something old, something new, something borrowed...

... but nothing blue!

Well, except for the rainy day exhibit at the Jepson Center. But that was fun! I was in control and could have a storm lashing and thunder crashing one minute, then birds singing and a perfectly blue sky the next. Supercool! It was part of the Rafael Rozendaal exhibit, "Looking At Something".

I also played with the toilet paper roll.
That's right, it was also interactive!
These PULSE pieces are meant to be touched...
and we KNOW I like touch!
So, I unspooled the paper...

... until only a few pieces of remained.
I didn't want to take the last piece!
LOL!
Then I rolled it back up for the next person.

Now that I had the touch urge under control, I could visit Marilyn again.
Some of the pieces here show such a vulnerable side of her, whilst others are rather whimsical.
I especially enjoyed the video interview with the photographer who captured that famous shot of her in the white dress, over the subway grate.

There were several of her quotes scattered throughout the exhibit, stenciled on the white walls. I thought this quote was particularly poignant.
Perhaps she decided she didn't want to know herself?
Perhaps the public image became too difficult to maintain?
She was only 36 years old when she died.
If she had lived, she would be 88 years old in three days.
Would the world have accepted her growing older in film and on stage, as it has for Betty White?
Or would she have resigned from public view, like Brigitte Bardot?
Both women are her contemporaries. If Marilyn had not been frozen in time by death, she would be a white-haired octogenarian now.
I guess this has been a serious line of thinking for my birthday, but it's also appropriate. Aging is a natural part of life, a part I have been learning to accept of late. After all, only the dead can stop the aging process and remain stuck in time into perpetuity.
Me? I'd rather stay young at heart!
The Helen Levitt photography exhibit, next on my list, was filled with black-and-whites of children. Titled "In The Street", the shots were mostly candids, taken when folks were unaware a camera eye was watching. They reminded me so much of the photos I had seen on Sunday in the film about Vivian Maier. Vivian was a nanny who left behind hundreds of thousands of candid photos taken during her life, mostly of strangers. Her camera, slung on a strap at waist level, allowed her to look someone in the eye while snapping her flashless shots, almost surreptitiously. Perhaps that is the reason she kept the photos to herself, knowing she had "stolen" these images of people. Or, no doubt aware of the older woman's work - and possibly inspired by it - she may not have thought her work was up to those same standards.
I'm a pretty avid protographer, too, as my blogs will attest. As I had watched the posthumous documentary about the nanny, I was startled by a realization. When you take someone's photo, and they are looking at you, they are acknowledging YOUR presence. They see YOU. They verify YOUR existence.
I certainly do think about that almost every time I use my camera now.

Contessa is only too happy to verify my existence any time!
I had sushi with her and Chloe prior to my foray to the museum.
I had to be sure to give her my lap and my hands for at least 20 minutes before she would allow me to dine.
My attempts to share some salmon sashimi with her failed. She only eats nasty-smelling fish, thank you very much.
(smile!)
Before calling it a day, I attended the 2014 SCADemy Awards tonight. That was definitely something new to me. I had not expected to know any of the films and I did not. I managed to catch the entire presentation.
Yeah. I don't think I will be doing that again.
Well, maybe I will if I have some kickstarter projects that get nominated. But that was not the case this year, as I did not do much investing with kickstarter last year.
However, this program felt nearly interminable and the Trustees Theatre was absolutely freezing. The only reason I stayed was the promise of the screening of the award-winning films after the awards were said and done.
There were seven videos that evening. "The Pinewood Man" chronicled the exploits of a go-kart maker, trying to win his son's love. "The Black Elephant" was a documentary about black Republicans. I liked the music video, "Saralinah"! "The Neighborhood" followed three young adults around, while "The Gold-Bug" paid homage to Edgar Allen Poe's short story. The funniest movie was "Red, White, and Screwed", a political farce in a high school setting. The screening concluded with "Southsouthwest", a touching antibullying anthem, which was a good note to end with this evening.
Next year, I'll pay better attention to the SCAD offerings. I would have liked to have seen the entire slate of student films. Those are typically screened for two days in late May.
Next year for sure!
Now, though, time for this birthday girl to call it a day!
G'night, all!