I headed back to the Clark because it was my last chance to see the installation of Jennifer Steinkamp’s video works. I was sorry I hadn’t gone earlier but I’m so glad I didn’t miss it. It wasn’t what I was expecting for some reason and it was hard not to keep watching the wall-size works. Two really grabbed me – Diaspora which started as as interesting composition of branches and things and then they began to move through the virtual space, running into the boundaries of the walls and corners and breaking into lots of small parts (the description mentioned the dispersal of spores) and then reversing path and gathering up again into a composition. The other, Blind Eye, was a head-on view of birch tree trunks that light played over and then a rotation of seasons, dropping leaves, slowly then quickly, moving and swaying with wind, budding and forming catkins and leafing out and then yellowing and dropping the leaves again.
I had thought to do some painting but as I set out from the car it was very misting so I stopped at the closest picnic table ready to dash back to the car.
Then I tried one that showed the scene more accurately and the sun came out.
Then I thought about going up the hill, stopped at the bottom to do a really quick sketch and it began to rain. Went and had dinner with Mom instead.
Wonderful, adventurous day. Your description of the video with the birches helped me see them and made me want to see it. I feel like I followed you in the mist and, blessedly, the sun, then the rain, anticipating brushstrokes, and, then, the wonderful decision to have dinner with your Mom. Great choice!