little augury at three

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little augury is three years old -tonight- this New Year's Eve. the impact of IT has been more than I expected-would ever have guessed or dreamed of. Motivated by the loss of the dearest of friends, little augury was born December 31st 2008. The host of bloggers, readers and the immeasurable knowledge they have offered is dimmed only by their friendship.

Writing my first post I speculated-Why create a blog? What moves us to reach out to others with our thoughts, opinions- our suppositions? For me- I have been continually inspired by one particular blog all year- An Aesthete's Lament. Thank you.
I also begin with an ending of sorts- a dear friend and sometimes mentor died on December 15th and I made a promise to keep just a bit of his wit and wisdom alive by sharing it whenever possible. Hopefully this Little Augury will do that and more. Surely it will evolve- follow along if you'd like to see just how.

"Il n'est pas de plus beau maquillage pour une femme, ni de plus beau vêtement pour un homme que la PASSION." Yves Saint Laurent, mai 1990 

"It is no more beautiful makeup for a woman, and a beautiful garment for a man than the PASSION."

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photograph by Victoria Thorne

I could never have anticipated the GIFTS that followed.
This exquisite photograph was taken by one of those Gifts- one of those Givers- friend, Victoria Thorne, creative wonder,  kindred spirit and constant source of inspiration. Whether she is turning her Eye to a nanosecond image or-
excavating a source, she does so with an authenticity that is Pure & Singular-yet objective.
She is Seeking Beauty. Being able to see through her eyes is such a Gift.
& still as inspiring as ever the ceaseless knowledge of An Aesthete's Lament.


VT here

An Aesthete's Lament here

patti smith feeling the rhythm

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last year-December-
I was finishing up the great book Just Kids, by Patti Smith, recommending it to readers here and as the New Year of 2011 began suggested a series for looking at the gender question here
Later in the year Smith won the National Book Award for Just Kids. Her own power comes from one source-neither masculine nor feminine-this -a key to being a great artist. She mentions Picasso-another great artist that comes and goes here at little augury.

 "One evening I sat Beauty on my knees 

And I found her bitter 

And I reviled her.” RIMBAUD

Patti Smith came to mind on a posting today-December 30th.  Is it the ending of a year? the beginning? or today was it because today is her birthday,

PATTI SMITH

born December 30 1946.

“And again: No more gods! no more gods! Man is King, Man is God! - But the great Faith is Love!” RIMBAUD

Artists from the Patti Smith feeling the rhythm postings in 2011 here ,were all women. Perhaps-because WOMEN are often described as WOMEN PAINTERS, WOMEN WRITERS, WOMEN this that or the other.  My Picks: Tilda Swinton, Nina Simone & Helen Frankenthaler. Your suggestions for 2012?

 “I have stretched ropes from steeple to steeple; garlands from window to window; golden chains from star to star, 

and I dance.”  

RIMBAUD

Again, looking at Robert Mappelthorpe, photographer who has not yet been recognized as the truly extraordinary artist he was. Yes-he is recognized as a great one-he is that too.

 (from Interview here)

We'll see more of these Artists in the new year. Their power remains undiminished.

“He would say, 'How funny it will all seem, all you've gone through, when I'm not here anymore, when you no longer feel my arms around your shoulders, nor my heart beneath you, nor this mouth on your eyes, because I will have to go away someday, far away...' And in that instant I could feel myself with him gone, dizzy with fear, sinking down into the most horrible blackness: into death.” RIMBAUD

all photographs in this post by Robert Mapplethorpe, at little augury here

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when DOVES cry

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Little emerald bird
wants to fly away
If I cup my hand
could I make him stay?

Little emerald soul
Little emerald eye
Little emerald soul
Must you say goodbye?

All the things that we pursue
All that we dream
are composed as nature knew
In a feather green

Little emerald bird
As you light afar
It is true I heard
God is where you are

Little emerald soul
Little emerald eye
Little emerald bird
We must say goodbye

Patti Smith

Patti Smith by Robert Mapplethorpe, 1979.

Mapplethorpe self-portrait, 1975.

Linsday Key, photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe, 1985.

Read about the UnHATE DOVE  art installation sponsored by Benetton & given to LIBYA on Christmas Eve this year. Using 15000 empty cartridges, the UnHATE DOVE sculpture is part of the Benetton Group’s UnHATE Foundation program

pictures from VOGUE it here & from the COLORS OF LOVE blog here -with wonderful videos of the Project

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PENN December FLOWERS

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 the Beauty of Irving Penn's Flowers

Vogue
December 1967

Vogue
December 1968

Vogue
December 1969

Vogue
December 1971



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honor Christmas

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there is nothing more disheartening than the over-ness of Christmas. 
pulling down the decorations-first-rushing the season & then tossing it to the curb for pick up. 
with that in mind, celebrate a day longer than you planned-
hold off a day on dissing Christmas-
& to that end, today I wish you-

 

 

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year.” Charles Dickens

this postcard from my collection-

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Frankenthaler, feeling the rhythm

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  requiescat in pace

American Abstract Expressionist 

Helen Frankenthaler, December 12, 1928 – December 27, 2011

 

  “For me, being a ‘lady painter’ was never an issue,” she was quoted as saying in John Gruen’s book “The Party’s Over Now” (1972). “I don’t resent being a female painter. I don’t exploit it. I paint.” Helen Frankenthaler

the 5th in a series inspired last year by this Patti Smith video, the power of great Artists is Genderless

-as is their Art.

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les anges

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It is not known precisely where angels dwell - 

whether in the air, the void, or the planets.  

It has not been God's pleasure that we should be informed of their abode.  ~Voltaire

angels by Givenchy


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& lo

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Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth
Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep.
~John Milton, Paradise Lost

angel- photograph by Nadia Wicker

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les Anges

 

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Where lambs have nibbled, silent moves

The feet of angels bright;

Unseen they pour blessing,

And joy without ceasing,

On each bud and blossom, 

And each sleeping bosom. 

William Blake

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photograph by Deborah Turbeville

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a BarBaRella Christmas

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I just got back from a lovely trip
along the Milky Way
I stopped off at the North Pole
to spend a holiday.
I called on dear old Santa Claus
to see what I could see
He took me in his workshop
And told his plans to me, so... 
Gillespie Coots

image from BARBARELLA

He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice.

& lo

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying- angel-Ossie Clark .

les Anges

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angel photographed by Bert Stern, VOGUE December, 1962.
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& lo

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And the angel said unto them, 

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Angel- Tina Chow- photographed in Madame Gres

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& about the ChristmasTree

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There was every kind of gilt hanging-thing, 

from gilt pea-pods to butterflies on springs. 

There were shining flags and lanterns,

and bird-cages, 

and nests with birds sitting on them, 

baskets of fruit,

gilt apples, 

and bunches of grapes. 

Lucretia P. Hale's story The Peterkins' Christmas-Tree 1870.

In 1846 Queen Victoria and Prince, Albert, were illustrated in the Illustrated London News. They were standing with their children around a Christmas Tree. Victoria was quite popular and the English embraced their first Christmas trees, long a tradition with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, with East Coast American Society following.



On one branch there hung little nets cut out of colored paper, and each net was filled with sugarplums; and among the other boughs gilded apples and walnuts were suspended, looking as though they had grown there, and little blue and white tapers were placed among the leaves.

 Dolls that looked for all the world like men—the Tree had never beheld such before—were seen among the foliage, and at the very top a large star of gold tinsel was fixed.-  Hans Christian Andersen's story of The Fir-Tree

Decorations were quilled snowflakes and stars, tiny sewn pouches for secret gifts and paper baskets with sugared almonds in them. Bead decorations, fine drawn silver tinsel was imported from Germany, Candles lit the tree. By the 1850's the frenzy of the decorated tree brought about the production of  intricate glass bead garlands &  garlands made from necklace 'bugles' and beads made in Lauscha Germany.

This year I've decorated two small table top trees. This is a seventeenth century tradition- similar trees were decorated for each member of the family &  set on tables with each person's packages stacked under the tree.

So about these two small trees- one of them has actually disappeared- smothered under the ornaments-mostly RED ones. Many favorites, old and older. The second small tree is in the Living Room. It sits on a brown velvet skirted table and is filled with sentimental favorites, felt ornaments,beaded and sequined made by the hand of my GranMa Bess. Others painted by my mother, some memorials to beloved pets, to Christmases past-family photographs, etc.

 Each year a decision is made-to do a large tree- or not to? The first year the dreaded "faux" tree was introduced at home, my parent's home, there was a decided chill in the air. The quality of these beasts improved over the years. I insisted on taking one of them when my parents started giving away certain treasures-One man's trash, as they say.  This tree, well- it is bedraggled-but once the mass of ornaments adorns it- it is a wonder. There's something about that tree-
Magic I think.
This year it remains in the attic, maybe next year.






Philip Treacy & Emma Watson-the tree
photograph by Tim Walker-the toys


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& lo

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Photograph by Richard Avedon We trust in plumed procession For such the angels go - Rank after Rank, with even feet - And uniforms of Snow. ~Emily Dickinson     Angel, Photograph by Richard Avedon, Jean Paul Gaultier 2000 White feather evening cape ,Collection of Elizabeth Taylor Christie's . .

les anges

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 Les anges dans nos campagnes
Ont entonné l'hymne des cieux
Et l'écho de nos montagnes
Redit ce chant mélodieux

Gloria in excelsis Déo!

Gloria in excelsis Déo!

The Angels were all singing out of tune,
And hoarse with having little else to do,
Excepting to wind up the sun and moon
Or curb a runaway young star or two.
~Lord Byron

Angel by Alexander McQueen

 The angels in our fields

 Started singing the heavenly hymn

 And the echo of our mountains

Repeat this melodious song.

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& lo

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8	¶ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9	And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
10	And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11	For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12	And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13	And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14	Glory to God in the highest, & on Earth peace, Good Will Toward Men.

photograph of Raquel Zimmermann by Mario Sorrenti, wearing Alexander McQueen

an army (Luk.2:13; Rev.19:19) of good angels mentioned in the Bible. It is led either by the Archangel Michael, Jesus, or by God himself.

little Muffie's French Aunt Bunny

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see the Muffie legacy here
from my collection

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