender that takes place?
Alexander and I didn’t have any conversation directly related to this particular piece and to creating this moment within his show. I like to think that he wanted to interfere as little as possible and allow me to have the most genuine, spontaneous experience as possible.
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Taking Back Sunday Begin Teasing 'TAYF' Tour
Taking Back Sunday have begun teasing their Tell All Your Friends ten year anniversary tour. Check out a tweet from the band below by clicking “Read More.”
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Taking Back Sunday Confirm ‘TAYF’ 10 Year Anniversary Tour
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What’s Moving Us Today
A blog about what’s inspiring us today.
Member Curator of the Week
Paralegal by day, drummer by night, and curious by nature, Keith is typically researching various topics at any given moment. His interests include music, writing, all things creative, and exploring the natural world. Posts will encompass his most recent findings, exhibit visits, and important topics pertaining to creatives today.