Various Graphite Media, depicting 'Dwelling for Imaginary Civilization of Little People,1998' by Charles Simonds. Made in clay, adobe, paint and housed in the New Mexico Museum of Art. August 2011.
Wabi-sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.
It is a beauty of things modest and humble.
It is a beauty of things unconventional.
Photo via minecaching.tumblr.com. Click for source.
Charles Simonds began building clay villages, ruins and what he termed ” dwellings for imaginary civilizations of little people” in the 70’s, in New York.
His microscopic urban interventions at one point could be found, among others, in Paris, Venice, Shangai, Dublin.
They are now housed as prestigious artifacts in art collectors’ homes and museums (like the Whitney in NYC).
Photo via whitney.org. Click for source.
Photo via whitney.org. Click for source.
Click for more Charles Simonds’ dwellings
Watch the video: Dwellings 1972
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Salmon kisses,
I knead essays at night
dream perfect poems–
lost silver strands become your hair.
I make collages of languid bathroom quotes,
Night drunk with words,
your eyes are full of them–
nestled in the cup of your arms
like Simonds’ tiny city in a new york warehouse.
A word thief,
of raspberry essence–
the poetry of portugal:
“Your toes are
little ducks
Sita to Shiva…”
You say I’m used to you like my mandatory doppio cappuccino,
Sarah’s velvet voice,
You say my poems always have three words:
almonds, apricot, oil.
Here you go:
Downtown is on fire
Your almond eyes float like moons
Your skin is oil on water,
Berkeley, August 2011
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