Pompeii, Campania

2006

Archival Inkjet Print

Last night I went to an artist talk in conjunction with a photography exhibition by Brett Kallusky.  The images he captured while spending time in  southern Italy on a  Fulbright grant a few years ago had a stark dreaminess to them and were quite lovely to see.  But my favorite part of the evening was his mention of the oh so Italian manner of festina lente.  I’ve heard this wonderful phrase before which means to hurry slowly, and was delighted to be reminded of it on a most spectacular spring evening.

I’m experiencing a lot of impatience lately.  In the studio as well as in my life in general.  I’m happy to be where I am, but I am anxious for the next thing. Consequently, I’ve found myself pushing in ways that are not really fruitful…pushing a bit against time and real circumstances in an effort to dodge the uncomfortabelness of uncertainty.

Surely spring will bring on the real warmth of summer.   The ambiguity of my experimentations in the studio will soon lead somewhere.  And certainly some sort of clarity and resolve will arrive.  But until the process is complete, I am happy to be reminded to festina lente.  In fact, I think it shall be my mantra for the next little while.

Though I did not have the clarity and intention that festina lente provides, the glories of springtime have been slowing me a bit and I’ve been bringing lots of flowers indoors.    Filling vases and  enjoying  bringing the outdoors in.  Last week, lilacs filled my home with fragrance, and now the delicious sweetness of lily of the valley greet me when I open my door.  I love their smell, but I almost love better cutting their tiny little stalks, thinking of Thumbelina.  And today, I love that this simple act that brings me so much pleasure is a very easy way for me to be a little bit Italian and  move in a  festina lente kind of way.  

There is a hot wind blowing strong today in Minneapolis.  There are moments when it is snowing elm seeds in my yard.  In an effort to slow the hurry, I lingered a little longer at home this morning, spending some extra time in the green and bloom of my garden!    

(Maybe soon I will learn to collage digitally!)

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