architecture.arqhys.com/architects/antoniobonet-biography...

ANTONIO BONET. In 1942, Bonet participates in the constitution of the Organization of the Integral House in the Argentine Republic. The idea of the formation of its work ties it with the ideas suggested by Him Corbusier throughout the process of preparation of the Plan of Buenos Aires. "the routine servitude of conception submissive the outsider does not exist any worthy of consideration argument seriously nor even in that some Argentineans live" So that the initial note of a universal modulation does not take place in our country, whose hope appears in the immediate perspective of the world: on the area in catastrophe of the cities martyred by the war, the genius of the man already begins to project the new forms of the human coexistence. On the contrary, the essential circumstance of our historical youth and the one of our adventurous peace, locate to us in the moral obligation to create new forms of life anticipating us to whatever of project and of dream it even subsists in a world of towns in flames and ruins. This thought of Bonet, is taken from the N° Notebook 1 of OVRA, titled Study of the Contemporary Problems for the organization of the integral house in the Argentine Republic. Without a doubt, the text gathers part of the optimism of the Austral Group. But while this one was directed to the architects and its problems, in the OVRA manifesto the horizon is ampler, next to certain discovered nonfree of messianism of the American, coincident with other similar initiatives in other places of the continent.

 

Reflections of Antonio Bonet on the architecture: "the architectonic elements that will form the new city will be formed by a series, numerous, of structures little systematized. Those structures will be able to arrive to the maximum from their aesthetic, technical perfection and economic, since besides to be placed in free lands, its study must be based on the progressive improvement of such types, so as it has become in the great architectures of the past. Within those structures, that will be the expression of the effort of the social man, to obtain the order and the harmony of its time, never will be obtained to a freedom reached after the development of the life of the man like individual, and the one of its institutions. It is well certain that we are even far from that stage, But does not fit doubt that once demonstrated that the modern buildings can be developed in simple structures, more and more seemed to each other, it will make the importance powerful of this system. Those buildings will be used and the equipped for but diverse uses, without aging with it, although they will have to work at a time whose social programs, industrial, etc., are in permanent evolution. I am going to finish with the confession of my conviction of which to group the programs for the unification of the structures, is something enormously difficult, but some is no doubt that it is the way that will take us forms to the true architectonic of our time. in that the diverse social programs will be developed freely, cultural hygienic, etc., that must form the structure of the new society.

This morning we made the valentine cards for her preschool class, and she colored some hearts that Wave Of Modulation gave her.

I did not ask her to pose this way.

The Dirty Carter Electronic Sound Generating Instrument was designed by John Richards (Dirty Electronics) and Chris Carter from legendary Industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle. It was produced for a special performance by Carter and the 25 strong Dirty Electronics Ensemble in 2010. It was originally designed as a touch controlled instrument with the player's skin resistance completing the circuit. This hard wired modification by A.S.M.O. gives more control and predictability by wiring all to the touch contacts to pots and switches. An additional low pass resonant filter has been added, LFO and an external CV socket for filter modulation.

The case is made of stained ply and the front panel is covered with black leatherette.

Late 1950s radio, manufactured in the first year of UK FM radio broadcasts. At the time, the FM band was limited to 88-100 MHz, with 100-108 used for government uses.

The styling is similar to Grundig, Metz, Bush, Murphy and other European manufacturers of the period - close to the final, and near-universal, European style before the transition to transistors.

AM (long wave and medium wave) and FM (88-100 MHz).

Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

 

The 858 West End Avenue House is one of an intact group of four residences designed by the architectural firm of Schneider & Herter and built by the firm of Schneider & Company as a speculative venture. 1 The rowhouse group is the sole surviving example of a type of site planning used on several comer plots along West End Avenue in the early 1890s where a group of houses facing the Avenue featured a prominent comer house and an additional house was built facing the side street behind the Avenue-facing houses. Treated as the centerpiece of the rehouse group, the comer house at No. 858 West End Avenue is representative of the many larger comer houses with side entrances and comer towers which once stood on West End Avenue. The group of residences was built in 1892-93 during the first period of intense residential development for the comfortable professional class along the northern portion of West End Avenue where the suburban qualities of landscaped streets, the views of the Hudson River, and the amenities of nearby Riverside Park created a desirable residential area. The 858 West End Avenue House is distinguished by ornament characteristic of the mannerist aesthetic of the firm of Schneider & Herter, the juxtaposition of contrasting textures of rough, smooth-faced, and carved brownstone, and the emphasis on a lively roof line punctuated by a bell-shaped tower and chimneys. The quality and distinctiveness of the Queen Anne/Romanesque Revival style design of the 858 West End Avenue House reflects the desire for individuality in the appearance of houses within rowhouse groups and is representative of the eclectically-styled residential architecture of West End Avenue dating from the 1890s.

  

Development of the Upper West Side

 

Despite its long history beginning soon after the colonial Dutch settlement, the Upper West Side, known as Bloomingdale prior to its urbanization, remained largely undeveloped until the 1880s. In the early eighteenth century, Bloomingdale Road (later renamed the Boulevard and finally Broadway in 1898) was opened through rural Bloomingdale and provided the northern route out of the city which was then concentrated in the southern tip of Manhattan. The Upper West Side was included in the Randel Survey of 1811 (known as the Commissioners' Map) which established a uniform grid of avenues and cross streets in Manhattan as far north as 155th Street, although years elapsed before streets on the Upper West Side were actually laid out, some as late as the 1870s and 1880s, and the land was subdivided into building lots.

 

The city grew rapidly northward during the nineteenth century, but it was not until after Central Park (a designated New York City Scenic landmark) was laid out in 1857 that development began around the perimeter of the Park, setting off the first wave of real estate speculation on the Upper West Side.

 

Improved public transportation to the area contributed to the growth and sustained development of the Upper West Side. By 1880 the horse car line on Eighth Avenue had been replaced by street rail service up to 125th Street and the Elevated Railway on Ninth Avenue (renamed Columbus Avenue in 1890) had been completed. However, the biggest boost to the development of the West End (the area west of Broadway) was the creation, between 1876 and 1900, of Riverside Drive and Park (a designated New York City Scenic Landmark) located north of 72nd Street along the Hudson River. The presence of the park and drive, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, was an important factor in making this area desirable for high-quality residential development.

 

Development of the Wast End began slowly, due, to a large degree, to the hesitation of would-be residents, but by 1885 it had emerged as the area in the city experiencing the most intense real estate speculation. The expectation that the blocks along Riverside Drive and West End Avenue would be lined with mansions kept the value of these lots, as well as adjacent land, consistently higher and developers were willing to wait to realize profits from the potentially valuable sites. The real estate developers, including the West End Association, founded in 1884 by the prominent developer, W.E.D. Stokes, ultimately stimulated the demand for houses in the West End. Real estate brochures and the local press drew attention to the area, emphasizing the scenic quality of the setting, the nearness of parks, and the availability of public transportation.

 

West End Avenue (formerly Eleventh Avenue) was opened in 1880 from 72nd Street to 106th street and was paved with asphalt by 1893. West End Association members set twenty-year restrictive covenants governing West End Avenue which closed the avenue to commercial traffic and initially limited development to single-family houses, thus enhancing the desirability of the residential area. By 1890 the character of the avenue had emerged as completely residential and was promoted as a suburban-like setting with such amenities as grass plots and trees along the sidewalks. The absence of flats and apartment houses on the avenue provided the opportunity for various treatments of the comers with rowhouses and larger attached residences.

 

In the mid-1880s the most attractive areas for development along West End Avenue were located near the El stations and along the higher elevations of the hilly avenue. Construction of mid-size rowhouses, rather than the more grand type of mansions originally projected for West End Avenue, began in 1885 near 104th Street which was convenient to a Ninth Avenue El station and by 1895 the high plateau between West 99th and 104th Streets had been built up with three- and four-story rowhouses. The architectural tone of these private residences was set by the presence of costly mansions such as the W.F. Foster residence at 102th Street and Riverside Drive and the Bacon residence at 104th Street and Riverside Drive.

 

The Schneider & Company's Houses

 

The site at the northeast corner of West 102nd Street and West End Avenue appears to have been first sold for development purposes in 1881 and at that time an open-ended restrictive covenant was initiated which prevented the construction of a variety of commercial and industrial buildings. The property changed hands several times before Hannah O'Brien filed plans in 1890 to build five three-story limestone-fronted houses designed by Andrew Spence; within a year O'Brien lost control of the property and this project was abandoned.

 

Two New York architects, Ernest W. Schneider and Henry Herter, along with two partners — John Fish, a previous client, and Eugene Schultz— acquired the property and soon after filed plans for the construction of a group of four three-story residences with raised basements. Beside the comer house, facing West End Avenue, are two narrow houses, nearly identical in design. Situated across the rear of the three West End Avenue houses, facing West 102nd Street and enclosing the yard area, the fourth house has a freestanding side facade. The houses, built between May, 1892, and April, 1893, were appropriately finished on the interior with decorative mantels, hardwood trim, and horseshoe openings ornamented with fretwork dividing the music rooms from the parlors, as well as up-to-date plumbing and utility areas. The placement of the stairhall in the center of each house permitted large full-width front rooms on the upper floors.

 

The first house to be sold in the rowhouse group was No. 856 West End Avenue. In 1895 the remaining houses were divided among the investors and Schneider & Herter acquired title to No. 858 West End Avenue. The house was sold in 1897 but title reverted to Schneider & Herter in 1898; they soon resold the house. No. 854 West End Avenue had been sold in 1895 and the West 102nd Street House was sold in 1896.

 

The Schneider & Company development venture is the sole surviving example of a site development pattern that emerged on West End Avenue in which large comer parcels were purchased for the construction of rowhouse groups. By decreasing the depth of the avenue-facing houses, an additional house could be built on the plot facing the side street; the plan worked to the advantage of the developer who sought a maximum return on the expensive West End Avenue lots. Slightly larger and more prestigious comer houses, with highly visible design features such as comer towers, were characteristic of this site development plan. This scheme was particularly favored in the early 1890s when the area between 99th and 104th streets was developed. Rowhouse groups facing West End Avenue, with a side street-facing house (or houses) across the rear of these lots, were built at the southeast comers of West End Avenue and 99th, 100th, 102nd, and 103rd Streets; all of the groups except the Schneider & Company group have been demolished.

 

The rowhouse group at the southeast comer of 103rd Street and West End Avenue, designed by M.V.B. Ferdon in 1891, included five houses facing West End Avenue and one facing 103rd Street; only the house facing West 103rd Street remains standing. Another group of houses designed by M.V.B. Ferdon and built by Increase Grenell in 1892 at the northwest comer of West End Avenue and 104th Street (demolished) included a comer house very similar to the Schneider & Company house, featuring the entrance near the center of the 104th Street facade.

 

Picturesque Architecture on West End Avenue

 

Curing the intense period of rowhouse development on the Upper West Side, from 1885 to 1900, residential design was dominated by a reaction to the conformity and homogeneity of older Italianate style brownstone rowhouses found elsewhere in the city. The first wave of development along West End Avenue in the period between 1885 and 1895 produced a number of individually-designed houses and speculatively-built, yet distinctive, rowhouse groups which, along with houses in the West End as a whole, represent the culmination of single-family house construction in Manhattan. Many of the most prominent architects working in New York City designed these residences, often for speculative developers who invested in the area. The residences designed for West End Avenue were characteristic of the picturesque eclecticism of late-nineteenth-century architecture, drawing from a wide variety of stylistic sources and expressing the desire of architects and clients for originality, variety, and novelty in residential architecture.

 

There was a movement away from smooth brownstone as a facing material and a new emphasis on the sculptural and textural qualities of surfaces, as well as on the mixture of colors and materials.

 

Unusual, picturesque house design on West End Avenue had been initiated by the construction of two groups of houses with a "Dutch" flavor in 1885-86, designed by Frederick B. White and McKim, Mead & White. Clarence True and other architects continued to design residences for West End Avenue in unusual and picturesque revival styles which were executed with a high-degree of artistic experimentation. Strong rhythmic patterns, asymmetrical massing, and a lively streetscape were created by the profusion of bowfronts, bay and oriel windows, gables, turrets, chimneys, dormers, cornices, stoops, and ornamentation associated with the popular Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival styles as well as more exotic revival styles. These later rowhouses on West End Avenue, and throughout the Upper West Side, unlike their Italianate brownstone predecessors from earlier in the nineteenth century, were purposely designed to be distinguished from one another, while together forming visually coherent ensembles.

 

The houses designed by Schneider & Herter are representative of this picturesque design movement, and although based on the common hybrid of the Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival styles they are enlivened by unusual carved ornament. The treatment of each of the four houses individually within the easily recognizable group provided the architects with the opportunity to create variations on a theme. The high degree of modulation in the plane of the facades, through the use of recessed entrances as well as projecting bay windows and balconies (which afforded views of the river and park) adds depth and grandeur to the rowhouse designs. Schneider & Herter explored the range of surface effects achievable from smooth-faced and rough-cut brownstone, and incorporated both geometric and figural carving of the material.

 

The repetition of several ornamental elements unites the houses, including paired stringcourses, gridded panels of rough-faced stone, chamfered window surrounds in the smooth-faced facades, sheet-metal panels at the roofline, and elements of the carved stone program. The two smaller West End Avenue houses are identical except for the shape and detailing of the window openings. No. 858 West End Avenue has recessed balconies at the parlor and second stories that relate the comer house to the West End Avenue houses, while the longer West 102nd Street frontage is visually linked to the house at 254 West 102nd Street through the repetition of unusual columns flanking the entrances and the carved panels at the roofline. The round comer tower with a bell-shaped roof serves as the centerpiece of the group.

 

The design of picturesque rowhouses in New York was influenced by trends in the design of architectural ornament in the later nineteenth century, a time when ornament was treated by many architects as an opportunity for creative experimentation. European theorists such as Owen Jones, James K. Collings, and Christopher Dresser encouraged an abstract interpretation of vegetation executed with an emphasis on geometricized form and their publications influenced designers in the United States. At the same time, technological change also influenced the design of ornament. The availability of steam-powered tools encouraged the use of bold, machine-cut ornament while the growing use of terra cotta prompted the design of intricate ornament that could be easily reproduced.

 

The popularity of several revival styles, and the inventive blending of these styles, encouraged the architect/designer to adopt an individualized aesthetic in the design of architectural ornament. This trend can be seen in the abstracted naturalistic ornament developed by such recognized American innovators as Frank Fumess and Louis H. Sullivan, as well as in the pioneering work of architects like Henry Hobson Richardson, who developed a highly personal style drawing on Romanesque sources. Many architects working in New York City also developed identifiable personal styles, such as clarence True with his interpretation of the "Elizabethan Renaissance Revival" style.

 

Schneider & Herter developed a somewhat idiosyncratic and mannerist aesthetic characterized by a lack of reverence for the traditional placement of ornament, an unexpected combining of architectural styles, and asymmetry in the composition of facades and their detailing; these characteristics appear in the firm's early designs for tenements, rowhouses and synagogues. In the ornamental programs of several buildings, including the 858 West End Avenue House, Schneider & Herter combined incised, machine-cut ornament— recalling the earlier Neo-Grec style of incised ornament — with both abstracted naturalistic designs and romantic figurative carving. An uncommon approach to the composition and placement of ornament appears in the design of the entrance where the architects combined pilasters with the projecting balcony above to suggest an entrance portico.

 

Two flattened engaged baluster forms, with incised horizontal bands and necks at the bottom, are topped by capitals with carved shell forms above inscribed circles; animal masks extend from the upper portion of plain blocks above the capitals that support the projecting balcony. Framing the door to the east is a variation on this form, a cylindrical baluster with a capital, different from the flanking ones, of stalky acanthus leaves above which an elongated console bracket supports the balcony. A more subtle example of Schneider & Herter's unusual ornamental treatment appears in the placement of carved stones in the upper courses of the rusticated basement to cap undefined piers.

 

The Corner House on West End Avenue

 

The corner house type evolved on West End Avenue in response to the restrictive covenants that limited construction on this avenue to single-family dwellings, a departure from the development pattern found throughout much of the Upper West Side where flats or tenements were built on Avenue frontage and rowhouses were reserved for the side streets. Architects took advantage of the comer sites to punctuate the West End Avenue streetscape with slightly larger and often taller residences at the ends of blocks, which were often designed with comer towers or curved comer bays, whether built as "centerpieces" of rowhouse groups or as individual buildings. While a tower enhanced the presence of the comer residence, the house was often designed with an entrance near the center of the side street facade rather than a grand Avenue-facing entrance.

 

This was done for interior planning considerations, facilitating the placement of the stairhall near the center of the house which permitted full-width rooms at the front of the house.

 

Most of the comer houses built on West End Avenue were demolished during the redevelopment of the Avenue with apartment houses. Surviving examples of comer houses with side street entrances include the individually-designed and -built 520 West End Avenue (Leech) Residence (1892, a designated New York City landmark), the 858 West End Avenue House, the 560 West End Avenue House (1889-90, in the Riverside-West End Historic District), and several houses in the West End-Collegiate Historic District near the southern end of West End Avenue.

 

The 858 West End Avenue House has characteristics similar to many of these comer houses. The curved comer bay, topped with a bell-shaped roof and originally, a tall finial, extends a story above the other houses in the rowhouse group and serves as a focal point for the group. The roofline, highly visible in the avenue streetscape, features several tall chimneys, pinnacles, and a carved panel. The house is slightly longer than the adjacent houses, although the rear portion of the house is only two stories in height and forms a terrace at the rear, replicating the characteristic form of a rowhouse with a rear extension; a recessed porch with a service entrance at the end bay serves as an extension of the adjacent yard area. The presence of the entrance bay in the long street facade is enhanced by pilasters which frame the entrance, the recessed balcony at the second story, and the window group. A decorative panel extending above the roofline further provides a vertical counterpoint to the long facade.

 

Schneider & Herter

 

Ernest W. Schneider and Henry Herter began an architectural partnership in New York City around 1887; within a very short time they had a thriving business designing tenements, flats, and industrial buildings, primarily on the Lower East Side. Schneider & Herter worked repeatedly for a group of German-Jewish clients with ethnic backgrounds similar to theirs, the most prominent of whom were the real estate developers Jonas Weil and Bernard Mayer for whom the architects designed a number of multiple dwellings. This association led to the firm's commission for the Park East Synagogue, 163 East 67th Street (1889-90, a designated New York City Landmark), which Weil financed and led as president of the congregation. Schneider & Herter also designed Congregation Kol Israel Arshi at 20-22 Forsyth Street (1892, now owned by the Hellenic Orthodox Community).

 

The firm of Schneider & Herter had acted as architect-developers prior to its venture on the Upper West Side as Schneider & Co., designing and building a pair of French flats at 731-735 East 5th Street in 1890-91 and a French flat at 233-35 Delancey Street in 1891-92; the firm began a warehouse project at 141 West Broadway in 1893. Schneider & Herter later erected a five-story apartment building at 79-81 Perry Street in 1895 (in addition to designing several other buildings now within the Greenwich Village Historic District) and a pair of flats buildings at 309 and 317 West 93rd Street in 1901-02 (within the Riverside-West End Historic District).

 

The West End Avenue-102nd Street project was a departure from Schneider & Herter's usual work designing multiple dwellings, and was among the firm's first projects on the Upper West Side. Many of the firm's more than 100 multiple dwellings in Manhattan no longer stand, but those remaining exhibit the firm's individualistic approach to the use of ornament and facade compositions often featuring round-arched windows characteristic of the Romanesque Revival style.

 

Description

 

The comer house of the group of the four houses built by Schneider & Company, with the address of 858 West End Avenue, has a narrow seventeen-foot vide West End Avenue facade and a seventy-two-foot long 102nd Street facade. The house has three stories above a basement and is of brick construction with a brownstone veneer, rusticated at the basement and smooth-faced on the stories above. Dominating the design is an engaged cylindrical comer tower, which rises an additional story and is capped by a bell-shaped roof. The entrance bay, located in the center of the West 102nd Street facade, is emphasized by the use of a box stoop leading to the parlor-story entrance which is recessed behind engaged pilasters and surmounted by a shallow bow-fronted balcony.

 

A recessed balcony at the second story, an arched window group at the third story, and a carved panel with a lion head, which rises above the cornice and conceals the termination of the mansard portion of the roof, make this bay an important vertical counterpoint to the horizontal composition of the house that is accentuated by paired stringcourses. Rock-faced gridded panels in the upper portion of the third story, just below the classically-detailed cornice, add to the picturesque quality of the roof line; the mansard portion of the roof is covered with patterned sheet metal and the sheet-metal cornice is ornamented with sunflower motifs. The carved detailing of the house repeats forms used on other houses in the group, furthering the ensemble quality.

 

The first and second stories are extended in an additional curved bay at the eastern end of the 102nd Street facade, creating an open balcony at the third story. A short column and an implied pier with a carved impost block support the segmental arch (with a wrought iron gate) of the recessed service porch under this bay. A similar gate under an arch spans the entry to the rear yards between the comer house and No. 254 West 102nd Street. Beyond the curved return of the extension, the eastern elevation of the house is faced with brick, as is the eastern wall of the third story.

 

Alterations include the replacement of the original double-hung wood sash with aluminum sash and the panning of the original frames; the circular window next to the main entrance and the elliptical windows flanking the door in the bay above the main entrance remain unchanged. Two tall chimneys, pinnacles, and an elongated finial from the tower roof have been removed. The basement-level window grilles and the cast-iron fence on the areaway wall appear to have been added at an early date.

 

- From the 1990 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report

We are as clouds that veil the midnight moon;

How restlessly they speed, and gleam, and quiver,

Streaking the darkness radiantly! -- yet soon

Night closes round, and they are lost for ever.

 

Or like forgotten lyres, whose dissonant strings

Give various response to each varying blast,

To whose frail frame no second motion brings

One mood or modulation like the last.

 

We rest. -- A dream has power to poison sleep;

We rise. -- One wandering thought pollutes the day;

We feel, conceive or reason; laugh or weep;

Embrace fond woe, or cast our cares away:

 

It is the same! -- For, be it joy or sorrow,

The path of its departure still is free:

Man's yesterday may ne'er be like his morrow;

Nought may endure but Mutability

 

--Shelley

Had a bit test of the WS8021 controlled LED strip in adverse conditions. It coped well enough with the ambient light, and there are about 6 streetlights at this spot.

 

Got questioned by the constabulary, as often happens at this spot.

Gryffin 95.

Screature

live at Witch Room in Sacramento

 

For the last few years, Screature have been one of our city's best bands both live and on record. Singer Liz has imperious command of her voice which she can deepen and flatten with amazing sustainability like a young Grace Slick or Siouxsie Sioux. The all-lady drum-organ rhythm section creates a deep, lush, velvety pocket for Liz's voice and Chris' guitar which achieves a killer mindmeld of Helios Creed's psych-punk snarl and Geordie's deft modulation.

 

On this night, they scrapped their entire songbook which has been their live staple since their first show, also heard on their excellent and only LP (so far). They debuted an entire batch of new songs, and OMG....they're even better than the first! Now they're about to take 'em on the road. If they come near you, you oughta go!

 

This was probably their biggest hit with audiences so far...

"Siren"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQvFEtRtdj8

 

screature.bandcamp.com/

 

8/25 - Salt Lake City, UT - Diabolical Records

8/26 - Denver, CO - Lion's Lair

8/27 - Lawrence, KS - Replay Lounge

8/28 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews

8/30 - Cincinnati, OH - Comet Bar

9/1 - New York, NY - Grand Victory

9/2 - New York, NY - Cake Shop

9/4 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie

9/6 - Raleigh, NC - Hopscotch Festival

9/10 - New Orleans, LA - Mudlark Public Theater

9/11 - Austin, TX - Elysium

 

Math of the Afterwrath | Boozefox

 

Potential Modulations| Robert Jackson Harrington

 

BEING | Tobiah Mundt

 

Following Huck Finn | Logan Sebastian Beck

 

Snack Projects | featuring Nancy Douthey

Yoko Ono interview - full transcript

Yoko Ono interviewed by Simon Harper for http://www.clashmusic.com

 

Artist, singer, wife, mother, loved, loathed, legend, survivor - Yoko Ono is many things to many people, but the little person behind the big name is buried beneath a mountain of myths and misunderstandings. Clash flew to New York to meet the real Yoko Ono.

 

For obvious reasons, it’s quite disconcerting walking into the Dakota building. The imposing nineteenth century apartment block, which overlooks Central Park, was home to John Lennon and Yoko Ono throughout the Seventies, and, as you pass through the gates of the main entrance, you realise you’re walking in the last footsteps Lennon ever took. That Yoko still lives here, still passes the place where her husband was murdered twenty-nine years ago, demonstrates the strong-will, bravery and resilience of a woman that has endured years of antipathy purely for marrying the man she loved.

 

These thoughts are hurtling through my head, overwhelming the nerves that were earlier festering in there and stretching down to the pit of my stomach, as I crossed the cobbled entry and into the lobby. I’m here to talk about Yoko’s new album, ‘Between The Sky And My Head’, and to focus on the pioneering spirit of the vivacious seventy-six-year-old, but the inescapable weight of her past looms large, and dominates my mind as I’m led through the winding corridors and, eventually, into her apartment - the former home of John Lennon.

 

Yoko Ono does not appear from a ball of flames, nor a puff of smoke. Instead, she humbly emerges from a doorway, dressed casually in a black tracksuit (and of course her ever-present shades), and walks meekly up to shake my hand. She commands your attention with only her presence.

 

‘Between The Sky And My Head’ is the first Yoko Ono album to be co-produced with her son, Sean (and the first release on his own Chimera Music label). It betrays her age by embracing the modern strains of garage rock, electro, dance and ambient classical, and, ironically, will be released in the wake of The Beatles’ latest explosion.

 

Sitting down at her kitchen table, I sneak a look around the room we are in - walls are decorated with Japanese prints, photos of John and Yoko, and a Lennon calendar; he still permeates her life, clearly. She asks for the air conditioning to be turned off - meanwhile I’m suffering, still recovering from the forty degree heat outside - and then the conversation begins to flow. With every answer comes a shy chuckle, she peers over her glasses and stares straight into my eyes. With just a look, I know if my line of questioning has strayed too far, and I change tack. We start, naturally, at the beginning...

 

You apparently became heavily involved with art and music while at college...

No, no, not really... Did I tell you this or did you read somewhere that...

 

I read that you’d...

About the fact that I went to school, pre-school; you don’t call it nursery, it’s called Jiyugakuen. Jiyugakuen is like a freedom garden - when you translate it it’s garden of freedom - it was a school in Japan. I’d say it was maybe still there. In the 1930s my mother put me in there. It’s a school where you get very early music education: perfect pitch, harmony, everything.

 

They start you young.

Yeah. It was very interesting thing that happened then - I didn’t think it was anything at the time, but one of the homeworks was to listen to all the sounds and the noise of the day and transcribe it into music notes. Isn’t that amazing?

 

It’s very kind of New Age now, isn’t it?

New Age, yes. And in music you start to sort of develop a kind of ear that’s very different. For instance, they would just ask you to listen to the sound of the clock going ‘ding, ding, ding, ding’, and they’d say, ‘Well, how many times did it ring?’ And you have it in your head, so you have to repeat in your head, that sort of thing. It was a very, very interesting education I got.

 

You wrote a piece for Clash a couple of years ago - we asked you to do a New Year’s message, and you wrote about growing up in Japan after the bomb. We just marked the anniversary for Hiroshima bombing...

Oh, I remember it; I remember very clearly. It’s a very interesting thing: my father travelled a lot and he came to New York, and we came to New York and we lived in Scarsdale or somewhere like that, briefly, and then just before the war started there was incredible tension between the United States and Japan, and we were all warned that we should go back to Japan. So, we all went back to Japan, and then sure enough there was a war; it started. It was a very, very difficult time really.

 

Do you think that your generation that remember the bomb grew up with a different perspective on life?

Yes, and I’m very lucky that I had that experience because otherwise I would have been one of those kids, those prep school kids that are like, ‘Ha ha everything’s okay’, but no, it wasn’t okay at all. We were evacuated to some farm land, and the farmers were not very nice to us; they felt like, ‘This is our time, you city people’. So, we didn’t get very much food, for instance. I mean, that was a surprise; I’d never had an experience like that - of course, very few people have that kind of experience.

 

How do you mark the anniversary now? I know you Twittered a message on Hiroshima day. Do you think about it when the day comes round, or is it a day you try not to think about it?

Well, each time there was a message where they wanted to play my music or something, whatever it was... You can’t ignore it, but also I think it’s very good to bring it out and ask people to remember it, because it might just sort of discourage some people to again create a war like that. I don’t know, it seems like we’re just screaming in the wind or something.

 

Did the musical training of your youth teach you to write more instinctive, or is it more intellectualized?

Instinctively. I think that I’m trying to stick to spontaneity of my inspiration, and it’s an emotional accumulation or outburst; I think that’s more real. I was just saying in another interview, with this record especially, I felt there’s a hodge-podge element that I love. The thing is, when you put a classical music record out, in your head, just like when I was four-years-old, there’s so many different noises going in and out - you’re experiencing what is in the street or what is inside the house, and then at one point maybe you have jingles coming out - but you ignore that, you sanitise it, and you make sure that there’s just classical music only on the CD. Even just that is so boring for me, so with this, you notice with this record that I made, there’s so many different styles just jumping out; the first is the screamer, and then right after that there’s the dance stuff, and then you think it’s gonna be dance music but then there’s pop music or something. In other words, I was not scared to not streamline it, in terms of the forms of music.

 

As testament to your diversity, back in the ’60s you played with the jazz legend Ornette Coleman - and you just did the Meltdown Festival in London with him.

I was so amazed; it was exciting, because both of us survived in a way (laughs). There’s so many people that we knew that are not here anymore; it was interesting.

 

Is he a good friend to work with?

He was always a very gentle person, I think that’s how he survived maybe. I’m sure there’s some anger in him, of course - the racism and all that and how they were treated. And also jazz is not a very popular field, compared to rock and pop and all that, so he must have gone through all that and some pain as well, but instead of that, he’s always sort of gentle; it’s amazing.

 

Your reputation and acceptance from the general public and Beatles fans has become gradually more prevalent over the years. You’re finally being embraced...

Yes, I’m much more accepted now, thank God I’m sure, but when you go on the Internet, some people are still extremely upset with me! (Laughs)

 

How do you cope with that level of cruelty?

Isn’t it amazing? It’s a bit scary, so that’s why I’m always very careful; in that sense I’m not displaying my courage. (Laughs)

 

Having to continue your career after John’s death was a very brave move in the first place, and the fact that you’re still here with a new album is very admirable.

I was so surprised and interested in that film called The Pianist, where the pianist is that Jewish guy who’s always being banged around, but he’s always [mimes playing the piano] - in his head he’s always playing the piano. That’s how I survived. Many composers, like my first husband [composer Toshi Ichiyanagi]; we would be in a restaurant and he would be sitting there like, ‘da da dun da’ [mimes playing piano on table], and I’d be doing that too. We are not communicating, we are living in our heads; that was the reason I survived, I think - it was the music that made me survive.

 

Your previous album, ‘Yes I’m A Witch’, endeared you greatly with the indie scene - you gave your songs to some excellent artists to remix: Cat Power, Antony Hegarty...

Aren’t they incredible?

 

And it was a great album. Was it a good album to make? Did you have fun hearing what they did to your music?

I really respect Antony. Antony is an incredible artist, the way he sings and everything is fantastic!

 

It’s out of this world isn’t it?

You see, I think about sounds as an independent art from composition. In the ‘Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band’ [1970 album] , when we did [opening track] ‘Why’, I was interested in breaking the sound barrier with it. Breaking the sound barrier for the music world, like ‘Boom!’ And we did it.

 

Making an impact!

We did it! But of course instead of what we thought we did, I had a huge, huge trash can, saying ‘Yoko Ono’s record’, and everybody’s standing like this (throwing the record in), in Japan. John was like, ‘In Japan? It’s your own country!”

 

Were you aware of the artists who worked on ‘Yes I’m A Witch’ before you made the record? Did you trust them with your songs?

Well, it all just happened, like, ‘Well, what do you think about this one?’ I was not aware of them, but I immediately became aware of him [Antony] especially.

 

So, this album is co-produced with Sean.

Yeah, isn’t that great?

 

What’s your working relationship like?

I was very nervous - well, at first I was not nervous... When Sean said, ‘We should do an album - your album...’ Now I say, ‘Don’t say “your album”: it’s a Chimera [Sean’s label] album, okay? Don’t say “your album” like it’s something you want to push outside.” And he said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’ So I said, [sheepishly] ‘Okay...’ I had no concern about it. I thought it was great; we’d have the chance to be together. I don’t know how you feel about your parents - there’s a point where you just want to ignore your parents, and just call when you need money! (Laughs) ‘Hello, do you have any cash?’ The thing is, I thought, it’s not just that I’m gonna get a call - I’m gonna be with him. That was my concern; that was the reason why I wanted to do it initially. And then a few people said, ‘Are you sure you want to do this? Because mother and son can be very difficult.’ Maybe, but I didn’t really think that. There was something instinctive about it; I didn’t think it was gonna be bad, and it wasn’t bad - in fact, we sort of like discovered each other - well, maybe Sean would say that he didn’t discover me... (Laughs) I discovered the fact that he knew so much of my music; that was a real surprise. And so, as a music director, first of all he got the best studio for me, that was the best thing - it’s not known to be the best maybe, but he said, ‘It’s good and it has this funky sound; this will be the best.’ It just makes you comfortable being in there, too. It’s not a state-of-art kind of place. And then he collected all those musicians.

 

He chose a combination of Japanese and American musicians...

Well, the Japanese ones, it’s a very strange thing. Sean wanted me to come to Tokyo to join him in this concert he was doing. He said, ‘Why don’t you come to this concert? I’d like you to be a part of it.’ And I said, ‘You mean I’m gonna go all the way to Japan just for this one concert? That sounds crazy!’ But then I thought, ‘Okay, it’s my son, it’s my son.’ So, I went there. I started to sing, and there was a point that - this was a song that was like a constructed song and they probably knew it - but in the end I was just going for the spontaneity kind of thing, spontaneously going to vocal modulation - I’m not using the word ‘scream’ because you’re going to use that anyway! And it just went up and up, and I thought, ‘They can’t follow this - they won’t know when I stop it.’ And I just went, [raises hand] ‘Uh’, and they just stopped. I thought, ‘Oh my God, who are these people?’ I just looked back and it was the Japanese trio [Yuka Honda and members of Cornelius’ band], and I thought, ‘Hmmm, okay!’ So, when Sean said we should make a record, I said, ‘Okay, well get those two or three.’ So that was the main character, the main sort of people.

 

Did he tend to boss you around in the studio?

No, he didn’t. Well, alright, so he tried probably! (Laughs)

 

Your stature and your fame means that you could probably work with anybody, so why did you choose these Japanese and Americans, and what did you hope they would do together?

I’m probably arrogant to the point of unbearable! (Laughs) The idea of Plastic Ono Band was that anybody can be the band. Before I met John - the name Plastic Ono Band was named by him, so we didn’t have the name at the time - I was asked to go to a university or something in the United States, pre-John Lennon, so I go, and they of course want me to perform as well. So I just said, ‘You, you and you, why don’t you just come and play?’ In other words, I didn’t check their credentials, because I thought I can just do it and it will be beautiful. And so, with this group too - the three Japanese musicians were very good - then Sean invited all these other people; they were all very good. I think in terms of the spirit of things, not credentials.

 

The art is in the spontaneity.

Yeah.

 

You were, and still are, a great symbol and crusader of women’s rights.

Yes!

 

Now that you’re in your seventies, do you think you’re leading the way to defy the expectations of septuagenarians?

(Laughs) Well, I’m not that conscious of it. If I am conscious of it, whether I’m conscious or not, if I can’t make it I can’t make it. But it happens to be, you know, I’m not feeling old; I’m feeling very excited about life every day.

 

That’s good, and it’s reflected in the vitality of the music.

Well, after I finished that one, it was like, ‘We have to do a second one, Sean!’ And he was saying, ‘Yeah, yeah, we have to’, because I got some ideas, of course; when you’re making music you get more inspired.

 

Talking of improvisation, I read that most of the lyrics on the album are improvised. Do you think that it makes them less ripe for studying, or that since they came from your subconscious, they are much more of a window into your true thoughts?

Oh, definitely. For instance, some critics have criticised John for his lyrics being too personal, that his songs are personal. So? That’s why it’s good! (Laughs)

 

What else are you gonna write about?

You know what I mean? It’s crazy to think that if we create a fictional situation it is more legitimate. We don’t think that; I don’t think that. I’m giving my guts; I’m giving myself.

 

Are you aware of the lyrics when you’re making them, or afterwards, when you listen to what you sang, do you go, ‘Wow, where did that come from?’ Do you know where the lyrics are coming from when you sing them?

I don’t know, and even when I listen to it after I don’t know. I don’t think about it that way. It’s very interesting, one of the CDs - we call it CD now, but LP - somebody in this building, actually, said, ‘You know, on your album, your voice sounds very much like the Spanish when they dance...’

 

Flamenco?

Yeah. I said, ‘Oh, really?’ And, you see, I never connect those things, but then I thought maybe I was a Spaniard one day a long time ago, who knows?

 

There are a number of references to water throughout the album - is that of any significance to you?

Water’s very important. I created a song called ‘We Are All Water’, remember, a long, long time ago, and the reason is because we are 90% water.

 

We’re tidal.

We are water - we better be very careful. Oh, this is another thing that I just learned - it’s a new thing I learnt, and I really think it would be good if you can just put it in... You know, we know, and we keep saying as hippies or yuppies or zippies (laughs), that what we do or what we think affects the whole world - you, me, anybody. So then now, two scientists discovered that - they were checking how the waves are made in the ocean - just anything that gets into the water, whether it’s a tiny acorn or a little boy splashing, affects the whole ocean. Isn’t that amazing? But you know what that means? It’s not just on land, but it’s in the ocean - both ways we’re all together; we’re just one.

 

It’s the same on land as well.

Yeah, of course. The land one, we always said whatever we think or whatever we say affects everybody.

 

My favourite songs of the album are perhaps the most poignant ones, ‘Memory Of Footsteps’ and ‘I’m Going Away Smiling’.

Oh, really? Oh, that’s so sweet of you.

 

What do those ones mean to you? Are they poignant to you as well?

Yeah. ‘I’m Going Away Smiling’ made me cry, of course.

 

It made me cry as well!

(Laughs) At Meltdown I just couldn’t sing it. I just thought, ‘Okay, I better sing it with the lyrics in front’. It was a disaster in that sense - it wasn’t a disaster, but it’s just very difficult. Like, ‘Walking On Thin Ice’ is a very difficult song for me to sing because there are so many memories. It’s that kind of thing. That’s one that’s very difficult for me to sing. The other one, ‘Memory oO Footsteps’, yeah, that one too, but not as much as ‘I’m Going Away Smiling’. After I wrote ‘I’m Going Away Smiling’ and recorded it, I thought I better put the end bit in, you know, [the final line] “I’m alive!”

 

Yeah, it’s a defiant spirit right at the end. I didn’t know whether it was a happy statement or that you were surprised to be alive.

It was not a surprise. There’s a certain anger in that: ‘You think I’m dead, right? I’m alive!’ The reason is because we’re at the time when... it’s a very difficult time - all of us are scared shitless in a way - and of course the economic shock and some people thinking there’s a Doomsday coming or something, so it’s really good to sort of hammer things and say, ‘I’m alive!’ (Laughs)

 

People must presume that a lot of your songs about John. Is he still your main inspiration behind your music?

I never thought about that one.

 

I saw the Lennon exhibition at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Annex in New York... I’m so glad. It was the last time I was in New York. I was here for a day, and I thought, ‘What do I want to do? I’m here for a day what should I go and do?’

I’m so glad. Isn’t it great?

 

Yeah, it was fantastic! What were your plans for that exhibition? It takes you on a journey doesn’t it?

Well, it’s the New York City (years), and to focus on that period, which was a very important period: he was in love in New York City, and that’s where he was killed. So it’s a very, very important point in his life, I thought.

 

I found it very moving. It’s only a small space, but when you start you see the performances and the lyrics, and John is alive and well, and then it comes to the end, and it’s almost like in the space of this room you’ve been on that journey. You got criticism for including John’s bloody glasses and the clothes he was killed in.

I know. I thought I would get criticism. The point is, you can’t help it; if you want to do something good creatively, there’s always gonna be somebody saying there’s something wrong. That was a creative effort. I mean, the point is to put that in there. I knew that some people would be very upset, but I thought it was very important to do that, and you were sharing my extreme, extreme sadness that I felt at the time.

 

How much of your time is dealt with business affairs of The Beatles and does that detract from your own creativity or your own art?

I don’t know. It seems like a suitcase that you can fill more than you think, you know? (Laughs) It’s that kind of thing.

 

When you make decisions on John’s behalf, for what John would do, are those made personally by you or do you have people to give you advice?

Depends. Most of the time I get like twenty requests a week and then I have to sort it out; ‘This is a good one.’

 

Just to touch briefly on the new Beatles things that are coming out, the re-masters and the Rock Band, in terms of the Rock Band, what did you think when you were approached by that, did it excite you?

Yeah, it did excite me. John was like that and I am like that too, but we always just jump on a new media, and this is great. I even went to Boston when they were making it: fifty people, all young generation computer experts - they have to be young to understand it! (Laughs) They’re all there making the images, you know? It was very exciting.

 

It looks fantastic. It looks like it’s all gonna kick off in September

Isn’t that great?

 

It’s a good date, because John was a fan of the number nine.

Yeah, it’s great. I love it.

 

It’s 09/09/09.

Well, it’s a very strong thing, 090909, yeah.

 

And in terms of the re-masters, have you heard the new music, the re-mastered albums? They sound fantastic.

Which one?

 

They’ve re-mastered all the albums.

Isn’t that great?

 

I got to hear them in Abbey Road, and it was incredible.

You went to Abbey Road?

 

Yeah. You’re an active Twitter user, what do you make of the new kind of social network thing?

Listen, I’m into everything, right? (Laughs) It’s really great. I don’t answer [messages from] everybody, but some people are very into that step into future. For me it’s a very good education.

 

You’re very dedicated to humanitarian causes - what role do you think Twitter and getting your message out there can play?

Well, I’m glad that I can get new messages out there, because if I wrote a book or something nobody’s going to read it! (Laughs) What I mean is it’s always good to go with the new media, where they’re all there, so you can really talk to them. I think Twitter’s very good. How did Twitter become Twitter?

 

As in the name? I don’t know...

It’s a nice name, Twitter. (Laughs)

 

It’s almost as flippant as the act of Twittering itself. So, you’ve been advocating for peace for most of your life - do you think the world has become more aware of the plight?

Yes, yes, yes! When John and I were doing it, it was sort of like Salvation Army kind of people standing on street corners, handing out pamphlets or something, and nobody wanted to know. We did the Bed-In [in Amsterdam and Montreal] - we thought it was pretty good, but at the time they didn’t think it was pretty good! (Laughs) But I think the humour of it, I thought surely they get the humour of it? We’re in bed! (Laughs)

 

Yeah, ‘Come on, keep up!’

Yeah, but they didn’t; so funny.

 

With everyone that reads your Twitter updates or any message you put out, if you could inspire them to do something, what would you hope that they did?

Well, I think that together we’re getting wiser and wiser, and if I can contribute to that in some way I’m very happy, because becoming wiser is almost synonymous to getting this world into a peaceful place.

 

We’ll get there eventually.

Yeah, we’re getting there.

 

Do you see this album as a competition to the latest releases by young bands, or are you competing on a level with your contemporaries?

I never thought about those things. When you make an album, you make an album that you think is good and great - most artists are narcissists, and they have to be if they want to survive! (Laughs) So, you make an album as best as you can, and what are you gonna do, check who’s gonna listen to it? I never know what’s going on in that sense. You keep saying ‘young people’, but I never ask their age, first of all; they might be fourteen or they might be fifty, I don’t know! (Laughs)

 

You said earlier about the patchwork quality of the songs.

Yeah, I love that.

 

Were you worried that it wasn’t gonna fit, that people might think it doesn’t work together?

I couldn’t care less. Maybe that’s why I was slow in being appreciated, because I don’t care about those things. But the first song, ‘Waiting For The D-train’, some people were saying, ‘Don’t put ‘Waiting For The D Train’ first, because they’re all gonna think that the whole thing is gonna be a screamer.’ I said, ‘This is selectivity, we select the people.’ If they don’t want to hear about this album after that, then go to another album.

 

I don’t think it matters nowadays anyway - people don’t listen to albums anymore, they listen to songs. If you get a good song, people will download the song or buy the song. Sean has obviously come into his own as an artist...

Did you know that? The point is, it seems that before, before I recognised it or started to understand or appreciate it, it seems like everybody knows that. He’s a very good, talented musician.

 

Yeah, obviously he’s forged his own career.

I don’t know, he could get crushed by the history of it all. (Laughs)

 

It’s commendable that he isn’t!

Yeah, he just survived, you know?

 

When you see him working in music, who do you see more of in him, is it you or his dad?

His dad, definitely, because I was making [music] with John and I remember that experience, so I have to - it’s bad, maybe - but I just compare it; I can’t help it.

 

Yoko Ono interviewed by Simon Harper for ClashMusic.com

Microchip announced its new 5 GHz, 50 ohm Matched WLAN Front End Module (FEM)—the SST11LF04—for high data rate mobile device applications. The SST11LF04 features a transmitter power amplifier, a receiver low-noise amplifier with bypass and a low-loss, single-pole two-throw antenna switch for 5 GHz WLAN connectivity into one integrated, compact 2.5x2.5x0.4 mm, 16-pin QFN package, making it ideal for high-data-rate mobile device applications. With its small footprint, high linear output power of up to 16 dBm and 17 dBm, at 3.3V and 5V Vcc respectively—for 1.75% dynamic EVM using MCS9-HT80 modulation and 80 MHz bandwidth along with 18 dBm and 19 dBm linear power for 3% EVM at 3.3V and 5V, respectively—the SST11LF04 extends the range of IEEE 802.11a WLAN system while providing exceptional transmit power at the maximum 11ac high-data–rate modulation. The receiver has a 12 dB gain and a greater than -6 dBm input (1 dB) compression level. In LNA bypass mode, the receiver has a 2.5 dB noise figure and an -6 dBm input compression level. For more info, visit: www.microchip.com/get/K6WW

Jamis Cyclocross On/Off Road All Purpose Models Price Drop on These all purpose Gravel Griding Touring bicycles for all round use. Adventure Cycle 2464 Dufferin Street 416 787 4998

Over the barriers, through the mud, to the podium we go. On a Supernova of course. The carbon fiber Team and Elite versions of this perennial CX winner are guaranteed to have you reigning in the wet and muddy stuff. Then there’s our aluminum Nova Pro, Race and Sport, possibly some of the most versatile bikes we’ve ever built. They’re as ready for Monday morning’s asphalt commute as they were at the local gravel race last Saturday. And they’re just as ready to be loaded up with panniers for next month’s adventure tour.

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2014 Jamis Nova Race $1082 regular price $2899 Gravel Grinder/Cyclocross Red

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2013 Jamis Nova Pro $1994 regular price $4589 Matt Black

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We also have Gravel Grinder Adventure Bicycles- Longer Wheel base and wider tires and rims:

The Renegade is ready for any adventure, no matter which Renegade you ride. The long and tall endurance geometry is designed specifically to ride comfortably all day on the road or in harsh conditions off-road. The smooth ride of the full carbon fiber Expert and Elite bikes set the bar for how we designed the steel Exploit and Expat and aluminum Exile to ride. With disc brakes and the ability to mount up to a 40c tire, these bikes are ready to go just about anywhere. All you need is the desire to push, pedal and explore.

/m_editable

Securing the rear wheel to the frame by threading it into the rear dropouts is not only safer, it's stiffer. Increasing the rear axle diameter from 10mm to 12mm provides a stable platform for the disc braking forces and allows us to tune the rear seat stays for more compliance/comfort

Tubeless and wider rims across the range provide great benefits on any terrain. The tubeless benefits are to help prevent flats with sealant as well as being able to adjust your tire pressure for the perfect ride. For example on dirt roads you may want to reduce the tire pressure to increase your contact patch for better grip without the worry of pinch flatting. The beauty of the 23-24mm wider rims effectively gives you a constant and wide tire surface yielding better handling, stability and confidence with plenty of surface grip for control

Just in case you want to continue to push the boundaries, we added cable routing capability for a 27.2mm dropper post. Carbon-made Elite and Expert models have routing for an internal post while the Exploit is fitted for external.

After two years of testing and research we are able to provide even more comfort by reducing the seat post diameter on the carbon Renegade to 27.2mm. Through the combination of a new frame seat cluster and clamping configuration we were able to accentuate the benefits of top-down 27.2mm seatpost comfort while not compromising on side-to-side flex

Starting with a wide and consistent stack and reach range, we set out to design a frame that could handle on or off road conditions while maintaining a comfortable ride. As you start to review the geo chart you will noticed we have 3 different fork offsets, BB drops and rear center measurements. Add size specific tubing and 2 different sized rear triangles and you have what we feel is the perfect endurance geo for all sized riders. The reason for this is that we wanted the 48 and 61 to fit the rider correctly and make the geo changes needed to provide the perfect ride.

Size Specific Tubing

Size Specific Design (SSD) is the Jamis design philosophy and technique used to create the best possible riding bike for each size rider. Rather than limiting frame size variations to just different length top, seat and head tubes lengths, we take an all-inclusive look at each frame’s total configuration. Every SSD frame will also feature size-specific BB drop, rear center, fork offset/trail and SST technology.

ACE is our Internal Cable Guide System that is companionable with mechanical or Di2 shifting as well as hydraulic or mechanical braking. To keep shifting and braking performing best in any & all conditions, we’ve routed all cables internally on the new Renegade and designed a completely enclosed BB guide to keep cables clean, assuring precise shifts and sure stops in all conditions. And if you want to shift electronically, we’ve got you covered. Incorporated into our internal cable guide system are a few extra cable fittings that make the Renegade Di2 compatible

To make life easier we have repositioned each mount externally in a variety of easy-to-use locations. With a wide collection of fork and frame mounts you can now choose to mount fenders, rear carrier, low-rider front carrier (or two cages for water bottles/ storage) and three front triangle water bottles. This will open up the options wherever and whenever you chose to ride. Bad weather, commuting, trekking, touring – anything is possible.

Disc Brakes

With endurance geometry designed to go anywhere the only choice was disc brakes. Now the Renegade Elite, Expert and Exploit all come with hydraulic brakes. With hydraulic disc brakes you will have the most consistent and confidence-inspiring braking available. Just think about jamming down hill on a rutted out fire road with your hands all over the hoods…the power & modulation benefits of hydraulic disc brakes become readily apparent

Thru Axles

 

The 12mm Thru-Axle on our Renegades offer the benefit of increased stiffness and a quick release system without any downside. Designed specifically to counter-act the stress and pull of disc brake tourque, these forks won’t drift when brakes are applied.

 

Jamis 2016 Renegade Exile $883 regular price $1285 Grey Aluminum

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Jamis 2016 Renegade Expat $1,290 regular price $1877 Black Steel

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Jamis 2016 Renegade Exploit $1,872 regular price $3,018 Grey Steel

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Jamis 2017 Renegade Exile $1,171 Blue Aluminum

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Jamis 2017 Renegade Expat $1,774 Grey Steel

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www.rbinc-sports.com/jamis-factory-outlet-store/cyclocros...

  

Jamis Cyclocross On/Off Road All Purpose Models Price Drop on These all purpose Gravel Griding Touring bicycles for all round use. Adventure Cycle 2464 Dufferin Street 416 787 4998

Over the barriers, through the mud, to the podium we go. On a Supernova of course. The carbon fiber Team and Elite versions of this perennial CX winner are guaranteed to have you reigning in the wet and muddy stuff. Then there’s our aluminum Nova Pro, Race and Sport, possibly some of the most versatile bikes we’ve ever built. They’re as ready for Monday morning’s asphalt commute as they were at the local gravel race last Saturday. And they’re just as ready to be loaded up with panniers for next month’s adventure tour.

www.rbinc-sports.com/catalog/bikes/jamis-bikes/road/cyclo...

 

2014 Jamis Nova Race $1082 regular price $2899 Gravel Grinder/Cyclocross Red

www.rbinc-sports.com/catalog/bikes/jamis-bikes/road/2014-...

 

2013 Jamis Nova Pro $1994 regular price $4589 Matt Black

www.rbinc-sports.com/catalog/bikes/jamis-bikes/road/2013-...

 

We also have Gravel Grinder Adventure Bicycles- Longer Wheel base and wider tires and rims:

The Renegade is ready for any adventure, no matter which Renegade you ride. The long and tall endurance geometry is designed specifically to ride comfortably all day on the road or in harsh conditions off-road. The smooth ride of the full carbon fiber Expert and Elite bikes set the bar for how we designed the steel Exploit and Expat and aluminum Exile to ride. With disc brakes and the ability to mount up to a 40c tire, these bikes are ready to go just about anywhere. All you need is the desire to push, pedal and explore.

/m_editable

Securing the rear wheel to the frame by threading it into the rear dropouts is not only safer, it's stiffer. Increasing the rear axle diameter from 10mm to 12mm provides a stable platform for the disc braking forces and allows us to tune the rear seat stays for more compliance/comfort

Tubeless and wider rims across the range provide great benefits on any terrain. The tubeless benefits are to help prevent flats with sealant as well as being able to adjust your tire pressure for the perfect ride. For example on dirt roads you may want to reduce the tire pressure to increase your contact patch for better grip without the worry of pinch flatting. The beauty of the 23-24mm wider rims effectively gives you a constant and wide tire surface yielding better handling, stability and confidence with plenty of surface grip for control

Just in case you want to continue to push the boundaries, we added cable routing capability for a 27.2mm dropper post. Carbon-made Elite and Expert models have routing for an internal post while the Exploit is fitted for external.

After two years of testing and research we are able to provide even more comfort by reducing the seat post diameter on the carbon Renegade to 27.2mm. Through the combination of a new frame seat cluster and clamping configuration we were able to accentuate the benefits of top-down 27.2mm seatpost comfort while not compromising on side-to-side flex

Starting with a wide and consistent stack and reach range, we set out to design a frame that could handle on or off road conditions while maintaining a comfortable ride. As you start to review the geo chart you will noticed we have 3 different fork offsets, BB drops and rear center measurements. Add size specific tubing and 2 different sized rear triangles and you have what we feel is the perfect endurance geo for all sized riders. The reason for this is that we wanted the 48 and 61 to fit the rider correctly and make the geo changes needed to provide the perfect ride.

Size Specific Tubing

Size Specific Design (SSD) is the Jamis design philosophy and technique used to create the best possible riding bike for each size rider. Rather than limiting frame size variations to just different length top, seat and head tubes lengths, we take an all-inclusive look at each frame’s total configuration. Every SSD frame will also feature size-specific BB drop, rear center, fork offset/trail and SST technology.

ACE is our Internal Cable Guide System that is companionable with mechanical or Di2 shifting as well as hydraulic or mechanical braking. To keep shifting and braking performing best in any & all conditions, we’ve routed all cables internally on the new Renegade and designed a completely enclosed BB guide to keep cables clean, assuring precise shifts and sure stops in all conditions. And if you want to shift electronically, we’ve got you covered. Incorporated into our internal cable guide system are a few extra cable fittings that make the Renegade Di2 compatible

To make life easier we have repositioned each mount externally in a variety of easy-to-use locations. With a wide collection of fork and frame mounts you can now choose to mount fenders, rear carrier, low-rider front carrier (or two cages for water bottles/ storage) and three front triangle water bottles. This will open up the options wherever and whenever you chose to ride. Bad weather, commuting, trekking, touring – anything is possible.

Disc Brakes

With endurance geometry designed to go anywhere the only choice was disc brakes. Now the Renegade Elite, Expert and Exploit all come with hydraulic brakes. With hydraulic disc brakes you will have the most consistent and confidence-inspiring braking available. Just think about jamming down hill on a rutted out fire road with your hands all over the hoods…the power & modulation benefits of hydraulic disc brakes become readily apparent

Thru Axles

 

The 12mm Thru-Axle on our Renegades offer the benefit of increased stiffness and a quick release system without any downside. Designed specifically to counter-act the stress and pull of disc brake tourque, these forks won’t drift when brakes are applied.

 

Jamis 2016 Renegade Exile $883 regular price $1285 Grey Aluminum

www.rbinc-sports.com/catalog/bikes/jamis-bikes/adventure/...

 

Jamis 2016 Renegade Expat $1,290 regular price $1877 Black Steel

www.rbinc-sports.com/catalog/bikes/jamis-bikes/adventure/...

 

Jamis 2016 Renegade Exploit $1,872 regular price $3,018 Grey Steel

www.rbinc-sports.com/catalog/bikes/jamis-bikes/adventure/...

 

Jamis 2017 Renegade Exile $1,171 Blue Aluminum

www.rbinc-sports.com/catalog/bikes/jamis-bikes/adventure/...

 

Jamis 2017 Renegade Expat $1,774 Grey Steel

www.rbinc-sports.com/catalog/bikes/jamis-bikes/adventure/...

 

www.rbinc-sports.com/jamis-factory-outlet-store/cyclocros...

  

Radium 49 Key M-Audio polyphonic Keyboard.

 

Features

USB connection with power - power it off your laptop.

Pitch and Modulation wheels

999 programmable options

Multi-octave presets

8 little sliders and 8 little dials

plugs for sustain switch, midi out to keyboard and USB, runs off battery, usb or power adapter.

Works great with GarageBand.

   

15 Geertgen Nativity, at Night

1484-90

Oil on oak, 34 x 25 cm

National Gallery, London

  

This picture is attributed to Geertgen by analogy with works given to him in seventeenth-century sources. It may derive from a lost altarpiece; at this period large-scale compositions were frequently adapted for domestic devotions.

 

The subject of this magical little panel is vision: first, the mystic vision recounted by a fourteenth-century saint, Bridget of Sweden, in which she witnessed the painless birth of Christ, the Virgin's adoration of her son, and the baby's radiance eclipsing Joseph's candle; secondly, the ocular vision of dazzled shepherds shielding their eyes as the angel appears, like a shooting star, to announce the birth of the Messiah; thirdly, the marvelling gaze of childlike angels, ox and ass, Mary and St Joseph upon the Light of the World naked in the manger. And, finally, it makes evident a new vision of piety current in the Northern Netherlands, in which humility is the key to holiness, and a new artistic vision.

 

The divine radiance is not embodied in costly expanses of gold and rare pigments crafted into a precious object. It is made visible to us through Geertgen's patient modulation of darkness, the winter's night barely pierced by distant stars, hardly warmed by fire, only faintly lit by the candle Joseph once held (probably lost when the panel was trimmed at some time in the past). Through Geertgen's mastery of naturalistic description, with only a shorthand notation of thin rays of real gold beaming from the holy infant, this winter's night as it was before the birth of Christ can now be seen to have truly been, as is written in the Gospel of St John, a night in which 'if a man walk ... he stumbleth, because there is no light in him' (11:10).

 

....Web Gallery Of Art

In Amsterdam he played his harp in a small brass tube. Modulation and amplification of the sound with just one hand - the other hand for collecting some coins of money from listeners of his music - no blues at all..... ;-)

Nintendo MAX controller square-wave synth with TURBO modulation.

 

www.HandmadeElectronicInstruments.com

On the anniversary of the death of Florence Nightingale this, although of course not here is a small tribute - uploaded for the Down Under Challenge Group - the lamp, the original image with thanks to..http://www.flickr.com/photos/zgrayman/4574566284/

Girl with Guitar from Mr.Vermeer.

The Guitar Player is one of the most beautiful examples of Vermeer's late style.The crispness of his image and the radiant colors give the painting a glowing quality. Vermeer, in his paintings of the 1670s, was no longer concerned with describing specific textures of materials. Brushstrokes became freer and more expressive than in his earlier works as he emphasized patterns of color rather than textures. Vermeer modeled the girl's dress and jacket, for example (right), with sharply defined planes of color, The subtle modulations in folds and contours that he formerly created by applying glazes over opaque paints are no longer evident.

 

The face also is treated differently. Its expression is outward and not self-contained. The nuances of shading that suggested qualities of character and personality have been replaced by distinctly separate areas of light, and shade. The interest in pattern is evident in the ringlets of hair silhouetted against the wall.

 

Violating this synth in ways it never imagined... Poor thing... ;)

 

Yes, the synth is sitting on top of an iMac G3. heheh

Get it

www.myfonts.com/fonts/sudtipos/merengue-script/

–

 

Merengue Script is the second typeface designed by Panco, once again together with Ale Paul, who supervised the whole development. In this opportunity, the process of shape research and the systematization of signs led him to dive into new waters. The objective was to generate a system of signs in which the construction of such was not directly bound to traditional calligraphy, nor to texts typography. Instead, the point was to create signs inspired in “Brush pen” calligraphy but with their main features drawn or literally illustrated. The result was a font with personality, authenticity and uncommon formal aspects that make Merengue Script an interesting, highly attractive and rather unusual font.

From the very beginning, the search was based on creating a font with weight and good presence in big formats, but, at the same time, efficient for brief texts of small formats. The aim was to make it usable mainly in candy, sweets and chocolate packaging.

The predominance of round shapes, harmonious modulations and funny and friendly-looking visual rhythms spark a special effect in the usage of Merengue Script. Texts are enhanced with an interesting visual charm, capable of transforming a very simple text into a virtual illustration that semantically reinforces the messages in a simple way, without putting legibility at risk.

With a basic set of stylistic alternatives full of frills and flounces for initials, ornamental and final letters, plus a set of disconnected signs, Merengue Script offers a wide and versatile range of options for graphic designers in the process of packaging design.

March 7 - April 9, 2010

Opening reception: March 7, 4-7pm

 

It is with great pleasure that devening projects + editions announces The Lodger, an exhibition of new work by Peter Otto. The show will feature new paintings, works on paper and editions.

 

In this exhibition, as throughout most of his career, Otto makes the task of facing untenable cultural truths only slightly easier by persuading us with a system of delivery almost impossible to ignore. Otto’s work reports on the constituent factors of a human condition continually shifting between beguiling and highly disturbing. He reveals the state to which humanity—ever tested by social, cultural and political forces—bends, breaks and at times collapses. These paintings and sculptures show a reality emerging from the darkest moments. Evidence of the ways culture and society impose will and exert power is revealed on the surfaces of his verdant canvases and in the sculptures made from clay, plaster and bronze.

 

The themes are somber; the work though is delicately formed and teeming with graceful facture. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but Otto is able to bring forth stories of how cultural ruptures created by wars, famine, natural and man-made disasters form the basis from which that same culture is ultimately shaped. His paintings and drawings express a highly personal relationship with historical and contemporary events but always leaves the narrative open to evoke sensations interpretable from varied positions.

 

One thinks of Philip Guston when looking at Otto’s work. An acknowledged influence for the artist, Guston is a model for how to bridge the political and the formal. An example in Otto’s work is a regular use of stacked or hanging objects. Macabre associations are unavoidable, but one can never be sure. These “things” might also suggest built structures raised from a destroyed place or re-presented from an emergent culture. One might consider Guston’s piles of shoes and find a strong link to Otto. The concerns addressed in Otto’s most well-known paintings can also be seen in occasional large-scale public works in Holland such as Twisted Totem in Den Haag. This monumental work is a aggressively fragmented totem made from disparate parts. The sculpture, like the paintings, asks us to face difficult and challenging revelations about our culture and brings awareness to the ways in which we process trauma.

 

In one of several essays in Votive/Totem, the 2006 book on Otto, Rob Smolders writes: “Peter Otto juxtaposes his own malicious imagination with the imagination of society. He tightens pieces of string, erects crosses and gallows, puts up doors and fences, has a ball with junk he finds in his way: swastikas and Christmas trees, feet and heads, flowers and walking sticks. No dances in this world for it is inhabited by monsters and crutches.”

 

Of his painting and process, Smolders writes: “… Meanwhile, Peter Otto remained the painter he was. Magician when glazing, alchemist when patinating. The pictorial language of the paintings dating from the past five years is often acrid yet playful. Colors that are sometimes reminiscent of blood, tar or flesh, suddenly give way to the ripe color modulations of overblown flowers in an exuberant representation. References to war and violence that are too literal have been forced back. The tenor of the work is more general, even if the prevailing mood remains somber.”

 

Otto, who lives in Arnhem, has been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout Europe including projects at Museum Beelden aan Zee in Scheveningen, the Kröller-Müller Museum, Boÿmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Galerie Reuten and Galerie Swart in Amsterdam, the Museum Kurhaus Kleve and the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.

 

Devening Projects & Editions

3039 West Carroll

Chicago, IL 60612

Tel.: 312-420-4720

 

www.deveningprojects.com

He's been out of his crib for almost 2 months; I just hadn't celebrated the milestone with a photo yet.

Piggy blanket by Wave of Modulation.

Drone Ranger : 4 Oscillators, 2 white noise sources, 2 ring mod, 2 Fuzz, 2 resonant low pass filters with LFO modulation.

SMARTECH Hobby is proud to introduce an assembled kit version of our nitro on-road cars: the COMMAND!

FEATURE

ASSEMBLY CHASSIS .

DISC BRAKE SYSTEM.

OIL-FILLED DAMPERS.

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM WITH SHAFT DRIVE.

STURDY ALUMINUM CHASSIS.

EQUIPPED WITH MUFFLER AND AIR FILTER.

SOLID ALUMINUM CHASSIS.

ORIGINAL MUFFLER AND AIR FILTER.

DIFFERENTIAL WITH BUILT-IN FRONT AND REAR BEVEL GEARS.

DOUBLE WISHBONE SUSPENSION ARMS WITH ADJUSTABLE WIDTH.

15CXP POWERFUL AND HAND-PULLING ENGINE EQUIPPED WITH THE CARBURETOR.

TECHNICAL PARAMETERS

Length -------------------- ----- 380 mm

Width --------------------------- 200 mm

Height -------------------------- 148 mm

Wheelbase --------------------- 260 mm

Tread(F/R) --------------------- 192 mm

Wheel DIA.(F/R) --------------- 66*26 mm

Gear Rate ---------------------- 8.4:1

Weight ------------------------- 1650 g

Engine -------------------------15 CX

THE CAR KIT:

 

1. TAKE OUT THE VEHICLE FROM THE BOX:the chassis of the car kit is semi-assembled,is ready to run only by being fixed with linkage,tires,wheels and body.

2. TAKE OFF MECHANICAL PLATE:take out screws,etc.be sure to get them all duly collected.

3. ASSEMBLE SERVO:before installation,turn on transmitter and receiver,set the transmitter trimming rod to the center neutral position.and then install the prop-set.

4. ASSEMBLY RECEIVER SWITCH AND MECHANICAL PLATE.

5. ASSEMBLY STEERING LINK.

6. ASSEMBLY THROTTLE LINK.

7. ATTACH THROTTLE LINKAGE.

8. ATTACH BRAKE LINKAGE.

9. ATTCHING ENGINE CONTROL.

10. ASSEMBLY TIRES.

This is a new sort of transmitter with impulsion coding modulation,2 channel transmisson,and three indicator lights for power.(the transmitter ,the receiver,two servos,abattery case,power switch of the receiver included.)

I found this chart after purchasing the lens, in a Voigtlander forum! Seems the Rolleinar 2.8/35 is the same lens as the Voigtlander Color-Skopal 2.8/35, both made by Mamiya in Japan. For anyone unfamiliar, Mamiya lenses are legendary.

 

Actual shots confirm the MTF charts: except in real life, my lens appears to render IQ better than the charts would indicate. The charts above are for the very early lenses: mine is a later, improved, Japan version. Overall, the lens compares favourably with today's f2/8/35mm lenses, and provides excellent contrast and resolution.

 

How to read an MTF chart?

[MTF= Modulation Transfer Function]

[lppmm= line pairs per millimetre]

* The chart displays 2 lines for different lppmm at different f stops.

* The solid lines measure 'sagital lines", running diagonally from lens left bottom corner, through centre, to right top corner.

* The dotted lines measure "meridonial lines", running perpendicular to sagital.

* The solid and dotted lines are grouped in pairs and displayed for 10, 20, 40 lppmm.

10 lppmm relates to contrast.

40 lppmm relates to resolution.

* In general: the higher the curves show on the chart, the better; the flatter the curves, the better; the closer the solid and dotted lines are to each other, the better.

* The number on the X axis is the diagonal distance from lens centre. Thus, 10 indicates a 20mm circle diameter imposed upon the centre of the 36x24 frame, for about 50% coverage overall.

* Due to inherent limitations of glass and design, lenses are optimised at a specific aperture, usually f8 for legacy. Thus, most charts show the curves progressing flatter as the lens is stopped own.

* Many factors determine the overall performance of a lens, more than MTF can measure. MTF serves objectively as a starting point.

 

Is contrast more important than resolution for general photography? Yes. Sharpness. Our eyes perceive sharpness as a function of contrast between items photographed: example, foreground against background..

 

Is resolution important? Yes. Without resolution, fine details are not visible. But how much is enough or too much? This answer depends entirely upon the photographer. Portraits require 'pleasing' resolution, and most top lenses provide more than enough to show clearly facial wrinkles and blemishes. Spy satellites require ultra resolution, and never have enough.

 

Ham Radio station 9CHC, H.E. Johnston, scanned from Radio News, Nov., 1924

 

"Station 9CHC, owned and operated by H.E. Johnston, Spencer, Iowa. The transmitter employs four 5 watters in a modified Hartley circuit. Plate voltage is supplied by a 550 volt motor-generator. CW radiation on 150 meters is 2 amperes. Heising modulation is employed for fone and an R.C.A. chopper for I.C.W. The receiver is a three circuit and a Reinartz, both mounted in the same cabinet. Both coasts have been worked on C.W.

Glow 2016 Eindhoven, The Netherlands

gtuxs.jzvdoctor.ru/

Over the years the war has escalated as the UTF realized the power of the new kid NGM and struggled to submit them. El Tovar Hotel to the Park Visitor center. Their lines seem to serve no other purpose than to make a rhyme or extend the patter scheme. Kosovan Serbs are seeking the removal of Kosovan Albanians customs officials from border crossings with Serbia. Monotrona began using the MC505 and Elektron Sidstation to compose songs.

The unexpurgated diary reveals a woman breaking out into wild sexual discovery. November 1975 following news of the dismissal. In March 1971, SAVAK brings Jazani to Tehran. Full text in English, chabad.All party members were eligible to cast a vote. He set about his mission with zeal, preaching thirteen lengthy sermons during his first eleven days there. Winter Olympics drew an average of 24. The book is written for people who are already concerned about abuse of animals and need to learn how to take effective action. The precursor of the school was founded in 1928, and it was chartered as a university in 1965.

Rocky Mountains in BC. SpaceGodzilla tried to escape his prison, causing the crystals appearing across the planet. Kerr Stuarts for South Africa. Kramer played the Blues in St. Security Council with Resolution No.

Xiang was killed in an assault on the army by the Nationalist forces. On the occasion of his historic visit to Montreal on 24 January 1999, the President of the GAA, Mr. Mexican comments and complained that it ignored Tejano contributions to the battle. To overcome frequency instability of the magnetron, pulse modulation was used. Having discovered that her daughter spoke to Jeremy in her bedroom, she sends her mother out to walk their dog.

 

--

Brianna

Sent with Airmail

Title: Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort

Other title: Concha

Creator: Toro, Osvaldo 1914-1995; Ferrer, Miguel, 1915-2004; Salvadori, Mario George, 1907-1997; Marvel & Marchand Architects

Creator role: Architect

Date: 1958 (original) 2008 (renovation)

Current location: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Description of work: Renaissance Hotels tasked architect Jose R. Marchand and interior designer Jorge Rossello with renovating and saving this beachside landmark. "[B]y the mid-1990s the venerable La Concha hotel had been shuttered, abandoned and left to rot...Originally designed by Osvaldo Toro and Miguel Ferrer, with an eccentric but utterly loveable seashell-shaped restaurant by Mario Salvatori [sic], La Concha was a beautifully massed, expertly sited, vividly inventive building perfectly in sync with its time. Closely attuning the hotel to its sun-swept setting, the architects created deep-shading overhangs, open corridors, windows and doors that gave onto lush interior courtyards and provided cross ventilation, and beautifully lacy quiebra-sol (their take on a brise-soleil) for further modulation of the light and heat" (Frank, Michael. "La Concha Revival". Architectural Digest. Aug 2009, p. 103-104. Print).

Description of view: Detail view of pool and lounge area with a fountain that is built into the pool.

Work type: Architecture and Landscape

Style of work: Modern: International Style

Culture: Puerto Rican

Materials/Techniques: Water

Concrete

Trees

Source: Pisciotta, Henry (copyright Henry Pisciotta)

Date photographed: May 13, 2008

Resource type: Image

File format: JPEG

Image size: 2304H X 3072W pixels

Permitted uses: This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted. For additional details see: alias.libraries.psu.edu/vius/copyright/publicrightsarch.htm

Collection: Worldwide Building and Landscape Pictures

Filename: WB2010-0244 Concha.JPG

Record ID: WB2010-0244

Sub collection: resorts

Copyright holder: Copyright Henry Pisciotta

A curious rose, this "Arabesque". Look with discernment and you will see how very different it is from most other roses. No single color or quality of color; no, not an ordinary rose. It must be exactly this whimsical and ornate quality that urged its designers - for want of a better word - to christen it as "Arabesque".

That's what it was that struck my mind when I took a closer look: a total lack of patterning; an ornate beauty of course, but verging even on the grotesque (as Edgar Allan Poe might have put it). Not unfittingly the title chosen by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) for his first two piano compositions (1888-1891) was "Arabesque", described by one critic in terms of 'unprepared modulations' .

Anyway... this was one of the beauties that I saw in the wonderful rose display in the Shinjuku Gyoen near Tokyo's Shinjuku Station, which must be one of the most complicated - yes! arabesque - places in the world. Even natives of Tokyo easily lose their way there, as I experienced when a colleague came to collect me from my hotel nearby.

 

PS Is anyone knowledgeable about uploading? I'm having trouble here in my hotel (in Kyoto) so I've had to reduce this to 480 instead of the usual 1024. To make it short: how come, and how do I overcome this? Thanks for your help.

 

Clavia Nord Modular G2 and Dave Smith Instruments Mono Evolver Keyboard.