Walking the Gray Area

 

   Hola Peter por aquí otra vez, es fuerte el  contraste que tiene tu pieza con el número  de Pi

   Cuando vi  el símbolo del  número Pi cerrando la secuencia de cráneos me llevo a pensar en que el número Pi es como un símbolo religioso relacionado con algún  martirio tal vez,  un mandala cuya geometría provoca un viaje para la meditación. La  reflexión de  como se comportan estos  números es especial. Imagino a su potador meditando en las fracciones que se mueven al infinito cada vez mas pequeñas o, como si cada calavera fuera una raya del principio y el infinito.   Es también como la sección áurea. Ideas que abren puertas desde  razonamientos a otra lógica sin razón.

  Una bonita idea el integrar este número con las calaveras en la circunferencia.

   Con el tejido he decidido mejor  no ponerle en este caso los coches. Realice algunas pruebas que  me gustaron, serán para futuros trabajos, aquí te las muestro.

   Me pareció mejor colocar el tejido anterior dentro de este último, dos capas tejidas con  tramas distintas y dinámica  diferente , ambas concéntricas influyendo en diferentes aspectos al desenvolvimiento y carácter especifico a este objeto, espacio, tubo, tripa  

    Como bien decías antes  los tejidos y la cerámica siempre han estado presentes desde mucho tiempo atrás en todos los pueblos sobre la tierra. Formalmente  son demasiado comunes y remiten a un esfuerzo colectivo que elimina las diferencias y homogeneiza, Me parece  que por eso han provocando desdén, tedio.  En lo personal me gusta apreciar los tejidos  por las soluciones estructurales que resuelven  a partir de sus  elementos muy simples, endebles  y básicos, también por su permeabilidad  como filtros entre lo de afuera y lo de adentro permitiendo que ambos puedan ser lo mismo

    El poner estas dos tramas una dentro de otra con diferentes dinámicas separadas pero sumadas al mismo tiempo, me gusto porque en la conversación que hemos tenido ha sido muy agradable  encontrar coincidencias que  traemos  de épocas pasada en la historia, mas haya de  las fronteras  en las que hoy hemos vivido, en donde  la red  que le daba forma a esos lugares y momentos era otra diferente a la de hoy.

                                                                   Greetings  and good luck for all there.

     Hello Peter, again here. 

 Is strong the contrast that made the Pi number   with the object.

   When I saw the symbol of the number Pi, closing the sequence of skulls, takes me to think that number Pi is like a religious symbol related with martyrdom maybe, a mandala witch geometry cause the trip to meditate. The reflection of how is the behavior of this numbers is especial. I imagine the carrier of this necklace, meditating on the continuous fractions that move to the infinite in a very small place, or every skull is the limit of the beginning and the infinite. Is also like de golden section, ideas that open doors from reasoning to a no reason logic.

   Nice idea, this number with the skulls in a circumference

 With the weave I decide better not to put in this case the cars, I made some proves that I like, they will be for future works. Here they are. 

 

 

 

   

 

 

I think it was better to put the weave done before, inside the space of the last one, two layers weaved with distinct welt and different dynamic, both concentric having influence on  many aspects to the development and   specific character to this object, space, tube, gut.

 

   As you well said before weaving and ceramics always have been seen a long time ago in every town on earth. They are very common formally and remit to a collective effort that eliminate and uniform differences. I think this is the reason that they provoke disdain, tedium.  Personally I like to value the weaves because of there structural solutions that belong from there very simple, frail and basic elements, also because of its permeability, as filters between the outside and the inside, Letting be both the same

    To put this two fabrics one inside the other, each one with different dynamic separated but sum up at the same time, likes me, because in the conversation we have is very pleasant find coincidences that we bring from past periods in history, far away from the actual frontiers where we live today, where the net that gives form to that places and moments, was different of the one today.

                                                              Saludos y buena suerte para todos por alla

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi Eduardo. Finished the multiples yesterday, those went quickly. Began to work on the large collar. First I had to figure out what would be the most practical way to knot, connecting not only the skulls next to each other, but also the ring under/above it. Had to do a similar thing in making cuffs many years ago, so I knew it should be possible. In the outer two rings knotting with two threads, kind of zigzagging with one of them.
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I wanted to work in a spiral this time, so was a bit worried about how it would work out in the area where a next ring should be added. But it worked out fine. No problems with the number of threads or with connections that had to be skipped. Here the third inner ring is developing.
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I am glad I chose to use the colours you sent me, I like the look of it. In one colour would have been less interesting to look at, I think. Well, a few more knots to go. See you at the finish and success with your last steps. Take care, Peter

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Hi Eduardo,
A quick return to show you two strands of skulls I just finished knotting. Here I just started one. For the stringing of the skullies I use a knotting tool used in beading pearls. I can direct the knot with it to exactly the right position. This is nice work to do. The results show instantly.
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Knotting goes quickly. Here at the end of the strand. The skulls are the size of large pearls, so it looks quite elegant and bold at the same time. And they’re long: about the same length as a rosary.
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What do you think? Don’t they look like the perfect necklaces for urban high priests?

Dear Eduardo,
Yes, to me working with ceramics is exciting and there are so many things for me to explore there still. Glad those old Chinese inspired us to have our own ceramic industry in the low countries. And I like to organize my work like that little industry you mention. I see some similarity in the organized and well planned way you work. It has been a bit quiet in the WGA part of the factory last week, because I had a deadline for some other works. That has been finished now and I can continue with the last part of my jewellery for WGA. Which will be knotting all elements in place to form the necklaces.

I like the new photos you sent of your weaved tube. I like the connection with the weaved fabric. Also I think your decision not to have the rhythm of the weaved wires interrupted by elements put on the tube is a good one. What keeps me curious about your next steps. And very right: it is a kind of magic, many of our creative processes just are irrational. And about your remark to make photos of the in between steps is a very good way to store moments where you had to make a decision to go this way or to go that way. I do the same. These moments are stored till there is time and space to work on something new and to start following that other path you had to leave in favour of that other direction. But that’s also worth exploring. Making digital photos is perfect for that, a method I use too.

I am glad the boring part of applying the decals has been done and now the real fun part starts here. So no more hearts out of guts like a week ago . Now the pieces of jewellery will really start to come into existence in this last phase after all the different steps of preparation.

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Here still some photos of a week ago.
All heads on their stakes had to get their final decal firing in two go’s.
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Here I am sawing large Pi symbols out of alpaca. I want them as pendants on the little skulls string as an urban bling bling element out of the world of science. Forgot to take pictures of that, but I have gilded them also.

Will keep you posted about the last steps these days. And looking forward seeing your final steps.
Success and best wishes, Peter

  A de ser  emocionante organizar ese número de figuras y a cada una realizarle más  aplicaciones, cada cráneo representa un número de acciones repetitivas , me gustan esa clase de procesos porque dan un boceto de los comienzos de la industria, también con ellos es agradable ver antes la secuencia, organizar, reducir tiempo, darle mas calidad a los objetos. Esto  puede ser como una tipo  de magia. Porque luego surgen soluciones progresivas

 En las fotos puedo ver puntos obscuros en cada cráneo  supongo que será por donde se unan para formar el collar

  Se ven con otro sentido, en ese tamaño todos juntos, como en una instalación a otra escala

  En relación a la porcelana que utilizas en algunas de las piezas de las diferentes series en tu pagina,  Imagino que puede ser muy evocativo revivir en algún sentido el proceso de la fabricación de objetos con este material tan significativo en la historia de  Europa, su redescubrimiento y producción en determinada época, el intercambio de los objetos utilizados en  Europa y reproducidos en porcelana  por Oriente me recuerda un momento intenso de interacción entre ambas regiones. Creo que ese período fue extremadamente importante para Europa porque en este momento fue posible hacer una industria para también reproducir el material y los objetos que eran tan deseados. La alquimia comenzó a ser apropiada para esos problemas específicos

 Aquí te mando mas fotos de cómo ha ido el proceso Peter, el tejido quedo bien. Hay algunas texturas de cuando el objeto no ha sido concluido que son muy fuerte o expresivas, en este caso las fotos están bien para recordarlas y pensar en nuevos procesos futuros que las rescaten.

    También saque algunas fotos en un lugar indicado de tal forma que el tránsito presentara una inclinación semejante al trayecto de este sobre el collar

En esta semana aparecieron diferentes apreciaciones en relación al  tejido para tener la optima resolución . No se si estará bien poner los coches encima de este , pues  se transforma en otra cosa .

   En relación a lo de las tripas, Aquí también es común un refrán  que dice: “hacer de tripas corazón” y se refiere a realizar un gran esfuerzo para enfrentar un obstáculo, un gran esfuerzo y disimular el miedo sobreponiéndose. Enfrentarse también a una situación desagradable o algo que no nos apetece nada hacer ,pero que no tenemos mas remedio que hacer.

   Peter que estés muy bien en muy breve te mando mas correos saludos

 

 Must be exiting to organize that number of figures and to realize more applications on each one, every skull represent a number of repetitive actions, I like that kind of process because they give a sketch of the beginning of an industry, also with them is pleasant to watch before the sequence, organize, reduce time, give more quality to the objects. This could be a kind of magic, because then it emerge progressive solutions

   In the photos I could see a dark spot on each skull and I supposed will be to joint all the skulls form the necklace. They look in other sense, in that size all together like  in  an invert  scale installation.

   In relation of the porcelain you use in some of the objects of your series in your web page, I imagine could be very evocative to revive in a way the process of making object with that material so signifying in the history of Europe, his rediscovery and production in an specific period, the exchange of the objects use by the European people reproduced in porcelain by Orient remain me intense moment of interaction between both regions. I think that period was extremely important for Europe because in this moment was possible to make an industry ,to also reproduce that material and objects that were so wished, the alchemy began to be suitable in that specific problems   

   Here I send you more photos of how was going the process Peter,

 

 the weaving was right,  there are some textures that when the object is not concluded are very  strong or expressive , In this case the photos are all right to rescue them and  think in new process for nexts objets in the future.

   Also I take some photos in a right place, so that the transit presents a similar inclination to the way of this on the necklace

 

 

 

 

 

  In this week appear different appreciations with this weaving for get the optima resolution and I don’t now if it will be right to put the car upon the weave because the weave change to another thing

  In relation with the guts here we have also a saying that goes:

“To made from guts heart”

 And recount  that:   when you have to make a great effort to confront an obstacle, a great effort  hiding the fear and going forward, also when you have to do something unpleasant or that you dislike but there is not other way.

 Peter be allrigth an in soon I´ll send you more posts

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Hi Eduardo,
Here a short note again about the progress. I have been applying the numbers onto the skulls. Kept a paper with the never ending numbers of Pi next to it. Boring , and glad it is done now.
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The first half is still in the kiln, cooling off. Can open the door tomorrow morning, but have good hope they all will come out well. For the test firing I took some of the worst glazed ones and they went okay. So: fingers crossed and a little prayer to the kiln saint.
All best and see you, Peter

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Hola Eduardo,
This is what the decal I got last Thursday looks like. The pink colour is the lacquer that holds the images together. That layer sits on a paper transfer and comes apart when soaking the decal into water.
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Had to do that test firing. Here three heads with the decals stuck onto them. You still see that pink layer that will burn away.
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Despite the thin layer of glaze the images caught well, so I can continue applying the numbers without a problem, fortunately.

Will give the first half of the skulls their final firing tomorrow. The decals have to dry the night over.

Are you succeeding with your plans?
Till soon, Peter

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Dear Eduardo,
How are you doing? To my relief all heads seemed to have survived the glaze firing. And look good. Here you see them during the infernal heath. I quickly opened the door for a few seconds to take the photo.
I had to fire them in two shifts, because they didn’t fit in the small kiln all of them.
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But here they are all together. Usually there is always a few of them that by accident fused onto each other. But this time not a single one! Hurray!
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But I may have a small problem in applying the decals. I noticed that some of the heads feel a bit rough at spots. Not as smooth as when I would have glazed them only. This time I wanted that white slip effect on the dark clay, before glazing them. The slip layer absorbed some of the glaze as well. The glaze looks nicely melted and closed, but a bit thin at places. I hope this won’t effect the decals when fired. I am doing a decal test firing now with a few.
Are you doing well with the brooches you want to apply? I am curious to see. Take care, Peter

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All heads are glazed now and ready to go into the kiln for the second firing. Here the skulls for the collar.
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And here the small ones for the extra five necklaces.
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All on their stakes. Will fire them today.

Aloha Eduardo,
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Finished applying the white slip today. Dip, dip, dip. Tomorrow I will start with the second dipping round: the glaze, which will also soak the slip layer and thus cause a better attachment of the slip to the black clay base.
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You see how well the wax resists the slip.
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Here I am cutting steel pins, which will carry the separate elements in the second firing. They will prevent the glazed elements from fusing onto each other or from sticking to the kiln shelves.

How are you doing? Success, Peter

Hola Eduardo,

A smell like that of a hundred candles burning fills the air, so I opened the windows to let a fresh wind blow through the room. I have been working with melted wax this afternoon. With a thin paint-brush applying the hot wax on the skulls where I don’t want the white slip and glaze to catch on the dark clay. It works the same way batik does, the wax-resist dyeing technique used for cloth. Where the wax has penetrated the fabric the water based colour won’t catch when the cloth is dipped into the dye. Afterwards the wax is removed.
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The mouths, eye-sockets and the holes I will thread the skulls through have been covered in wax, so the white slip and the glaze won’t run into these places when dipping the skulls. I want those characteristics to stay clearly visible. And the irregularity in painting the wax will make the ‘facial features’ of each head a bit more individual as well.  When I fire the glazes in the kiln the wax will burn away very quickly. Have a good week and till soon again, Peter

Eduardo, wow, your photos impress me! Wonderful! Very surprising this long tube. And I immediately see the resemblance with a gut. The gut also makes things travel to a destination. I see how meticulous the work must be and how you must have thought it over a lot before being able to start this large project. It takes a lot of patience. There is a nice Indonesian proverb about guts which means that you have to have patience: -harus panjang usus-: literally: -you have to have long guts-.  So very applicable to this work you are making! 

Thanks for showing me the pictures of the process. I am sure this requires a lot of technical skill, exercise and metric insight. Compared to the other weaved objects you showed me, this one makes an enormous step into the 3-dimensional world. Beautiful and very exciting. I think in this case of a long tube working in an angle of 45 degrees adds to a more interesting pattern to look at, instead of 90 degrees. But I also have the idea that it makes the tube easier to bend in the end. Am I right? I have never seen a jeweller work this way before. What a good idea to work around a tube. Is this the first time you are weaving in a way like this? Weaving around I mean? You combine jewellery and basketry and/or textile techniques. Interesting! Another thing I asked myself seeing your photos: isn’t there the risk your silver woof thread breaks? When you have to bend it over and over again going over and then under each new warp thread. If so: how do you prevent that?

Here I opened the kiln yesterday and the skulls came out red after the biscuit firing. Now have to cover them in white slip and then glaze them. A lot of work also: over 700 skulls. This means over 1400 dippings.   grrr! Hope I can make that before Thursday when my decals are about to arrive.

Success and good progress in your work as well. It looks very nice already, curious what you will add to it. Enjoy the weekend and see you soon again, Peter

Me gusta como se ven los cráneos de diferentes tamaños, sobre todo al cambiar en cada círculo del collar, yo creo que va muy bien tu pieza.

Te mando también más imágenes de mi trabajo, es un proceso

Minucioso y de mucha paciencia pero va con buen ritmo.

Tuve una idea que se ajusta bien  al último planteamiento y me gusta que este enlazado a los coches en el tránsito de esta ciudad. Decidí colocar sobre esta superficie tramada, series de broches (pins) cuyas formas son  coches de diferentes tamaños y ángulos en relación a su  trayectoria dentro del tránsito y la forma del tubo tramado

Así en el lado exterior del tubo tejido estarán ubicados pequeños autos de diferentes tamaños acercándose o alejándose sobre esta superficie ritmada traslucida, límite permeable ,tripa metálica  y por el interior de este tejido tubular  existirá la posibilidad de conservar algunos objetos significativos de los acontecimientos que le sigan dando vida individual a ese collar.

Este es un tubo construido con anterioridad y su trama es  paralela al ancho y largo del tubo.

El tubo que ahora construyo presenta una trama inclinada a 45º grados en relación al largo y ancho del tubo

Peter, buen desarrollo para todo lo que sigue y  que estés muy  bien.

I like how the skull of different size looks, especially at the change of every round of the necklace. I think it goes very well your work.

I send you more images of my work, is a very meticulous and need  a lot of patience, but  goes in a good rhythm

I have an idea that is well adjusted to the last set up of my object, I like that will be linked to the cars in the travel of this city. I decide to put upon this weaving surface, series of brooches  with the form of cars in different size and angles related to there trajectory within the travel en the form of the weaving tube.

So then on the exterior side of this tube above this rhythm translucent surface, permeable limit, metallic gut ,will be small cars of different size placed, getting closer or moving away. And inside, will exist the possibility to keep some significant objects of the happenings that continue giving life to this individual necklace.

This is a tube made before and there weaving direction is parallel with the long and wide of the tube

The tube that I construct now presents a weave direction 45º degree in relation with the long and wide of the tube

Peter, good develop for all the next and by very well.

The glaze tests didn’t
turn out well all of
them. Some white
glazes became too
transparant (middle
row) on the dark clay.
Raw glazing (without
an extra biscuit
firing) turned out
bubbly (lower row
3rd and 4th one). So
a biscuit firing first and then an extra layer white slip works best (circled ones).

Here a small image of the Photoshop file I sent to the decal printer today. He will send me the decal Wednesday. So want to have my skulls slipped and glazed before that day.
They’re in the kiln now for the biscuit firing (800˚C). Take care, Peter

Chose for this collar, with four rows.
The paper example showed me in which sizes I
had to make my wax models,
in order to get the right curve in the end result.
Also taking in account that the clay I am using
shrinks about 12 percent.

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Here the poured skulls for the ceremonial collar
in the different sizes.

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Also have been pouring for the other necklaces.
Finished that now.

At the moment the kiln is doing a test firing for
some different mixes of glazes and white clay
slib. Curious what I will see when I open the
kiln door tomorrow. Will show you the glazing
tests.

Hi Eduardo,
Here the progression at the other side of the Atlantic. The idea for your work makes me curious, it sounds beautiful. It will be a very interesting object to look at I think. Looking forward seeing it and curious what you will capture inside the silver tubing.

Thank you very much for sending me the pictures I needed. I put them together and –apart from the white- distilled six main colours O’Gorman seems to have been using in his murals: light grey, dark gray, blue, purplish red, ochre and pink. I will design a transfer in these colours that I will have printed. I want to use numbers in these colours on my skulls. Here some photos after pouring my Mole Negro into the moulds and a growing heap of deadly chocolates.

Success with your piece and also in the lab! I once got a chemistry toy box as a present as a kid with test tubes and all kinds of chemicals (iron filings, sulphur, etc) and a meths burner. I spilled some of one of my concoctions on the bed and a few days later there where enormous holes in my bed spread. My mother wasn’t happy she gave me that present on second thoughts. And of course I never made it as laboratory worker…   Back to the Mole now. See you soon again. Peter

Hola Peter, aquí te mando más colores y gracias por preguntarme si necesito algo.

Tu trabajo se ve muy bien, ese ritmo de elementos esféricos, pequeños cráneos en una forma circular.Suena muy apropiada la tecnología de cocina para conseguir esa textura cremosa, debe de ser muy emocionante  vivir ese proceso.

Mi trabajo en  la UNAM es de maestro  en el laboratorio de joyería junto con  el maestro Andrés Fonseca dentro  del CIDI, y es muy enriquecedora la interacción con los estudiantes y también con los otros maestros de este  lugar.

He comenzado mi pieza

Decidí hacer un tubo de red tejida. Lo que pienso que es peculiar de esta clase de trabajo tejido es el ritmo monótono que se genera con los alambres y los espacios que dejan ver lo que esta del otro lado, dividiendo las formas en pequeño puntos como una pared óptica. El alambre de plata da un gris brilloso a lo que se ve del otro lado y hace plana o indefinida cualquier forma específica viendo a través de este.

Quiero poner objetos dentro de este tubo con la posibilidad constante de cambiarlos como oportunidad de retransformar el objeto y establecer una interacción con el usuario.

Creo que cada uno tiene sus propios especiales objetos significativos encontrados en el viaje hacia algún lugar en todo momento, y están cambiando. También los objetos de joyería contienen los significados que nosotros les damos, contenidos dentro  de sus formas externas ,tal vez anodinas , percibidas a través de nuestros sentidos porque son objetos que nos acompañan en ese viaje.

Otra vez me despido Peter, hasta pronto  y buenos deseos en todos los procesos

Hello Peter, here I send you more colors and thanks for ask me if I need something.

Your work looks very well, that rhythm of spherical elements, small skulls in a circular form. Sounds very proper the kitchen technology to get that cream texture must be very moving to live that process.

My work in UNAM is being teacher together with the teacher Andrés Fonseca in the jewelry laboratory of the CIDI, and is very enriching the interaction with the students and also with the other teacher in this place.

I all ready start my work,

I decide to make a weaving net tube. What I think is peculiar of this kind of network is the monotonous rhythm that is  generated with the wires and  spaces that lets  look from one side to the other, dividing the form in small spots like an optic wall . The silver wire gives a gray shiny film to what is look on the other side and made flat or indefinite any peculiar form if you look through it.

I want to put some objects inside with the constant possibility of change them, as an opportunity to retransform the object and establish an interaction with the user.

I think that every one has there own special significant objects founded in the traveling to some place in the time, and there are changing. Also the jewelry objects have the significant that we give them contained within there maybe anodynes external forms,, perceived through our senses because they go together with us in that travel.

Peter, till soon again, and good wishes in every process.

Hi Eduardo,
Chunks of clay mixed by hand with water.

Using kitchen technology to blend into a smooth mixture.

Sieving the grog (chamotte) out of the clay.

Another sieving with a finer mesh.

Result: a smooth liquid soil to pour my elements with (next posting).
Succes with your work and all best, Peter

Hola Eduardo,
Thanks for the photos of the UNAM library. I already noticed an interest in science (history, geography, philosophy?), but I didn’t know you are so closely connected to the university. What a coincidence I started my slide show with that building two weeks ago. What is it that are you doing at the university?

This may mean that you still use the nearby Copilco station often. Where you worked at the paintings. I can imagine you and the others had to perform some acrobatic feats when balancing with your dish of paint on the scaffolding, now you describe this. :-0  Eeek! No Jackson-Pollock-s on the floor? 

I know Mexico is lying in the Ring of Fire that goes around the Pacific Ocean, one of the main two belts of active volcanoes on earth. About a week ago I saw an episode of a television documentary series, which is very interesting. In this series a ship with scientists, writers and artists aboard sails the same voyage as Darwin did aboard the Beagle two centuries ago. The clipper calls at every port the Beagle did during that 5 years journey around our globe that completely changed our view of the world. In the episode of last week the ship stopped in Valparaiso, Chile –also in this Ring of Fire- where Darwin experienced a heavy earthquake and where he made an expedition into the Andes. To discover stoned trees up the mountains and layers with fossils of organisms that once must have lived on ocean floor. And Darwin was struck by the rich diversity in colour of the stones he found during his trip in this volcanic area.

The close-ups you sent me seem to fit to what I saw and heard in that program: the richness in colours of the stones used by O’Gorman that come from all over your quite volcanic country. (As kids we grew up with the funny Popocatepetl-song.) Also your photos seem to come at just the right moment. In this stage I am thinking about using colour in my work for WGA. I thought about using the colours of the slide I uploaded some time ago: the photo I took from the plane with the patches of the coloured houses. But seeing your photos I want to use the colours O’Gorman used, the colours of the soil. There is a connection between us humans and our soil. People who have died flown back to their countries of origin to get buried in home soil.

A great thing of the UNAM building is, that it depicts your history in your own soil, and also the progression of science. Our changing views upon the word as we know it. Our universe. A few days ago I realized for the first time the common root of the words: universe, universal and university. The place where students and professors gather and examine our world. By using the same colours as O’Gorman did in the murals -stone by stone by stone-, I use Mexican colours, but at the same time natural colours in general. And that’s exactly what my necklace has to do: Mexican and also (part of the) universal.

Eduardo, can I ask you a favour please? Would it be possible to make some more close up photos of the library murals? The slides I took myself ten years ago are not that close as the ones you sent me yesterday. I would like to have a better overview of the colours O’Gorman used. I hope you can do this for me. And note: if you need something I can get you here, let me know that as well please. I can send you the stuff you may need or make photographs for you, record something. Whatever you need!

Here some photos I took this morning. It was snowing again. What’s wrong with winter? We’re not supposed to get that much snow here! Here the tracks of some birds: the ones of the home ground pigeon look like little airplanes on their routes. And note that heavy track in the left down corner of the second image: the biggest, most migratory bird of them all.
Wish you well and till soon, Peter

Dear Eduardo,
Yesterday crossing the Museumplein -the square behind the Rijksmuseum- I passed the ‘skating palace’ and I thought of your Zócalo pictures. I took some pictures and you see: also here young and old are enjoying the winter activities.

‘IJspret” it says on the billboards around the frozen pond covered with a tent, which means “Ice Fun”. It is around zero degrees at the moment, not cold enough for good ice, so they make the water freeze with a machine. The 17^th century paintings on the billboards show, no matter rich or poor, we have been enjoying winter activities like these for ages. I must admit though: I never quite mastered the technique of skating. Must be the more southern blood on my mother’s side

Thinking about skulls as a motif in art, design, jewellery I came up jewellery used in Tibetan Buddhism. There the mala, prayer necklace, can be made out of skull shaped beads carved from human bone. And in architecture: I remember visiting a Carmelite chapel in the south of Portugal, all walls and ceiling beautifully decorated with skulls and bones. And the more macabre Capuchin catacombs in Rome. The use of skulls as decoration isn’t exclusively Mexican on second thought. Also as a motif, as a pattern it is universal.

Started to make small skulls out of wax, I will make plaster moulds with. I need my Illustrator prints to get an idea about the sizes I have to make them in, in order to get the right curve in the necklace. Will make some photos of the wax models to send to you in the next posting. Take care, Peter

Back again,
We had some snow again last night, so I woke up in a black and white world. Because of our moderate maritime climate we don’t have snow that often. This is the view from our windows at the back. No forest here, but the centre of town. This is what the gardens look like enclosed by the blocks of houses.

Regarding my posting of yesterday and the photos of your work in mind:
Wherever I come I am immensely attracted to ceramics and basketry. Like a magnet I am drawn towards places that show or sell these products. (Almost?) any country seems to have a history in ceramics and in basketry, using their own clays and using their own fibres (palm leaf nerves, willow twigs, bamboo strips, reet stems). And the famous Dutch delftware is in fact a local imitation of Chinese porcelain. Because the Europeans didn’t know the techniques to make porcelain and because porcelain clay isn’t found in Holland they started to make earthenware look-alikes in blue and white in the 17^th century.

In particular I am enchanted by that South-East Asian way of weaving, which is called hexagonal weave. Here are two photos of it: a shopping bag I bought in Cambodia and a vase woven in the same technique (but in a denser way) out of paper strips made by an American artist who specializes in contemporary basketry and fiber art: Jackie Abrams. She also makes more organic forms. Since the first half of the 90’s I have been exploring paths of ceramics, but maybe I’ll do the same with basketry some day. Your weaving made me also think of weaving in the field of basketry.

There used to be a certain disdain from the art world towards the world of crafts in the 90’s. I remember the first reactions of art people when I told I was experimenting with ceramics in jewellery: the idea of glossy glazes and the prejudice it would look like folk craft or something of the sort. In the 21^st century that seems to have changed. Now there is a genuine interest in crafts and their techniques; and now arts and crafts are mentioned in one breath, also in titles of prestigious international exhibitions. I know from people working in the world of ceramic art and design that they really had to fight, and still are, to have their work regarded as art instead as just ‘(folk) craft’, ‘pottery’. In a similar way we are doing that with our jewellery. When in academy I heard some students of the painters department -the real artists of course- talk about the jewellery department as ‘the earring club’ !

Also your ‘textile’ technique of working made me think of a Swiss woman that also uses an in origin textile technique to make her works with. She doesn’t weave though, but she crochets with the silver wire and she includes all kinds of ordinary non-precious materials while crocheting to build impressive and beautiful collars and necklaces: pill strips, watch wheels, fire crackers. You probably know her work: Verena Sieber-Fuchs, she is well-known.
Will start preparing some food now. Till soon. Peter.

Hi Eduardo,
Thanks for sending me the Zócalo. It looks very different from the few times I walked there, under blue skies and the central square almost empty. And I am glad you had some snow with Christmas as well! It looks like the perfect combination: snow and no need to wear thick heavy clothes. That richly sculpted entrance of the Cathedral looked somewhat familiar, but thanks for telling me it is the Zócalo: otherwise I wouldn’t have known. It makes me aware of the fact that just like my tourist photos are only snapshots in time, also these photos are. Here is a photo I took from the plane just before landing in Mexico City International Airport, filled with anticipation. Look at all those patches of bright vivid colour in a field of blurry grey.

You step out of that plane and while your mind is still halfway the place you just came from, your body walks strange and new soil. I also can experience it when coming back in my home town, especially after been away for some months or even a few weeks: the city looks very familiar, but at the same time new again. All of a sudden you wonder if that shop on that corner has always been there or if it changed owner in your absence. The streets and the people look different. Jumps in time. Your mind still has to catch up with your body.

Incredible how far we go in trying to change our natural surroundings and change it the way we want it to be. Here when winter is getting near, the restaurants and cafés warm their terraces with these gas fuelled ‘parasols’ that radiate warmth over the people sitting under them. At those chilly temperatures you used to find yourself a table inside. A friend of ours in Barcelona keeps his terrace cool in the burning sun of summer by using machines that not only fan but also keep spraying a fine mist of water over the customers. Wonderful we can enjoy that all now, but sometimes it also looks like an incredible waste of energy to me. But sure yeah: I also make use of these innovations often enough. Now I can enjoy sugar peas and tomatoes whenever I want, swim in mid winter and learn to ice skate from October to March! And fly wherever I want to!

I like the way you make silver look like pliable fabric. Especially the bracelet looks like finely woven pliable textile, beautiful, and also a handsome photo by the way. The necklace seems to be made with thicker ‘threads’ and looks more rigid, also because of the smaller triangular areas. Funny you can also wear it as a crown. You don’t use fabric in your jewellery, but interestingly, you use a textile technique to treat the silver with. In the weaving you can make it look like textile, but using another material than a woollen or cotton thread, you’re able to mould and shape at the same time. Widening the structure, narrowing it, by adding or lessening ‘strands’. Or gradually changing the mesh. Your textile works won’t loose their form when dropped. I can imagine this will lead to many more things to discover: you are using the best of two worlds, sort of speak. You can build complete 3D organic structures like this. To me, these areas where two (or more) fields in design/art/craft overlap are the most promising and interesting. These are the areas where real exploration can be done, experiments with surprising outcomes. Yes, I know exactly what you mean: the unexpected paths that appear! That obsession, that struggle and then the magical blissful moments of solution, that make it all fit together. And consequently all those doors to new territory that open. That’s what we are doing this for, right?

I intend to make a ceremonial necklace that may have been dug up somewhere in Mexico at first impression, or made by a present Mexican potter/jeweller. Now I all of a sudden have to think of that powerful project Otto Künzli (Switzerland) did a long time ago (early 90’s?) in which he commented –if I am correct- on the United States culture that seemed to lack real history. Part of that project, he made all kinds of pendants that were a series of artefacts (with pre-Hispanic names) from different periods in time and different excavations in the American continent and therefore different in style: forerunners of the present Micky Mouse symbol. What a masterly and smashing project I still find that. Like many of his ideas. I found a small image of it on the internet:

But to continue with necklace to be: I used my computer in making the first sketches of a necklace out of Mexican symbol numero uno: skulls-skulls-skulls. Well to the world outside Mexico that is. The strange thing is, that when you see heaps of real skulls the association with Mexico is not there. Then they are considered nation-less, something universal. But applied in arts and crafts as a motif all of a sudden the skulls seem to be Mexican. So no: of course my skulls won’t be Mexican (alone the fact I made them here), but as a motif they will look like they are. Here is a screenshot of my Illustrator files.

Enjoy the weekend Eduardo. Will stop now, but we’ll talk soon again. Looking forward.

Debió de haber sido agradable el evento en el Stedelijk Museo  en Schiedam el domingo Peter.

Es muy atractiva la imagen que  enviaste, es  placentero imaginar ese eco en relación con el horno, la cerámica como un material que primero es modelado, más plástico y la transformación durante  el saborear el tiempo , esperanzado  hasta que  abres la puerta y vez. Los bien hechos objetos, o cargar con la cruel realidad de no pasar a través del fuego y empezar una nueva vuelta.

Lo que también veo en  esta clase de procesos son las grandes posibilidades hacia el futuro. Hay lugares que  no están  del todo  definidos debido al juego de diferentes materias involucradas en ellos. Esto da muchas nuevas experiencias moviéndose a través de la experimentación, mucho placer de controlar nuevas cosas.

También hay una valoración moviéndose hacia el futuro y creo que más indefinida, Hoy  todo dura tan poco tiempo porque se desgasta inmediatamente, hoy todas las cosas pueden ser lo mismo y eso es doloroso porque en este caso implica un gran esfuerzo para encontrar algo y darle un sentido personal a lo que es creado.

En estos últimos años el material que más frecuentemente he utilizado en mis trabajos es la plata. Aquí te envió imágenes de otros trabajos mas recientes con otro sentido. Me gustan porque implican el alcanzar nuevos resultados, llegar mas lejos en la versatilidad del material también extender las posibilidades expresivas. En el principio fue muy lento el aterrizarla manera de concretar la construcción del proceso, pero aparecieron caminos inesperados para llegar a la solución.

Me gusta mucho cuando se trata de encontrar una solución para algo tal vez no es posible y en cada paso que se da la  mente esta obsesionada con ello

También cuando encuentras la solución es como tener la magia que hace posible incluir objetos que no era compatibles antes, entonces tu extiendes las posibilidades para incluirlos , y también tomas más atención por ellos.

Ambos están realizados cocn red de metal (Plata 925) , estructura que es  fácil  de doblar

Los nombres de las piezas son:

• Brazalete “Curación de ademán”, plata 925  ,10 cm.10  cm. x 10 cm.   .
• Collar o corona ,”tetraedros”, Plata 925 ,50 cm. x 4 cm x 4 cm

Hasta ahora no estoy seguro aun como será la idea principal de mi trabajo, por el momento he seguido entrando a tu página, preguntándome y reflexionando algunas ideas que te enviare pronto.

También aquí te envió unas imágenes de cómo se veía el Zócalo de la Ciudad de México en las vacaciones de Navidad y Año Nuevo.

Saludo, escribo pronto.

Must be nice the Sunday event at the Stedelijk Museum in Schiedam Peter.

Is very attractive that image you send, pleasant to imagine that eco in relation with the kiln, the ceramic as a material that is first modeling, more plastic, and the transformation during the taste of the time hopping until you open the door and see. The well made objects, or carries the cruel reality of no past through the fire and start again the new round.

What I also see in this kind of processes are the big possibilities toward the future. There are places that are not yet defined because of the game of different subjects involved on them. This gives a lot new experiences going through the experimentation, a lot of pleasure to control new things.

Besides there is an appreciation going through the future, I think more indefinite. Today every thing survive so little time because is wear away immediately. Today everything can be the same and that is painful because in this cases imply a big effort to find something and give a personal sense to what is created.

In the last years the must frequent material used in my works is silver, here I send you images of another more recent works with a different sense.   I enjoy them because they imply to search, new results, get farther in the versatility of the material, also to extend the expressive possibilities. In the beginning was very slow to land the way of how to concrete the construction process, but unexpected path appear to get the solution.

I like a lot when you  try to find a solution of something that maybe is not possible and on every step is given, the mind is obsess with it, also when you find the solution  is like to have the magic that make posible to include objetct that where no compatible before ,then you extend the posibilities to include them  and beside you take more attention to them

The  names of this objects are:

Both are done as metallic network of metal (925 silver) structure easy to turned.

• Bracelet “Manner cure”, 925 silver, 30 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm

Necklace or crown, “tetraedros”, 925 silver, 50 cm x 4 cm x 4 cm

Until now I’m not sure how it will be the principal idea of my work. For the moment I continue opening your page reflecting and asking me some ideas, That I’ll send you soon.

Also I send you image of how it was the look of the Zócalo of Mexico City in this Christmas and New Year vacations.

Greetings, write soon.

Hi Eduardo,
How are you doing? Are you getting along with your work for WGA?

Last week I did find my slide projector and I scanned some of the slides, because I also wanted to show them with a lecture Valeria, Andrea, Jorge and I gave about the WGA project last Sunday. Jorge and I were showing both our work and also talked about our participation in this project.

I told you my first encounter with Mexico was ten years ago. I had made sure to be there during the Dia de los Muertos festivities. My slides therefore not only show many churches, saints and landscapes, but also stacks of skeletons, skulls, bones, graveyards and marigolds. Here are some:

Images familiar to you no doubt, but very new and impressive to me they were. I started the lecture with a slide of the Central Library building at the UNAM campus in your city. The building was in a book I had as a kid with the one hundred world wonders in it. So I absolutely had to see that wonder, which became Unesco World Heritage two years ago. I liked it and still like it very much. It looked so beautiful and the concept is also great. The building houses one of the largest collections in Mexico, over 400,000 books, and the murals that cover the library are made of tiles that come from all over the country, for the many colours needed.

We talked several times about the histories of both our countries, in the case of Mexico also a history that happened to be depicted in the murals of the Central Library. At the beginning of the blog you told you have a background as a painter. To my surprise you contributed to the mural paintings in the Copilco Metro station. This station I used together with many students when I was on my way to the Central Library building ten years ago. The station must have been work grounds for you for a certain period of time.

I agree with you that the achievements of modern science and technology enable miracles in themselves. To me it still can feel magical that I have been able to visit a place I wanted to see at the other side of the world. I’ve been brought there in a flying tube out of metal that’s climate and pressure controlled. An underground system rushed me to the building I wanted to see, that has modern achievements on one of it four walls.

Through you I meet with Mexico for a second time. This time it is not the religious and folkloristic Mexico I wanted to visit ten years ago, but the Mexico of an artist living in one of the largest cities in the world. We contact eachother through another wonder of technology: the internet. Something that wouldn’t be possible ten years ago. Here you tell me about your ideas, show me books and your work. I want to do something with the contrast between my first Mexican encounter and the second one with you. On the one hand the folkoristic, religious, historical Mexico and on the other the scientific, urban, educated Mexico. I want to capture them in one piece of jewellery. They are to be one.

Eduardo, all best and hope to hear from you. Peter

Hello Eduardo,
Thank you very much for taking and posting the close up pictures of your -Offering of one second for the Virgin-. What I thought to be religious medals are the outlines of the static images of the virgin taken from one second of film. I like it to have a closer look and also to read your thoughts behind it, because yes, we all form our own ideas around the images that reach our brain through the light waves that fall upon the lenses of our eyes. It is a miracle in itself when we all perceive those images as more or less the same concept, like in this case of the Virgin of Guadeloupe. Who, you tell, must have had a major contribution to the unification of what is now called Mexico: the Virgin is considered to be the mother of all Mexicans. The practice of having each part of this installation going its own way in the end in the form of an individual brooch beautifully corresponds with what you tell about the way each of us fills out what happens to us in daily life in a very personal way.

We humans can have the tendency to try to place phenomena that happen around us and which we find hard to understand into the realm of the supernatural. In a more or lesser extend we all do that. It is especially the case where large amounts of people find one another in the mutual adoration and belief in a divine being. I wonder why the story of the Virgin of Guadeloupe in particular turned out to have such a great recognition by the majority of the Mexican population.

Very clever those Spaniards to impose their religion upon other peoples by incorporating the ‘pagan’ sanctuaries and worship into the official faith. The church of Rome has also done this in christianizing this part of the world. I think all major world religions have done this in order to extend their influence. That explains the many regional differences in the practice of Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism. And they all may need these exceptional places of eternal beauty on this earth to have their centres.

When I was in Mexico I bought a small image that I have in my studio. I see it daily. I bought it because in some way it echoed the idea of a purgatory I grew up with and also because it tells about liberation. Nevertheless I had never seen a picture like this. The woman in the picture doesn’t seem to be hurt or tortured by the flames. I find it a strong image. Now the picture is on the wall near the kiln I fire my work in: the little purgatory where my objects turn from something out of loose powdery river clay into firm and lasting ceramics. Which is also a miracle in itself.

As you may have seen I love to work with ceramics, I just find the material beautiful. I started experimenting with it in 1994, and as a matter of fact I still am. I was not educated in ceramic design which may have its disadvantages in technical know-how, it also gives me a quite open approach of using it in jewellery. I like the plastic property of the material next to the often rigid materials like metals and stones we usually work with in the field of jewellery. With each collection I try to find new solutions in making vulnerable and breakable ceramics wearable. And in each new collection I am introducing new techniques. This way I keep learning about the material and this way working on my jewellery doesn’t become boring. Because I am trying out new ways of using ceramics in jewellery, during the experimental stages it is a surprise often what the work will look like when I open the kiln door. Did that glaze turn out okay? Was it the right temperature? Are these types of clay compatible? Etc, etc. Sometimes days and days of work may be completely destroyed in just a few hours of firing. So yes, I need a small saint next to my kiln! 
Also in my work for WGA I would like to use clay.

During the years I have been working as a jeweller I often heard the remark that my work looks like ethnographic jewellery. But when you ask people where they think it originates from then, they find that question very hard to answer. Which makes sense to me, because I can’t tell them either. It is something that is in fact not ethnical, because it has been made in the here and now. In that sense it is fully contemporary jewellery. That is looks ethnic undoubtedly has to do with the fact I am interested in the utensils of other peoples and often find amazement in the function they have and beauty in the way they were made. I use my own form elements however to achieve a similar eloquence. Repetition a major one of them. Natural materials and techniques used by peoples over thousands of years also one. And ceramics sure is!

I am thinking about making a necklace that looks like it may have been made by a Mexican (jeweller). Will Mexican people seeing it embrace it at something of their own of won’t they? This could be the same issue people have to deal with when they move somewhere else and try to adapt to their new environment, no matter how hard they try. Will they become part of the new land/identity or will they in some way always stay foreign? I tend to think the latter, because of not shared history together. In this way our dialogue is a great contribution to the work I am to make. You make me aware of a new history that is not mine. Thank you for that.

I am also curious what direction your plans for a piece of jewellery will go in our dialogue. Hope to hear from you soon. In the meantime be well. Peter

Hola Peter.

Disculpa por no enviarte antes detalles claros sobre esta pieza.

Esta idea surgió como consecuencia de una exposición conmemorativa sobre la Virgen de Guadalupe celebrada en Diciembre hace 4 años, en el 2006

A mi me atrajo la idea de establecer un juego con la misma relación que existe, entre un segundo de película de cine y sus imágenes estáticas para formarlo.El poder extender un segundo y revisar lo que sucede dentro de este, des configurar en  subpartes que pasando veloces, le dan  forma  a esta imagen. Partes estáticas  que pueden no ser semejantes a la que conocemos como la  imagen de la Virgen de Guadalupe.

La Virgen de Guadalupe es la imagen religiosa con el mayor número de feligreses  en México, existen  otras representaciones de La Virgen Marial relacionadas a su lugar  y modo de aparición, prodigios etc.  : la Virgen de la bala, la  Virgen de los Remedios, la Virgen de San Juan de los lagos, la Virgen  de Zapopan etc.   También existen representaciones de Cristo  como: El  Cristo del veneno, El Cristo de Chalma, etc. En todos los casos  estas imágenes están enlazadas a la narración de algún acontecimiento excepcional milagroso que relata su origen  y al que se le van sumando prodigios y milagros a lo largo del tiempo para con sus feligreses, esta participación  por la  devoción en  la imagen y lo que simboliza, es una puerta muy rica hacia la individualidad de las  experiencias y una  interpretación muy personal  de la realidad en cada caso.

Tanto los españoles como los diferentes pueblos prehispánicos siempre tuvieron gran devoción por sus dioses y en este encuentro violento  le fueron dando forma a estas imágenes.  Gran parte de los santuarios religiosos están localizados sobre antiguas poblaciones prehispánicas  y en específico sobre lo que fueron sus centros ceremoniales. Se establecieron  en este lugar los santuarios para evitar la orfandad como consecuencia de las cruzadas evangelizadoras, unifico  a pesar de  muchas diferencias que aun persisten,  a casi  toda la población en un solo culto católico

No todas estas imágenes han gozado de la misma adoración y su abandono en algunos casos se debe, a que la población devota se  desplazó a otra parte   como en el caso de la transición de la Nueva España al México independiente. Gran parte de la atracción que poseen aquellas muy fuertemente queridas como la Virgen  de Guadalupe se debe a la particularidad de ese relato milagroso que hace participe a un número grande de población.

Los  iconos religiosos son imágenes  que tocan el extremo de lo imposible posible, que uno vive a través  de su relato, en el que se evoca la esencia de lo divino, presencia de un tiempo eterno  detenido en esta realidad , protegen, estabilizan, pero también  limitan, evitando la sorpresa ante lo imposible posible más inmediato del presente.

Creo que lo que percibimos en el mundo, tiene que ver mucho con la relación que se establece entre los acontecimientos y el tiempo. Uno es lento para entender los acontecimientos. En muchos casos se sobre entiende la realidad en la que uno fluye. Existen momentos especiales en los que, lo que se supone, no es lo que sucede y, esto, sorprende,  espanta,  puede obsesionar, o ampliar nuestra atención, destrabando la mecánica de nuestras  suposiciones. Extender los límites del mundo que nos rodea. Ser más objetivo ante las diferencias del  mundo.

En el inicio los objetos dentro de la caja se dispusieron para formar toda la serie cerrada, pero con el tiempo he pensado que su uso como broches, extendería dentro de  la práctica, las  posibilidades del objeto en su conjunto,

Yo no me considero cristiano católico aunque parte de mi formación siempre tuvo una influencia en ese sentido. Por parte de mi abuela materna conocí en algunos períodos de mi infancia asistir a la misa. También me a tocado estar ,en alguna boda o acontecimiento excepcional. Ella si era católica y nos invitaba de pequeños a participar de estas  experiencias.  Eran momentos especiales en los que jugaba con mis primos también reflexionar en el evangelio algunas veces doloroso siendo niño sentir el vivir tan extremamente.

Los templos y santuarios siempre son imponentes  y como bien dices, su localización casi siempre es  extraordinaria, cerca de manantiales, con vistas  excepcionales, como si parte del reino de lo eterno aterrizara aquí en la tierra. Es muy atrayente conocer la historia de estos lugares y entender  la dinámica de su función y formas. Tal vez es necesario construir sobre una estructura sólida de reglas ideales.  Si yo  dijera que no creo que  dios  existe me sorprendería mas al  verme aquí, viajando en este planeta hacia algún punto del universo junto  todo nosotros y los demás seres vivos en condiciones tan sutiles como tan solo unos pocos kilómetros de biosfera junto a miles de millones de kilómetros sin vida   y con nuestros 36.5 º C de temperatura  corporal  arriba en un coche o en un avión a 800 Km /h, Pero también sentimos  por medio del cuerpo tenues vibraciones como lo que vemos en la luz. Y probablemente más de lo que podemos suponer.

Peter, tratare de ser más conciso y rápido en los siguientes correos, Gracias por los buenos deseos de navidad y año nuevo. Yo también te deseo lo mismo y que todo sea grandioso  en el futuro.

Hello Peter

I’m sorry for not send you before clear details of this work.

This idea come as a consequence of a memorial exhibition for the Guadalupe Virgin  celebrated in December, four years ago, in 2006

My attraction was to establish a game with the same relation that exist between one second of a movie picture and their static images that give form to it. To extend a second and revise what it happens inside. On configure sub parts that go fast giving shape to this image. Static parts that could not by similar to what we know as the image of the Guadalupe Virgin

The Guadalupe Virgin is the religious image with more number of worshippers in Mexico, their exist other representation of Mary related to their place and way of appearing, prodigies etc : La Virgen de los Remedios, La Virgen de la Bala , Virgen de San Juan de los Lagos, La Virgen de Zapopan , etc. Also are representations of Christ: El Cristo del Veneno, El Cristo de Chalma, etc. In all cases, this images are connected to the narration of an exceptional miraculous happening that relate his origin and to whom his prayers add miracles and prodigies along the time, this participation for the image devotion and what it means, is a very rich door to the individuality of the experiences and a very personal interpretation of the reality in each case.

Many of the religious sanctuaries are located upon the ancient prehispanic populations and specifically on where it was their ceremonial center. They established the sanctuary in this place to solve the orphanage as a consequence of the evangelist crusade , this unify ,even a lot of differences that still persist , almost al  the population in one catholic cult  .

Not all this images enjoy the same worship and his abandon is because its prayer population goes to another part, like in the period of transition of the New Spain to the independent Mexico, when the Spanish population born in Spain goes.

The attraction of the very well loved images as Guadalupe Virgin, is because the particularity of that miraculous narration that gives enter to a big number of population

The religious icons are images that touch the extreme of the impossible possible that is inside the narration in which is evocate the divine essence, presence of an eternal time in this reality, they protect, stabilize, but also put limits  to avoid  the surprise and the impossible possible more close of the present.

I think that what we perceive in the world has to by very much with the relation that is established between the happenings and the time. We are slow to understand the happenings, in many cases the reality were we flow is super understand. There are special moments in which what we suppose is not what it happens , and this cause  surprise , frighten , could become an obsession ,or unfetter our attention of  the mechanic of our suppositions. Extend the limits of the world that surround us, being more objective to the differences of the world.

In the beginning the objects in the box were disposed to form a closed series, but by the time I think that they can be use as brooches, extending in the practice the possibilities of the whole object.

I don’t consider my self as a Christian catholic, even though parts of my formation always have an influence in this way.  From the part of my grandmother mothers, I know what it was to be in the mass during my childhood, also in other time during wedding or other occasions .My grand mother really was catholic and invites us to participate of these experiences. There were special moments to play with my cousins, also to reflect about the gospel, sometimes painful being child, feel to live so extremely

The ancient temples and sanctuaries are always imposing and as you well said  their locations are always extraordinary ,near spring of water , exceptional views, as if part of the of the eternity  reign ,land here on the earth. Very attractive know about the history of this places and understand the dynamic of his function and forms.   Maybe is necessary to built upon a solid structure of ideal rules,

If I said that I don’t believe that god exist, I will be more surprise to see me here traveling in this planet to some point of the universe altogether with other kind of life and within so subtle conditions as being just in a few kilometers of biosphere next to thousands of millions with out life   and with our 36.5 ºC degrees of corporal temperature up in a car or an airplane at 800 km/h, But also we feel because of the body tenuous vibrations like what we see on light and probably more than what we suppose.

Peter, I will tray be more concise and fast on the next posts, thank you for the good wishes of Christmas and New Year. I also wish you the same and that every thing will be great in the future.