The aforementioned yurt serves as divine studio space for my potter wife. It replaces a cold wet cryptish corner off our basement which made a cell at Guantanamo something for which to yearn.
Development of that transmigration required more than a few days and much ideation. First thought was a familiar exercise in rectilinearity set akimbo in our front yard. Then an appendage also in front. Then she considered the expansion of the existing dingy cellar.
Somehow the tent-like structure more common on the steppes of Central Asia came into her consciousness and she quickly concluded that yurt it would be. (Well, she and the dog…)
It is wonderful, even from this visitor’s perspective. Its shape and nature fit organically on the side of the ravine in back of our house. It looks almost to have grown there.
We’re in the middle of town and abut an interstate. Even so, from within looking out, all that can be seen is green. Work started after woods leafed out, and thus I’ll bet neighbors (not far) across the way won’t have seen it till fall.
It really is neat, made all the more special by being a few paces away from the house. Going from one to the other in the rain you’ll get a bit wet. Perfect. Forces awareness of one’s place in the universe.
To this philistine, it seems also perfect for the artist. Entering, it’s like stepping into a cloud with the world left far behind.* I can’t wait to see where it takes her.
Reminds me of some of Tadao Ando’s work in which sun, wind, and clouds are design elements. His Azuma house, with which he first gained recognition similarly forced residents to interact with nature.
Contrast these to the emphasis on surface gloss found all too often in new additions to the built environment both public and private. Lipstick might look nice, but it doesn’t necessarily tell much about the pucker. Know what I mean?
Anyway, this arrangement of site, structures, and stuff combine at night to make a softly glowing spot for wife to consider what another potter called “The Mud-Pie Dilema”**.
More later.
*Speaking of which – you should hear what heavy rain sounds like therein. No need for thunder!
**The Mud-Pie Dilemma: A Master Potter’s Struggle to Make Art and Ends Meet by John Nance
The Subtle Landscape 
July 17, 2009 at 9:13 pm |
Budge,
You effortless ability to associate one thing, occurrence, idea with another (“reminds me of Tadao Ando etc….”)reminds me of a test that was used, maybe still is, for detecting schizophrenia. The effect that was discovered with the unstable was called “overinclusion”. Ask me about it sometime. Maybe we can arrange for you to take the test!
I enjoy your writing a great deal, and this is only the second time in my life I have responded to a blog.
Linda
July 3, 2014 at 9:38 pm |
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