for the madsen sisters

Thinking of you as I wait out my glogg and aebleskiver hangover from yesterday.

del bellavista and other coastal delights

We took a time-out from spotting design classics to venture up the 'danish riviera' and take in a few iconic sites. First stop, Klampenborg to check out Arne Jacobsen's "Bellavista" housing complex, next to his eponymous cafe.









Next stop in Klampenborg was to see Finn Juhl's house - unfortunately it was closed that day. We tried to peek in but were thwarted by a photo crew using the house for a fashion shoot. Images of the interior here.



Onwards to Rungsted to see Karen Blixen's danish estate, now a museum. The best part of the visit was walking the grounds - 40 acres of forest and gardens that she had turned into a private bird sanctuary before her death in 1962. She's buried under a stately old beech tree on the estate. Also enjoyed reading excerpts from her notebooks and the handwritten note from Denys instructing her sternly on how to operate his new motorcar. It was lovely to complete the pilgrimage but the interior was definitely more sterile than the warmth of her Nairobi house.








Last stop up the coast was to the marvellous Louisiana Museum of Art. Founded by Knud Jensen in memory of his three wives - all named Louise. Unfortunately it gets dark here by 3:30 pm so it was hard to fully take in the surroundings. Quite an impressive museum - even the cafe (well worth the $16 sandwich). Took in the Eve Sussman and the Rufus Project exhibition. That deserves a post unto itself - save it for another (rainy) day.

(photos from museum website)

wonderful wonderful copenhagen

Scene around town

It's been a decidedly blustery and rainy week which has put a damper on picture taking, but not our enthusiasm for exploring this stately old town. Considering its design heritage, I was expecting a more ostentatiously fashionable exterior but (based on a week's impression anyway) people and buildings are attractive but not showy. Polite but not overly warm. (maybe that's just my dutch bias showing) all in all a lovely city.

our 4th floor loft apartment - found it on craigslist. I don't know if we're just lucky or whether every danish apartment has a finn juhl sofa and eames chairs...





out and about









the Stroget - a big pedestrian shopping area near our apartment:

all's well that ends swell

Neither the howling wind nor the pelting rain could put a damper on last night's Swell Season show at the Pumpehuset. A few clips of Glen, Marketa and the band (the guys from the Frames).

one night in copenhagen

i don't know how we'll be able to keep up this pace for another month.

the Dam

It's 3:30 a.m. Verdammt jetlag. A few snaps from day one (excuse the poor quality point-and-shoot pics).

The first set of stairs leading up to our 4th floor loft apartment in de Pijp:




transport of choice in the 'Dam.

Droog design! How lovely to see it all in person.



that bag may or may not contain this zipper
necklace by frans van nieuwenborg and
martijn wegman:



Wonderwood




A survey of dutch architect/designer Hein Stolle's work (see chair above)

Other highlights include matching faux bois casserole dishes (image later)

and the treats:

luxurious convenience

Hot off the reservation presses - thanks to our wonderful friends (including Jack, Kirst and a few others who may or may not at this moment be living to regret the toasted marshmallows with bourbon chasers) we'll be taking a time out to live life in luxurious convenience in the not-so-distant future.

hail hygge!

spam of the times

You know things really are getting bad all over when even spam has become a downer. Every day I receive fewer and fewer of these types of offers:



And increasingly more offering to help me ward off this:



Let's just hope things go well on Nov 4 with our friends south of the border so we can again get back to the things that really matter, you know, the little things.

happy hallowe'en (3 more sleeps)

Just doing some laundry and getting ready for tomorrow's big weenie roast extravaganza.

(hand, j.williams, 2005)

hitting home

November is Woman Abuse Prevention Month. If you think violence isn't something that affects you or anyone you know - think again. Chances are, it already has.

(barbie bakes a cake, J.Williams, 2005)

duane michals: putting fartsters on notice since 1932

I have a bit of an obsession with the notion and experience of memory (is a memory something you have or something you've lost?) There are some moments I hold so dear that I wish I could wipe clean my memory if only to be able to have the chance to go back and experience them again for the first time. The first time I saw Han Solo on the big screen. The view from our tent that first morning at Galla Camp in Kenya. The first time I saw a Duane Michals photograph, specifically, this series of photographs, "chance encounter".

Who can say what it is that causes that jolt of electricity and recognition when you connect with a person, place or idea on such a cellular, cosmic level. Whatever it is, Duane Michals' work does it for me.










Madame Schrodinger's cat:





Or this one: "No American has the right to impose his private morality on any other American."



Or this one from his recent book, a biting satire "how photography lost its virginity on the way to the bank" a send up of some of the biggest photography art stars going (many of whom I really quite like). Who is Sidney Sherman?

The accompanying text: "Sidney paints his fingernails shocking pink a brilliantly audacious gesture that exposes the dis-corraborative gender bias of Revlon's vacuity, while trenchantly confirming lipstick as a phallic ploy of alpha males vis-a-vis Derrida's strategies of dis-corraboration."

His tattle-tales from the land of fauxtography includes such gems as:

• Never trust any photograph so large it can only fit inside a museum;
  
• The announced demise of the decisive moment is premature; and
  
• Museums should never exhibit photographs of visitors looking at art in museums to visitors who are looking at art in museums.

Beware, he warns, of fartsters (aka those who confuse fashion with art). Words of wisdom indeed.

holy sh*t

As the Great Bathroom Renovation Project enters its second year, I can at last check toilet paper holder off my list. praise the lord (and designer Mischa Vos).