f+f: the reality of beauty & the beauty of reality

form + function introduction: part one


form & fashion are often pitted against each other, 

but is that really all we have?  is it one or the other?  

must my feet choose only to be incased in either sky high, red soled, costlier than my rent, gorgeousness or sinking into the soft, antimicrobial rubber utopia of crocs?  if i care for design, must i only rest on a bertoia weaving of wires, wincing as much at the idea of a cushion interrupting the clean, minimal lines as i am at the waffle pattern being pressed into my skin?  

my question, argument, & the topic of my new series:  

do we actually need to choose?

kaleidoscope?  no, these are the cells of a banana leaf.

growing up as an artist, science & math have always been great inspirations to me because they very clearly answer the form vs function debate.  do the beauty of these cells detract from their function?  no.  so, then, why is it that we feel the need to put art & fashion into a box & sharpie scribble "impractical vanity"?

zoë keating woke me up

 Zoe keating by nadya lev for coilhouse magazine

maybe it's something intrinsically artist, but i have a hard time quieting my mind.  trying to go to sleep is a bit like watching a mashup of the opening credits to rubicon & temple grandin.  lately, i've been hushing myself by listening to audio books & programs.  last night, i loaded up some old episodes of radiolab.  hours after i'd drifted off, i woke, startled, hearing this incredible sound.  i sat up, rewound, & listened to the entire program which i've embedded here for you.

according to her website,

zoë keating is a one-woman orchestra. she uses a cello and a foot-controlled laptop to record layer upon layer of cello, creating intricate, haunting and compelling music. zoë is known for both her use of technology - which she uses to sample her cello onstage - and for her diy ethic which has resulted in the sale of over 35,000 copies of her self-released albums and a devoted social media following.

there's nothing about that that doesn't make me swoon.  i've always believed strongly that art is math.  music is nothing but additions & subtractions.  sounds nothing but waves echoing through the air till it triggers our ears to send us messages in neurological binary.  art to me, is nothing but the most perfect science.  so her use of technology WITH her art to create is ... well, just watch.

here is the song that woke me up, escape artist.

video from her wired interview

you can also download "optimist" for free here