Design and the elastic mind...

- a talk by Paola Antonelli

The Butterfly...

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

...>i<

The man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings.

................>i<

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened!! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings. It was never able to fly.

....................................>i<

The restricting cocoon, and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through its tiny opening, were nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight, once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

......................................................>i<

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If we were allowed to go though our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been.

..................................We Could Never FLY ...!!...>i<

P.S. - Pic was taken on a trek to the smokies... (Aaahh.. the smokies..!!! :)
Content - an excerpt from TOI's sacred space.

GINA - Context over Dogma...

Ferns and Pebbles...

Tryst with charcoal and pencils .. a starter for my sketchbook ...!!



update 04/09 - this sketch was selected cover page for Georgia Tech's art journal "ERATO"

Aaargghhh...!!! This empty feeling ...

Into the Wild...

This verse from Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, shows up in the very first scene of this amazing movie "Into the Wild".
Must say..It mirrors my thoughts ..!!

There is Pleasure in the Pathless Woods...
there is Rapture on the Lonely Shore,
There is society, where No one intrudes...
by the deep sea, and music in its Roar,
I love not Man the less, but Nature more..!!!

-- Lord George Gordon Byron

Link to the complete poem

Yellow Lemon Tree...

This ones a favorite by FOOL's GARDEN ....can't help humming along :) ...!!!



am sitting here in a borin' room
It's just another rainy Sunday afternoon
am wasting my time...I got nothing to do
am hanging around...am waiting for you
Buttt nothing ever happens and I wonder....

am driving around.. in my car
am driving too fast...am driving too far
I'd like to change my point of view
I feel so lonely...am waiting for you
Buttt nothing ever happens ..nd I wonder...

I wonder how..??..I wonder why..??
Yes'day you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
nd all that I can see.. is just a yellow lemon-tree
I'm turnin my head up and down..
I'm turnin turnin turnin turnin turninnn around
nd all that I can see.. is just another lemon-tree...!!

Sinnggg.. da..da da da.. da deedapda
da da da ..da deeedapda....dapdeepdeda..!!!

am sitting here...I miss the power
I'd like to go out takin' a shower
But there's a heavy cloud inside my head
I feel so tired...Put myself into bed
Well, nothing ever happens nd I wonder...

iiiisolation is not good for me
iiiiisolation ...I don't want to sit on the lemon-tree

am steppin' around in the desert of joy
Baby anyhow I'll get another toy
nd everything will happen.. nd you wonder....

I wonder how..??..I wonder why..??
Yes'day you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
nd all that I can see.. is just another lemon-tree
I'm turnin my head up and down
I'm turnin turnin turnin turnin turninnn around
nd all that I can see.. is just a yellow lemon-tree
nd I wonnder, wonnnder

I wonder how..??..I wonder why..??
Yes'day you told me 'bout the blue blue sky
nd all that I can see...nd all that I can see..nd all that I can see...!!
Is just a yellow lemon-tree...!!!


BTW informally.... a "lemon tree/lemon" is a person/thing that turns out to be defective, imperfect, or an unsatisfactory dud.