Tag: seattle

by jad

IN BLOOM: Desperate Refusal

“Utopia, for me, is a beyond; an earthly beyond. I hesitate to say “mundane”. Because the world today identifies itself with this world: precisely what repels me and which pushes me to search for a world beyond. I feel close therefore to any transcendent measure or dimension. Without identifying with the theological forms that it takes, I find here, and I use, a form of thinking, and a form of speaking, with a political dimension, which metaphorically, or allegorically, alludes to something other than what is here, to something other than that. Even if only in this choice, there is … Continue reading “IN BLOOM: Desperate Refusal” →

by jad

IN BLOOM: Ghostly Alignment

I had the opportunity to try acupuncture for the first time this weekend; I long ago unpacked the biases that name some medicines “alternative” and some sciences “pseudo,” but I was yet to go under the needle, so to speak, and experience the deconstruction (or reintegration) for myself. I was nervous. Not only because I’m actually a touch sensitive and pain averse wimp, but because this particular practice was more than poking and prodding; there was going to be talk involved too, and I was bursting at the seams with things to say. Lucky for me, this practitioner is the … Continue reading “IN BLOOM: Ghostly Alignment” →

by jad

IN BLOOM: Unrepentant Authenticity

I finally found a good excuse to visit @georgetownsteamplant today. A breathtaking structure and amazing space for art activation. I don’t think this rotary phone was part of the exhibit, but I guess it counts as an art activation in these shots. The challenge and opportunity of an art activation in a space like this is to blend pieces into their surroundings without being completely subsumed. I found the curation in this show quite masterful, though my gaze betrayed the contours of object and field. And that’s probably why it was designed to be set up and broken down on … Continue reading “IN BLOOM: Unrepentant Authenticity” →

by jad

Grove of the Grievers

“I’ll never stop looking for a signGive me a signGive me a sign I’ll never stop looking for a signGive me a signGive me a sign I’ll never stop looking for a signGive me a signGive me a sign.” Every year for the past several, I come to this retreat and hope for a reset, and every year it feels hollow or incomplete. This year is not radically different, but a shift has undeniably happened as well. A shift in me but also a shift in the things that have trapped me in this cycle of hope and frustration—a shift … Continue reading “Grove of the Grievers” →

by jad

Let My Mouth Be Ever-Fresh With Praise

“Each morning newEach day shot throughWith all the sharp, small shards of shrapnelThat seem to burst out of me and you. Head down toward KansasWe will get there when we get there,don’t you worryFeel bad about the things we do along the wayBut not really that badWe inhaledthe frozen airLord, send me a mechanicif I’m not beyond repair.“ I wrote copy in the recent past that evoked the notion of “Seattle nice.” Maybe you’ve seen it. The idea was to grab the attention of the connection and community starved in this city and invite them to a thing that would … Continue reading “Let My Mouth Be Ever-Fresh With Praise” →

by jad

May Day

Today was May Day. This was a sign left over from the massive rally and march that took place here during the day—I’m not sure how so many could take the day off work, but I’m glad. I, however, joined the after-hours crew for the 5 o’clock shift at a much smaller rally. I even got to use a bullhorn after all these years. Here’s a little from what I had to say today: Looking around, I want to cry out in the words of Alfred Hayes, who wrote: Into the streets May First!Into the roaring Square!Shake the midtown towers!Shatter … Continue reading “May Day” →

by jad

Easter Day

“After August 1945, the USA launching two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we became aware that we can self-annihilate. That risk has increased with the arms race, including nine nations, with chemical and biological weapons and some 16,000 nuclear warheads. The current war between Russia and Ukraine made Putin threaten the use of nuclear weapons, bringing the apocalyptic fear of the end of the human species. In this scenario, how to celebrate the greatest feast of Christendom which is Easter, the resurrection of the Crucified, Jesus of Nazareth? Resurrection must not be understood as the reanimation of a dead … Continue reading “Easter Day” →

by jad

This is Tariffcore

You might have heard of recession pop, but do you fw tariffcore? In the spirit of the times, I recently “splurged” on the cheapest Chinese tech for the absolute lowest price I could find for the biggest hype. This is supposed to be “4K” and “60 megapixels”—i.e. more than my most expensive photography purchase to date, my Fujifilm XT4—which is a claim so hilariously audacious, you have to love it. Chairman Mao would be so proud. President Trump would call it genius. This is legitimately the worst camera I’ve ever seen. It’s even worse than my PowerShot from 2007. You … Continue reading “This is Tariffcore” →

by jad

It is Absolutely Refreshing to be Militantly Cringe

What if you spent less time worrying about which of the things you like is cringe and just liked those things more intensely instead? I’ve always liked cautionary tales like House of Leaves because they reminded me of me and the need to check my obsessions, but as all true believers will tell you, there’s something religious about excessive devotion. We started talking about that because I’d just come out from giving a talk where I’d mentioned my feeling of kinship with James Acord, the artist born in the year of “Hiroshima” (just like I was born in the year … Continue reading “It is Absolutely Refreshing to be Militantly Cringe” →

by jad

Fragile Frames

The tension between slowing down and keeping up the fight; between becoming useful and being left the hell alone; between caring less and caring so much more. That’s what how this feels. Like springtime in Seattle: the tension between two fronts. There’s a season for all things; a time for expansion and a time for contraction; a time for exploration and a time to make up your mind; a time to think and a time to act. That’s how this feels. Like an inflection point. A nonlinear timeline in the upper-left corner. “Do you feel fragmented?” A friend asked me … Continue reading “Fragile Frames” →