MOONLIGHT

“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator” - Mahatma Gandhi

We’ve had autumnal weather today. Cool temperatures and almost non-stop rain. Just the sort of day to stay in, snuggle up and have a pleasant relaxing time, reading, listening to music, watching a movie and otherwise not doing much at all. A lovely restful day that will continue well into the evening. So what better introduction to a little Saturday Serenity?

Here is Claude Debussy’s “Clair De Lune” from his “Suite Bergamasque” transcribed for orchestra by Leopold Stokowski. It is a deleted segment from Walt Disney’s 1940 film “Fantasia”. Directed by Sam Armstrong performed by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra produced by Walt Disney. What a shame this wonderful sequence was deleted from the final version of the movie because it would make the film too long!

This post is part of the Saturday Sareenity meme.

CARROT SALAD

“My salad days, when I was green in judgment…” - William Shakespeare

Another tiring day at work with quite a lot happening. Even if I do multitask, when there are many meetings and many staff members popping in to see me (I have an open door policy), it does make for a slowing down of my schedule. Nevertheless, it is Friday and the blessed weekend is here so I am looking forward to the rest and relaxation.

Tonight we had fish for dinner, but for me at least, even more delicious was the salad that accompanied it. One thing that I cannot do without at mealtimes is a salad. And we do have a surfeit of seasonal varieties of them. Here is what we had tonight:

CARROT, CUCUMBER AND TOMATO SALAD

Ingredients

4     medium, tender and fresh carrots

1     large ripe tomato

1     Lebanese cucumber (baby cucumber)

3     spring onions

1     tsp dry mustard

5     tbsp olive oil

2     tbsp vinegar

1     tsp salt

       pepper, ground coriander seed, finely chopped dill,

Method

Peel the carrots and grate them finely. Press to remove some of the juice and put in a salad bowl.

Peel the tomato and dice into small cubes, about 0.5 cm side, add to the carrots.

Peel and dice the cucumber into small cubes, add to the salad.

Chop the spring onions and add to the salad.

Season with salt, pepper, spices and herbs.

Mix the oil, vinegar and dry mustard, beating well. Pour over salad and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more vinegar, oil or spices before serving.

SOUL FOOD

“A first rate soup is better than a second rate painting” - Abraham Maslow

Magpie Tales inspires today with soup. Bob Adelman’s 1965 photo of PopArt king, Andy Warhol shopping for some Campbell’s soup. In 1962, artist Andy Warhol took the familiar look of the Campbell’s soup can and integrated it into a series of pop art silkscreens, a theme he would return to off and on through the 1960s and 1970s. The first batch in 1962 was a series of 32 canvases. At first, the cans were accurate representations of actual Campbell’s cans, but as his series progressed, they became more surrealistic, with Warhol experimenting with negative-reversed color schemes and other varied techniques (many of these which would be used on other Warhol paintings of the period, such as his celebrity silkscreens of the 1960s).

The silkscreens themselves have become iconic pieces of pop art, with one in particular, Small Torn Campbell Soup Can (Pepper Pot - 1962), commanding a price of $11.8 million at auction in 2006. In 2004, Campbell’s themselves recognised Warhol’s art by releasing in the eastern United States a limited-edition series of cans that were inspired by the coloring and silkscreen effects of Warhol’s pieces. This marked one of the few times in the company’s history that they would change the trade dress for their main canned-soup line in any substantial manner…

Soul Food

My soul, she crieth for sustenance

Bereft as she sitteth: Still, weak and starvéd.

My heart, she holdeth back nourishment

And my mind weakeneth, my soul wilteth.

Willst thou, Love, furnish me with the means

To stop my soul’s demise, and my mind’s wanderings

In the distant land of utter folly?

Willst thou, Love, bestow upon me my salvation?

Givest thou the tonic nouriture,

And once my heart eateth and hath surfeit

And make willeth of its life-blood, pottage,

To give my soul the food she lacketh.

My soul diminisheth as my heart feeleth hunger:

For lack of love, my Love, will cause

My soul’s demise and my heart’s decease,

And my living body, though corpulent, will die.

LEAP YEAR DAY

“Today is an ephemeral ghost... A strange amazing day that comes only once every four years. For the rest of the time it does not exist.” – Vera Nazarian

The yellow violet, Viola odorata, is today’s birthday flower.  It symbolises rarity, worth and rural happiness. Astrologically, the violet is under the dominion of Venus and the sign of Aries.  In the Middle Ages, together with the wallflower, the violet was considered a symbol of constancy.  A golden violet was the prize awarded to the best versifier in competitions where the troubadours sang their ballads.

The intercalary day of February 29th is added every four years except in those century years that cannot be divided evenly by 400 (e.g. 1700, 1800, 1900).  In those years February has 28 days.  In the Roman calendar the intercalary day was added after February 23rd (i.e. VII Kalends March) and the leap day was called VI Kalends of March, the same as the day that followed it. In a leap Roman year therefore there were two days that were called VI Kalends of March and the year was known as a bissextile year (i.e. sixth twice year).

The Leap Year’s Day was regarded as an unlucky day and many ill omens were associated with it.  This arises from the belief that it was the birthday of Biblical Job, which he blighted when he cursed the day he was born.  The Lord, in His mercy only allowed it to occur once every four years.  No new tasks were begun on this day and often candles were lit in churches so that the blight of the day would not influence the fate of the faithful.

The field forget-me-not, Myosotis arvensis, is a flower that was traditionally exchanged between friends on this day. If one began to travel on February 29th, it was customary to give them this bloom.  It symbolises remembrance and true love.

Traditionally, in some countries, February 29th was the time when “ladies have full and absolute licence to propose marriage to single gentlemen. If the gentleman be so rude as to refuse, he is infallibly bound to give the spurned lady a present, which is usually a pair of new gloves on Easter Day.” In 1228 a law was passed in Scotland allowing women to propose marriage only in a leap year.

Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (1792–1868) was born on this day and he is an Italian operatic composer. Of his many lively operas, The Barber of Seville (1816) is his comic masterpiece. After composing the opera William Tell (1829), he wrote only songs, piano pieces, and the Stabat Mater (1842). Some early works of his worth listening to are the String Sonatas 1-6 written at the age of twelve and anticipating the wit and lively nature of his mature music.

St Cassianus has his feast day today and he is considered by Greek heortology to be the patron saint of the lazy as his feast day falls only once every four years!  He is often depicted holding keys, which the Greek people interpret as the “keys of laziness”.

CHANGE

“There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction” - Winston Churchill

These days at work tend to be very busy, coinciding with the beginning of the first semester of the Academic Year, a batch of new students, orientation and induction, renovations and new teaching strategies. We have also had a spate of staff changes with the resignations of three key senior executives within three weeks, which has led to a restructure of the top levels of the organisation. This has created quite a few waves that have made some staff rather nervous. It is very difficult for some people to cope with change, especially if change occurs quickly and is widespread. The discomfiture and anxiety that change generates can be a destabilising factor in an organisation unless it is handled carefully.

Change can occur slowly and thus be managed more easily, but often change can occur with dramatic rapidity and be quite widespread, which catches many unwary people off guard and this can have a disruptive influence not only on one’s working life, but also for one’s home life. The effects of change are not only intellectual and emotional, but also physical. The number of people that show symptoms of a physical disease after their emotional and intellectual stability has been seriously compromised is not insignificant.

Fear, anxiety, frustration, despair, anger and excitement are all feelings experienced by people affected by change. It is essential to recognise it is the change that is causing these emotions, not other people. If we centre our response to the change on people, we can lose perspective and lose control. It is essential to remain calm, logical and analytical about the change that is happening. Understanding what exactly is happening and what the change entails is the first way of coping with it. If we understand change, we start to control our response to it. Analysing the situation may show that the change is not what we thought about initially and that a much less exuberant and less emotional approach is needed.

After getting over the initial shock and when we understand what the change is about, it is then that we can begin to actively take control. We can think of what we successfully did in the past and try the same strategies that worked then. When we think of the changes that we initiated in our own life to effect positive transformations in the way we work, live or even ways that we spend our leisure time, we can cope more effectively with the change that is imposed on us by others. It is also important to realise just how much change we allow ourselves to go through – we can control our destiny: Even if it is something as fundamental as changing jobs, for example.

It is essential when coping with change to find a mentor that we trust. It can be a colleague, a family member or a peer. They can give advice, ask important (and sometimes blunt and painful!) questions, challenge our rationale and think through with us the reason for our actions. Mentors are usually not close friends but people whom we trust to be honest with us and are able to force us to be honest with ourselves. A mentor can help refine our strategy, offer suggestions as to the choices that we have available to us (often many of these we may not have considered ourselves). Choices are important as they can help us control the outcome of the change.

Change often challenges our skill base and it is important in any case to continue to learn new things every day. Knowledge, new skills, increasing experience and new expertise in what we do will allow us to cope with change much more easily. Flexibility of attitude and ability to deal with new scenarios – i.e. change – is something that an expanding skill base makes us more adept at when handling all sorts of crises, including dramatic change.

After thinking through the change, considering our options and determining the way that we wish to respond to the change, it is important to plan ahead. We should start with small steps, consider the short-term goals, then progress to bigger steps and longer-term goals. If one of these planned moves fails, it is important that we do not get discouraged and we should persevere. Losing a battle doesn’t mean we will lose the war. We should regroup and replan and try again. At the same time it is important to celebrate our successes. We should so while looking back at where we have come from, what we have achieved and how our plan of action is progressing.

Change is inevitable and change is positive if it is done with good reason. How we cope with it is very much a personal matter and our choices in dealing with it, as well as our plan of action to deal with it, will determine our successful negotiation of all the transformations that change brings about.

CLEAN MONDAY - KOULOUMA

“Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another.” - Jean P.F Richter

Lent is the period of fasting before Easter, in commemoration of Christ’s 40-day fast in the desert. Interestingly, the 40-day period is one that recurs in the Bible: Moses spent 40 days on Mt Sinai, Elijah spent 40 days travelling to the Mount of God.  In most Western churches (including the Roman Catholic faith), Sundays are not included in the period of fasting and the fast begins on Ash Wednesday.  In the Greek Orthodox faith, the period of Lenten fasting begins on “Clean Monday” (which this year is today), and continues until midnight on Easter Saturday, a period of 48 days. The Greek term for Lent is Meghale Saracosté, meaning the “great 40th day”, fast being implied, and the “great” including the extra 8 days of fasting.  The “lesser 40th day fast” of the Greek Orthodox Church is the one preceding Christmas and lasts 40 days.

It was traditional for children to cut out a paper figure of an old lady with seven feet showing beneath her long skirt. This figure was dubbed “Mrs Lent”. She had no mouth as she was fasting, her hands are crossed in an attitude of prayer and contrition and she has 7 feet, one for each week of the Great Lent. As Lent progressed, one of the feet was cut off on the Saturday, the last one on Holy Saturday before Easter.  In the days before calendars, Mrs Lent was an easy way to keep track of the progress of the fasting and the advent of Easter.

The term “Clean Monday” also refers to the Spring-cleaning, which was traditionally done on this day. Everything was taken out of the house, furniture dusted, floors mopped, walls were whitewashed, houses aired, and the rubbish taken out of the village and burnt.  This represented a purification of the house, readying it for the Lenten period ahead.  In Greece, Clean Monday is a time when children go out and fly kites, a practice known as koúlouma, which usually combines this kite-flying with a picnic in the countryside.  It is customary to eat a special unleavened bread on this day, called a laghána.  The baking of this special bread may be related to the Roman Feast of Ovens, the Fornacalia at around this time. During this feast, it was customary to eat wheaten flat cakes resembling the laghána.  The Fornacalia cakes may also be linked to the tradition of baking pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.

The Great Apokriá is gone and o’er

Masquerading, feasting, alas no more.

Lent is here, Clean Monday dear -

Eat your olives and great God fear!

                                    Greek Folk Rhyme

The term Lent is derived from the Anglo-Saxon lenctene, meaning the time when days lengthen.  The Scottish term for Lent is “Fasterns” while the Gaelic and Welsh terms also allude to the period of fasting.  In Latin the term carnesprivium is given to Lent and means “the time of abstinence from meat”.  Before the fast, all foods forbidden during Lent had to be consumed and generally this was a time for merry-making and feasting. Carnival is derived from the Latin carnelevarium, meaning “taking away of meat”.  Other sources link carnival with carnevale, literally, “goodbye to meat”. No eggs, milk, cheese, meat or fish are partaken during the period of fasting, a largely vegetarian diet being followed.  The Roman Catholic faith has relaxed the requirements of Lenten fasting whereas the Greek Orthodox church still applies the same stringent requirements to the faithful.

Shrovetide is the period just before Lent when people made their “shrifts”, or they were “shriven” i.e. made their confessions.  Lent is a period of meditation, fasting, doing penance, preparing spiritually for Easter and giving money to charity.  No weddings should be performed during Lent, couples usually waiting until Easter Sunday, a very popular day to celebrate a wedding in many countries.  Traditionally, the 40-day period of Lent was also a time that new candidates for admission into the Christian faith prepared for their baptism, which occurred on Easter Sunday.
            Marry in Lent,

            You’ll live to repent.

In England, Shrove Monday is also called Collop Monday, meaning the day on which the meat forbidden during Lent had to be consumed in the form of “collops” or “rashers”.  Mutton collops or bacon collops were eaten on this day together with eggs.  Merry making and the playing of practical jokes was also a custom on the Shrovetide days.  Carnival as such was not celebrated in England.

Rosenmontag, or Rose Monday, is a German pre-Lenten tradition.  On this day, friends exchange a single white rose, this explaining the name of the holiday.  Rosenmontag is included in the week prior to Lent when Carnival is celebrated with parades, processions and masquerades. The Sunday before Rosenmontag and Shrove Tuesday are termed the “Three Mad Days” as this is when the carnival reaches its zenith.  The main carnival procession is held on Rosenmontag (Shrove Monday) and the processions of Mainz and Cologne are by far the most famous and grand. In Cologne, the parade stretches for up to 7 km and is watched by 1.5 million people.  The leading float is occupied by the Prince of the Carnival and following this are other floats, many coaches, dancers, giant dummies depicting well-known personalities in caricature. Brass bands follow on with riders on richly-caparisoned horses, costumed figures, clowns and girls who throw chocolates, carnations and mimosa blossom (flown in from the South of France) into the crowd.

ART SUNDAY - RENOIR

“The purpose of painting is to decorate the walls. Therefore it has to be as rich as possible.” - Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841 – 1919) was born in Limoges on 25 February 1841. His father was a tailor, and in 1954 Renoir was given an apprenticeship working as a painter in a porcelain factory in Paris, gaining experience with the light, fresh colors that were to distinguish his Impressionist work and also learning the importance of good craftsmanship. His predilection towards lighthearted themes was also influenced by the great Rococo masters, whose works he studied in the Louvre.

In 1862 he entered the studio of Gleyre and there formed a lasting friendship with Monet, Sisley and Bazille. He painted with them in the Barbizon district and became a leading member of the group of Impressionists who met at the Café Guerbois. His relationship with Monet was particularly close at this time, and their paintings of the beauty spot called La Grenouillère done in 1869 are regarded as the classic early statements of the Impressionist style.

Like Monet, Renoir endured much hardship early in his career, but he began to achieve success as a portraitist in the late 1870s and was freed from financial worries after the dealer Paul Durand-Ruel began buying his work regularly in 1881. By this time Renoir said “…I travelled as far as Impressionism could take me”, and a visit to Italy in 1881-82 inspired him to seek a greater sense of solidarity in his work.

The change in attitude is seen in his paintings for then on, which have a crisper and drier style, with duller coloring. After a period of experimentation with what he called his “manière aigre” (harsh or sour manner) in the mid 1880s, he developed a softer and more supple kind of handling. At the same time he turned from contemporary themes to more timeless subjects, particularly nudes, but also pictures of children in unspecific settings. As his style became grander and simpler he also took up mythological subjects and the female type he preferred became more mature and ample.

In the 1890s Renoir began to suffer from rheumatism, and from 1903 (by which time he was world-famous) he lived in the warmth of the south of France. The rheumatism eventually crippled him (by 1912 he was confined to a wheelchair), but he continued to paint until the end of his life, and in his last years he also took up sculpture, directing assistants (including Richard Guino, a pupil of Maillol) to act as his hands.

Renoir is perhaps the best-loved of all the Impressionists, as his subjects, pretty children, flowers, beautiful scenes, above all lovely women have instant appeal, and he communicated the joy he took in them with great directness. “Why shouldn't art be pretty?” he said, “There are enough unpleasant things in the world.” He was one of the great worshippers of the female form, and he said “I never think I have finished a nude until I think I could pinch it.”

His 1881 painting above, “Luncheon of the Boating Party” (Le déjeuner des canotiers) exemplifies Renoir’s style wonderfully. It shows a richness of form, a fluidity of brush stroke, and a flickering light and gorgeous colour with a marvellous rendition of light and shade. It is an instantly appealing work with richness of detail, humour and a sense of keen observation.

The painting depicts a group of Renoir’s friends relaxing on a balcony at the Maison Fournaise along the Seine river in Chatou, France. The painter and art patron, Gustave Caillebotte, is seated in the lower right. Renoir’s future wife, the seamstress Aline Charigot, is in the foreground playing with a small dog. On the table is fruit and wine.  The diagonal of the railing serves to demarcate the two halves of the composition, one densely packed with figures, the other all but empty, save for the two figures of the proprietor’s daughter Louise-Alphonsine Fournaise and her brother, Alphonse Fournaise, Jr, which are made prominent by this contrast. In this painting Renoir has captured a great deal of light. The main focus of light is coming from the large opening in the balcony, beside the large singleted man in the hat. The singlets of both men in the foreground and the table-cloth all work together to reflect this light and send it through the whole composition. A charming work exhibitied in The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.

A LITTLE DVORAK FOR SATURDAY

“Great music is in a sense serene; it is certain of the values it asserts.” - Rebecca West

We have had a very hot day today in Melbourne with the temperature just under 40˚C for most of the day. After doing some shopping and chores as early as we could, we ended up at home, which fortunately remained cool through the non-stop operation of the air conditioner. One is thankful on days like this of the technology and the way it can make our life easier. In the half darkness of the curtained off rooms we relaxed, watched a movie, read and listened to music.

Then evening came and even in the approaching darkness, the heat was intense. Tonight’s low will 21˚C and then again, another hot day tomorrow in the high 30s. Summer weather lingers all during February, which tends to be our hottest month. One yearns for autumn on days such as these. We humans are never content, it seems, we long for summer’s heat in winter, in summer we would snow and ice, in autumn’s decline we desire the burgeoning growth of spring and in spring’s flighty weather we yearn for autumn’s mellowness…

For a little Saturday Serenity, here is the gorgeous Lento, the second movement of Antonin Dvořák’s Quartet No 12 in F, the “American”. Music doesn’t get more serene than this. Enjoy it and enjoy the season you are experiencing this very day!

This post is part of the Saturday Sareenity meme.

TGIF

“One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.” - Bertrand Russell

It’s been a hard week and I’m glad it’s Friday. I haven’t been feeling too well and I have been stretching myself a little too thin. I’ll take it easy this weekend and try to relax a little and get ready for another onslaught next week. Got home late as there was a long meeting at work that went until 6:00 pm. Having missed the 6:05 pm train I had to wait half an hour for the next one and didn't get home till 7:00 pm. It made for a long Friday.

To relax, I made an old fashioned drink. The glass may not have been in the freezer for three hours, but 10 minutes was long enough.

BRANDY CRUSTA

Ingredients

1   part dry vermouth

1   part brandy

1   part lemon juice
     ice, granulated sugar

Method

Put a martini glass in the freezer for at least three hours. Take the glass and wet the rim by running around it with a segment of lemon and frost the rim with the sugar. Shake the vermouth, brandy and lemon juice with ice, straining carefully into the sugar frosted glass.

MEMORY OF LOVE

“In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing.” - Mignon McLaughlin

Magpie Tales has provided the beautiful image again this week.  Looking at Venus in the sky, I had to sit on this one for a while as a host of ideas assailed me – too many in fact – and I wrote a poem yesterday, which I immediately trashed. Today, a haiku seemed to satisfy both the message of the image as well as me.

Memory

Forgotten number

Of your telephone: That which

I once rang by heart.

As it is also Thesaurus Thursday today, let me give you the definition of “Love” from “The Devil’s Dictionary” by Ambrose Bierce (1911), the eText of which is available on line here

LOVE, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient from the influences under which he incurred the disorder. This disease, like caries and many other ailments, is prevalent only among civilized races living under artificial conditions; barbarous nations breathing pure air and eating simple food enjoy immunity from its ravages. It is sometimes fatal, but more frequently to the physician than to the patient.

ASH WEDNESDAY

“Of all acts of man repentance is the most divine. The greatest of all faults is to be conscious of none.” - Thomas Carlyle

Today is Ash Wednesday, which in the Western Christian churches marks the first day of the season of Lent. Lent begins 40 days prior to Easter (with Sundays not included in the count). Lent is when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. In many cases, this has been reduced to a symbolic act where one consciously gives up something they enjoy: “I’m not having any chocolate for Lent” or “I’m going to become a vegetarian for the Lent period”.

In church, during some Ash Wednesday masses or services, the priest will lightly rub the sign of the cross with ashes onto the foreheads of worshipers. Ash Wednesday and Lent are mostly observed by the Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican denominations, but also most importantly by the Roman Catholics. The Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday or the custom of Lent, however, the practice of repentance and mourning rituals with ashes is found in 2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3; and Matthew 11:21.

Eastern Orthodox churches observe the Great Lent, during the 6 weeks or 40 days preceding Palm Sunday with fasting continuing during the Holy Week of Orthodox Easter, bringing the Lenten period to seven weeks. Lent for Eastern Orthodox churches begins on Monday (called “Clean Monday”) and Ash Wednesday is not observed. This year, the beginning of the Great Lent for Orthodox churches is on the 27^th February. The Greek Orthodox church calls the Great Lent “Megále Saracosté” to distinguish it from the Lesser Lent, which is observed before Christmas.

The discrepancy in the start of Lent between Western and Eastern churches occurs as the Orthodox faith follows a modified Julian calendar to establish the date of Easter each year and Easter must fall after Passover, so it does not always or often coincide with the date of Easter in other faiths, which is calculated according to the Gregorian Calendar. In 2012, Western Church Easter is celebrated on the 8^th April, while the Eastern Church celebrates Easter the following Sunday, April 15^th.

MARDI GRAS

“Abandoning meditation, penance and self-restraint, and the wisdom of good actions, you do not worship and adore the Lord's Name.” - Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Happy Mardi Gras! Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday”, or “Pancake Tuesday” are alternative names for Shrove Tuesday. In most Western churches this is the last day of the pre-Lenten non-fasting period.  It was a day during which all remaining eggs, milk, butter and cheese in the house had to be consumed, hence the custom of making pancakes. The term “Shrove” is the past tense of the verb “to shrive”:

shrive |SHrīv| verb ( past shrove |SHrōv|; past participle shriven |ˈSHrivən| ) [ with obj. ] archaic

(of a priest) Hear the confession of, assign penance to, and absolve (someone).

• (shrive oneself) Present oneself to a priest for confession, penance, and absolution.

ORIGIN Old English scrīfan ‘impose as a penance,’ of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schrijven and German schreiben ‘write,’ from Latin scribere ‘write.’

This related to the observance of presenting oneself to a priest for confession before the holy period of Lent began. The religious significance of this day has been lost in our mostly secular society, but the festive element of Mardi Gras has remained with great carnivals being staged in many parts of the world around this time. The pancake making and eating seems to have also survived. Interesting how the corporeal has managed to survive, but the spiritual, alas, has petered out…

PANCAKES

Ingredients

1    pint (≈ 470 mL) cream

6    fresh eggs

1/4  pound  (≈ 114 g) sugar

1    nutmeg, grated

            flour to make a thin batter

            some butter for frying

Method

Beat well the cream and eggs together and add the sugar and nutmeg.  Add as much flour as will make a thin pancake batter. Be careful as not to add much flour.  Grease the hot pan with a little butter and wipe lightly with a cloth.  Spoon the batter so that the bottom of the pan is covered evenly and thinly. Fry the pancake well on one side and then toss quickly so that the other side is also a golden brown colour.  Serve with savoury or sweet fillings.

MOVIE MONDAY - RED HILL

“Revenge, at first though sweet, bitter, ere long, back on itself recoils” - John Milton

We watched the 2010 Patrick Hughes film “Red Hill” yesterday, an Australian film which he produced as well as wrote the screenplay for. So it is very much his own film! It starred Ryan Kwanten, Steve Bisley and Tommy Lewis and one could call the film an action thriller, although some would even call it a “Meat Pie Western” (viz: Australian Western ;-). Although he film has flaws and is riddled with clichés, for the most part we enjoyed watching it despite some gratuitous violence, which was included to appeal to the younger market, I guess.

The plot centres on Shane Cooper (Kwanten), a young police constable, who must survive his first day’s duty in a small Australian highland country town. The town is immediately attacked by an escaped Aboriginal convict (Lewis) and who appears to have a grudge against the local police officers and their clique amongst the townspeople. Bisley plays the tough Chief Inspector of the town, “Old Bill” who appears self-assured and confident and runs the town according to his own laws. Cooper’s pregnant young wife (Claire van der Boom) provides a vague romantic interest, but this is most definitely a dick flick.

The film definitely pays homage to the Western genre and Hughes obviously understands this genre and delights in transporting to the Australia countryside and putting in a modern context. The main characters, Kwanten, Bisley and Lewis, make the film and they are all very competent in their roles. However, the supporting characters are rather shallow and provide fodder for the convict’s vengeful rampage. Hughes doesn’t offer much exposition in any of his characters, but still manages to propel the film forward interposing action shots with the more contemplative scenes. Steve Bisley is excellent in his role and a pleasure to watch, stealing most of the scenes with his personality and great acting ability. Lewis hardly utters a word, yet succeeds in making us feel the menace and brutality that his role has to exude. Kwanten plays a vulnerable “hero”, who is at times silly, weak, resourceful, green and scared. He is the most human of the characters and the one most viewers would identify with.

The cinematography and music (by Dmitri Golovko) are excellent and the overall mood of the film sets the right tone for the action. It is violent, often gratuitously so, and the plot has many holes, especially of the type: “She knows the monster is in the alley and she knows that she can’t defend herself, so why does she decide to go into the alley and confront the monster – and ends up getting killed?”… If we judge “Red Hill” as a ‘serious’ film, it will not score too many point. However, Hughes doesn’t take the film seriously and knows he is aiming to entertain. His direction is competent and his script has intelligence at its core and there is some poignancy and pathos there too. However, pandering to the market in order to make the film sell diminishes its overall value.

It still is worthwhile watching this film, negative points notwithstanding. While it is not up to the standard of the Coen Brothers’ “No Country For Old Men” it is an engaging film and it does make a point about attitudes and prejudices of our society. It just falls short of being a classic as it is not original enough. Nor is it a copy, but rather a mélange of many and none. If you watch it, be warned there are some violent and fairly gruesome scenes in it. The only thing that made me laugh was the panther, although it was a good-humoured laugh and I forgave Hughes for his rather heavy-handed attempt at deeper symbolism…

ART SUNDAY - LEONARDO "LIVE"

“Reality is merely an illusion, although a very persistent one” - Albert Einstein

On Saturday we enjoyed a special showing of the Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition at the National Gallery of London, at one of our cinemas here in Melbourne. This was an interesting experiment, based on the November 2011 opening of the exhibition “Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan” which was screened at cinemas across the globe, making it the first art exhibition opening to receive simultaneous global transmission. Beginning on Thursday 16 February, “Leonardo Live” will be screened at 650 cinemas across Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.

The live coverage and subsequent documentary transmission, was able offers art lovers worldwide an unprecedented opportunity to experience the work of Leonardo da Vinci. This was definitely the next best thing to actually being there in what turned out to be a sold out exhibition as soon as it opened. The coverage was presented by art historian Tim Marlow and journalist Mariella Frostrup. “Leonardo Live” explored the exhibition on its opening night and featured detailed examinations of the paintings and drawings on show with some insights into the genius of Leonardo. The film featured interviews with special guests and experts, including exhibition curator Luke Syson. The paintings were shown in the context of Leonardo’s life and oeuvre and as well as offering the opportunity to look at each painting in its entirety, close-up footage revealed the astonishing detail of the works.

We enjoyed the presentation overall, although the two presenters did seem like over-eager puppies at some points, trying desperately to make the “show” a bit like a cross between a grand final football coverage and a sensational coverage of an election evening broadcast. The interviews were of limited interest with some of the “VIPs” interviewed being more enthusiastic to self-promote rather than knowledgeable about the topic at hand. Fiona Shaw’s interview about the “Salvator Mundi” painting was particularly fuzzy. I would have preferred more time spent on the paintings, examining the details, the technique, the history, the relationship of Leonardo’s art with other artists of his time, etc.

The concept of this exhibition at the National Gallery being transmitted in this manner was innovative and served an important purpose – bringing art to the masses worldwide. As such, the presentation was sensationalised in order to appeal to the masses. I would personally have preferred a non-live event (even though what we saw last Saturday was canned) that was more studious and carefully prepared, with real experts on Leonardo’s art providing insights into his life and work, rather than a hyped up, “gee-whiz” presentation like an Oscars ceremony with “VIPs” of token value.

The genius of the art of Leonardo is remarkable – that is indisputable. However, the way that we have made art a commodity and the way that we market the art of the masters of the past is something that can be debated at great length. The “Mona Lisa” on T-shirts and mugs, the copies of Rembrandt that we hang on our walls, the reproduction of each and every masterpiece in books, DVDs, other forms of visual media, and now of course the internet, may give the viewer a false impression of what the art actually looks like and rob somewhat from the impact the art work has on one when it is viewed in reality. This type of broadcast attempted to make art more accessible and may provide the only opportunity for some people to see a Leonardo painting “close-up and personal”. However, it is a different experience viewing the work with ones own eyes.

When I visited the National Gallery of London several years ago I was astounded by Leonardo’s drawing of the “The Virgin and Child with St Anne and St John the Baptist”, sometimes called “The Burlington House Cartoon” (see detail above – view whole here) Its immense size (141.5 cm × 104.6 cm) and its wonderful luminosity was something that I was not prepared for. I had seen this work before reproduced in art books, on the net, in magazines. Seeing it in reality was a revelation. I spent over half an hour looking at it, drinking it in, reveling in its wonderful detail and depth. Once again watching the “Leonardo Live” presentation, this work was highlighted. However, the impact was quite different. Yes, one appreciated the drawing in the broadcast, but the sheer gob-smacking reality of the original was lost. I had to go away and attempt a copy of this magnificent drawing and I did several (good) drawings of details of the work, which only increased my admiration of the genius of Leonardo that I clearly lacked…

No doubt the future will bring us even more “perfect” reproductions of original art works. Maybe a near-perfect Picasso could be hung on walls of every home. Maybe flawless copies of Monet can be made with the aid of technology and we can populate our museums with these ersatz works. That may prove to be a wonderful experience insofar as making these works more accessible by as many people as possible, but perhaps we should rethink how we view great art. Travelling great distances in order to be able to view an original hanging in one gallery in one part of the world was one of the highlights of my various travels.

Thinking about it, I once again question “what is art?”, how do we appreciate it? Is an original superior to a “perfect reproduction” (if such a thing exists…), is the creation of something new even possible or is every original work dependent on all previous works that have come before it? Is a Leonardo somehow more “superior” to a scribble by Picasso that he tossed off while he said with wonderful insight: “If I spit, they will take my spit and frame it as great art.” Interesting ideas, interesting discussion one may have…

PEACE FOR YOU ON SATURDAY

“If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another.” - Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai

I was invited by the University of Melbourne to give a guest lecture in a postgraduate program this morning. It all went well and the group of 30 or so students were alert, engaged, eager, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed – and they all laughed at the right spots too! It does make an academic’s job a pleasure to lecture to a group like that. It was so wonderful to be back at the University, this time not a student, but once again as an academic. It reminded of how fast the years are going by. It seems only yesterday I was on campus as a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed young thing myself…

At 1:00 pm we went to Cinema Nova in Carlton where we had tickets to the Leonardo Live program direct from the National Gallery in London. That was quite a magnificent production and we enjoyed it very much. But more of that tomorrow on Art Sunday on this blog!

For a little Saturday Serenity, here is the second movement ‘Adagio cantabile’ of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Septet in E flat, opus 20 performed by The Gaudier Ensemble. The Septet was first performed in 1800 and published in 1802. It is scored for clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, and contrabass. It is in six movements:

1. Adagio; Allegro con brio

2. Adagio cantabile

3. Tempo di minuetto

4. Tema con variazioni: Andante

5. Scherzo: Allegro molto e vivace

6. Andante con moto alla marcia; Presto

The overall layout resembles a serenade but Beethoven expands the form by the addition of substantial introductions to the first and last movements. The main theme of the third movement had already been used in Beethoven's Piano Sonata, (Op. 49 No. 2), which was an earlier work despite its higher opus number. The finale features a violin cadenza. The Septet was one of Beethoven’s most successful and popular works and circulated in many editions and arrangements for different forces. In about 1803 Beethoven himself arranged the work as a Trio for clarinet (or violin), cello and piano, and this version was published as his op. 38 in 1805.

The photo is taken from our back garden, last winter. This post is part of the Saturday Sareenity meme.