‘THIS EVER NEW SELF: THOREAU and HIS JOURNAL’
JUNE 2 – SEPT 10, 2017
MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM
see: ‘THIS EVER NEW SELF’ – EXHIBITION NOTES & IMAGES / MORGAN LIBRARY
LETTER FROM NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE (1804-1864) . . to HENRY D. THOREAU, dated: 19 FEB 1849.
Thoreau would be 32, Nathaniel . . 45.
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote ‘The Scarlet Letter’ in 1850.
EXHIBITION TEXT:
‘LECTURER . . .
Nathaniel Hawthorne, a friend and fellow author, wrote this letter to invite Thoreau to speak at the Salem Lyceum. Would he be prepared to deliver his “Indian Lecture”, or maybe another about his “Walden experiment”? Thoreau came of age during the heyday of the American lyceum – a public forum for adult education, entertainment, and debate. He often based lectures on entries he had written in his journal, tested out ideas on live audiences, and reworked the texts for publication. Thoreau accepted Hawthorne’s invitation and delivered a talk that would make its way, in revised form, into the second chapter of “Walden” (“Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”) five years later.
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)
Letter to Henry D. Thoreau, dated Salem, Massachusetts, 19 February 1849.
The Morgan Library & Museum, Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1909
the friendship of Thoreau and Hawthorne, was one of two first things that struck me like thunderbolts . . while touring this perfect storm of an exhibit. just the contemplation set my mind on a reverie. Hawthorne, a writer of such perfect, exquisite fiction, and Thoreau the observer-philosopher/realist/visionary.
the other was his . . BHAGAVAD-GITA !!
what a strange hub that Concord was. the intellectual life, (which was much umore ‘magical’ than the exhibit let on, bye the way ) – surrounding Thoreau was touched on in the exhibit, obviously. but on a very academic, and looking back: dry slant. esp for an exhibit on one who was essentially a home-grown, and might quirky, native son . . scholar recluse monk.
the relationship of Thoreau and Hawthorne, and likewise RALPH WALDO EMERSON the latter not much emphasized in this exhibit, must be the focus of many a scholarly project. as a newcomer to the subject . . .
it was the Hawthorne connect that – that first opened a further pathway in – for me.
Hawthorne moved from Boston to Concord in July of 1842, with his new bride, Sophia to a house he rented from Emerson & . .
“Thoreau had planted a vegetable garden next to the house as a wedding present.” Thoreau would have been . . 25 !!!!!
“Hawthorne’s appraisal of Thoreau’s physical appearance and social behavior .. was unflattering” – yet he praised his “scholarship; his good sense; the way he handled his skiff”.
“In his (Hawathorne’s) Sept 1, 1842 entry in ‘American Notebooks’
he describes his friend “ugly as sin, long-nosed, queer-mouthed, and with uncouth and somewhat rustic, although courteous manners.”
In that same entry, however he cites Thoreau “as a keen and delicate observer of nature, — a genuine observer, — which I suspect, is almost as rare a character as even an original poet; and Nature, in return for his love, seems to adopt her especial child, and shows him secrets which few others are allowed to witness.”
source: HAWTHORN In SALEM – ELDRITCH press
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
~HENRY DAVID THOREAU . . . & NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 24th, 2017, 1:45pm
heads up: LAST 2 WEEKS . . this EVER, EVER, EVER . . NEW / SELF.
‘THIS EVER NEW SELF . . THOREAU and HIS JOURNAL’
JUNE 2 – SEPT 10, 2017
THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM, 225 MADISON AVE, NYC
see: THIS EVER NEW SELF – THOREAU & HIS JOURNAL / MORGAN LIBRARY EXHIBIT NOTES & IMAGES
EXHIBITION TEXT:
‘THOREAU’S DESK . . .
Thoreau wrote most of the thousands of pages of his journal while seated at this simple desk. It likely cost a dollar or two when he and his brother, John, purchased it from a local carpenter for use in the school they were setting up together. After the school closed, Thoreau claimed the desk, and each time he moved, the desk went with him. Though he wasn’t one to lock his door, he did lock his desk, securing the journals that meant so much to him. By the end of his life (1817-1862), however, when he was living with his family on Concord’s Main Street, the journal had grown far too extensive to fit inside the desk’s compartment.’
Eastern white pine, painted green.
Concord, Massachusetts, ca. 1838.
Concord Museum, Gift of Cummings E. Davis, 1886; TH10
EXHIBITION TEXT:
‘THE PEN BROTHER HENRY LAST WROTE WITH . . .
Henry Thoreau died of tuberculosis on 6 May 1862. He was forty-four. He had almost always written with a quill rather than a steel-nibbed pen. His sister Sophia saved this one. To mark its importance, she attached a tag inscribed with the words quoted above.’
One of Thoreau’s goose quill pens
Accompanying note written by his sister Sophia Thoreau (1819-1876)
Concord Museum, Gift of Cummings E. Davis, 1886; TH10.13A
EXHIBITION TEXT:
‘IN THE JOURNAL: THE END . . .
This is the last of some ten thousand pages of Thoreau’s journal. He made his final entry in November 1861 after a violent rainstorm. He was paying attention, as he had done all his life, to ordinary details and seeing what conclusions he could draw. He looked at the gravel in the railroad causeway and noted the patterns made by the rain. “I can tell within a small fraction of a degree from what quarter the rain came,” he wrote. “All this is perfectly distinct to an observant eye – & yet could easily pass unnoticed by most. Thus each wind is self-registering.” The second half of the notebook is empty. He died six months later.’
Henry D. Thoreau (1817 – 1862)
Journal, 23 November 1860-3 November 1861
(open to final entry)
The Morgan Library & museum. Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1909.
PHOTO VIA MORGAN LIBRARY
EXHIBITION TEXT:
What if we could daguerreotype our thoughts & feelings!
– 11 December 1855
‘THE LAST SITTING . . .
Thoreau sat for this final portrait at the request of his friend Daniel Ricketson. After Thoreau died nine months later, Ricketson sent one of the two ambrotypes taken that day to Thoreau’s sister Sophia. “What is rather remarkable.” he wrote to her, “is that it shews scarcely at all Henry’s loss of health, suffering deeply as he was at the time it was taken, from his disease.” What did Sophia think of it ? “I need not tell you,” she responded, “for I cannot, how agreeably surprised I was on opening the little box, to find my own lost brother again. I could not restrain my tears. The picture is invaluable to us. I discover a slight shade about the eyes expressive of weariness, but a stranger might not observe it.”
Edward Sidney Dunshee (1823-1907)
Henry D. Thoreau
Ambrotype. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 21 Augist 1861
Concord Museum, gift of Mr. Walton Ricketson and Miss Anna Ricketson, 1929; TH33a
of an earlier daguerrotype portrait taken in 1856:
‘Many of us recognize Thoreau’s face today because at age thirty-eight he agreed to step into Maxham’s Daguerrean Palace in Worcester, Massachusetts, to have his picture taken. The technology was introduced in the late 1830s, just after Thoreau had begun to keep a journal. In one of his earliest entries, he compared the daquerreotypist to the poet: both required “perfect stillness, though but for an instant,” in order to record an impression. “There is something analogous,” he wrote, “in the birth of all rhymes.”
EXHIBITION TEXT:
‘THE GRADUATE. . .
William James Hubard (1807 – 1862)
Henry David Thoreau, 1837
Cut Paper Silhouette Portrait
Inscribed on the verso, Henry David Thoreau Harvard 1837 / Wm.J.Hubard, profilist.
The Neil and Anna Rasmussen Collection
One of Henry D. Thoreau’s research notebooks on North American indigenous cultures, ca. 1847-61.
The Morgan Library & Museum, purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1909.
Photo via Morgan Library
EXHIBITION TEXT:
Henry D. Thoreau (1817-1862)
Research notebooks on North American indigenous cultures, ca. 1847-61.
“Some have spoken slightingly of the Indian – as a race possessing so little skill or wit….It frequently happens that the historian though he professes more humanity than the trapper – mountain man or gold digger who shoots one as a wild beast [in] reality exhibits & practices a similar inhumanity to him – wielding a pen instead of a rifle.”
HENRY D. THOREAU, 3 FEBRUARY 1859
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH / UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
~HENRY DAVID THOREAU . . THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 23rd, 2017, 8:43am
from my archive:
KARA WALKER, b. 1969 / 34 yrs old at the time.
at the opening of her 4th solo show in NYC . . JUNE 2, 2003.
‘KARA WALKER: DRAWINGS’, BRENT SIKKEMA, NYC / June 4 – July 25, 2003.
KARA WALKER . . drawing.
BRENT SIKKEMA, NYC / June 4 – July 25, 2003
these 2 photos were first published on Artnet, in the People Section of the Magazine.
Walter Robinson – Editor.
see: ART LOVERS NEW YORK – PHOTOS BY NANCY SMITH / GOODBYE TO SUMMER< 2003 / 8-29-03
ARCHIVAL PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
~KARA WALKER . . JUNE 4, 2003 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 18th, 2017, 9:41am
KARA WALKER . . .
“SIKKEMA JENKINS AND CO. IS COMPELLED TO PRESENT THE MOST ASTOUNDING & IMPORTANT PAINTING SHOW of the FALL ART SHOW VIEWING SEASON”
OPENING THURS SEPT 7, 2017 / 6 – 8 PM
the show runs thru OCT 14, 2017
SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO., 530 West 22, Chelsea, NYC
oh, that glorious / 1st person voice of . . irony, steely & cold !!
and rightfully, so.
read more about the show: ‘KARA WALKER – ‘SIKKEMA & JENKINS AND CO. IS COMPELLED’
KARA WALKER . .
image via Instagram @sikkemajenkins
@kara_walker_official: “Poster design courtesy of @jetset_experimental (Experimental Jetset) hustling on my behalf thanks to @ari_marcopoulos_official (ARI MARCOPOULOS). . .”
image via Instagram @kara_walker_official
note, a little more than 1/2 way down . . .
“Students of Color will eye her work suspiciously and exercise their free right to Culturally Annihilate her on social media.”
“School Teachers will reexamine their art history curricula.”
KARA WALKER posted this to Instagram . . . this past / JULY 8, 2017.
she must have been thinking about it, ever since.
Image via Instagram @kara_walker_official
this is the text of that . . post.
image via Instgram @kara_walker_official / JULY 8, 2017.
AMEN.
SEE / KARA WALKER – ON INSTAGRAM: @kara_walker_official
!!!!!! – !!!!! – !!!!!!
~KARA WALKER . . heads up / heads will roll, where they roll. |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 17th, 2017, 12:37pm
great image via Instagram @mountain.bushwick
PHOTO BY MICHAEL FLEMING / MOUNTAIN
OLIVIA SWIDER . . holds a beach-ready, artist-designed beach towel !! – by JACOB HAUPT !!
JACOB HAUPT, ‘Merman’, 2017
limited edition of 10 – beach towel
($130)
available for purchase: ‘SAPPHIRE POOLS’ – SHOPIFY
ps: totally digging the ‘Sapphire Pools’ t-shirt . . OLIVIA !!!!!
~OLIVIA SWIDER / JACOB HAUPT . . BEACH TOWEL, SAPPHIRE POOLS / MOUNTAIN / BUSHWICK |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 15th, 2017, 10:36am
AWESOME POSTER BY GRETTA JOHNSON !!
IMAGE VIA INSTAGRAM @gretta_j
‘THE APPOINTMENT’ / ‘HOW TO FOLD A FITTED SHEET’
SUNDAY AUG 13, 2017 / DOORS OPEN AT 7 PM / SHOW STARTS AT 8 PM / $8 AT THE DOOR
SILENT BARN, 603 BUSHWICK AVE, BROOKLYN, NY 11206
@gretta_j: Come to Silent Barn this Sunday / August 13 !
Be witness to a play written by ELLIS ISENBERG and JONATHAN BASILE about strain, anguish and ultimately relief (?)
Bonus: @emmo_collins (EMILY ROSE COLLINS) and I will be taking our true demonic form!
ROLL THEM DICE !!! / BITE THAT TONGUE !!!
URBAN !!! DRAMA !!! DEMONS !!!
see: SILENT BARN
MOST DEFINITE, CHECK OUT: GRETTA JOHNSON – PORTFOLIO WEBSITE !!
!!!!!! – !!!!! – !!!!!!
~GRETTA JOHNSON . . SILENT BARN POSTER / EVENT TO-NITE SUN AUG 13 / 8 PM |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 13th, 2017, 4:07pm
SUNDAY AUG 13, 2017 / 5 PM-ish
THE OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING of the . . ‘ERIC COPELAND CABANA’
WITH: DJs . . . TWIG HARPER / @nu_tewhaeper) -&- MAX EISENBERG / @eisenballs !!
OUTSIDE – WITH HOMEMADE PINA COLLADAS -&- CHEF SCUBA-OOBA BBQ !!
ERIC COPELAND – IS YOUR HOST . . !!
SECRET PROJECT ROBOT – 1186 BROADWAY, BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN, NY 11211
SEE: SECRET PROJECT ROBOT – WEBSITE
SEE: ERIC COPELAND – WIKIPEDIA
!!!!!! – !!!!! – !!!!!!
~ERIC COPELAND, CABANA . . BBQ / SECRET PROJECT ROBOT, BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN. SUN AUG 13 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 13th, 2017, 7:54am
BOO-HOORAY PRESENTS: ‘PAT’S PIGEON BRUNCH’ – SUNDAY AUG 13, 2017.
SERVING: PIGEON EGG LOBSTER ROLLS & FREE RUM !!
FROM NOON – ONWARDS, PAR-TAY ON !!
THE ACCOMPANYING ART EXHIBIT . . OPENED WED AUG 9 & RUNS THRU WED, AUG 16, 2017
BOO-HOORAY SUMMER RENTAL, 805 MONTAUK HIGHWAY, MONTAUK, NY 11954 / 212-641-0692
‘SUMMER RENTAL’ . . IS OPEN EVERYDAY 12 NOON – 7 PM
YES !! DEFINITE !! CHECK OUT: BOO-HOORAY SUMMER RENTAL / MONTAUK
IMAGE: BOO-HOORAY SUMMER RENTAL
PAT McCARTHY – UNIQUE PORCELAIN / TRANSFER . . ‘ZINE’ TABLET
IMAGE COURTESY: BOO-HOORAY SUMMER RENTAL
PAT McCARTHY of ‘SATAN CERAMICS’ . .
will be presenting a rhapsodic journey out east complete with ceramics, zines .. and pigeons.
~BOO-HOORAY
PAT McCARTHY . . . TRANSPORTS PIGEONS / VIA SELF-IMPROVISED ‘RICKSHAW’ – OUT EAST !!
TRANSLATES: . . to MONTAUK !!!!
BOO-HOORAY !!!!!!!!!!
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST
PS: PAT . . IS NOW ON INSTAGRAM !!
CHECK HIM OUT . . @Pigeon_Pat
!!!!!! – !!!!! – !!!!!!
~PAT McCARTHY. . ‘PIGEON’ BRUNCH, BOO-HOORAY, SUMMER RENTAL, MONTAUK / SUN AUG 13 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 12th, 2017, 12:01pm
TRICIA KEIGHTLEY has a noteworthy piece in . . .
ILLUSIONIST ?
PHOTO-REALIST . . ABSTRACT ?????!!!!
‘DYSTOPIA FILTER IV’ – A POP-UP CURATED BY STEPHEN HOLDING
OPENS TO-NITE: SAT, AUG 12, 2017 / 7 pm – 10 pm / AFTER-PARTY at FRIENDS & LOVERS
the show runs thru SEPT 8, 2017
HOLDING STUDIOS, 470 VANDERBILT AVE & ATLANTIC AVE / ENTRANCE ON ATLANTIC
@holdingstudio: The typography of JACK KOHLER BYERS / @jackbyers . . will be on display.
image via Instagram @holdingstudio
TRICIA KEIGHTLEY . . . ‘20.22.16’, 2016.
acrylic on canvas, 20 x 22 in.
IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ARTIST
LOOKING GOOD – TRICIA !!!!!!!
CHECK OUT: TRICIA KEIGHTLEY / ARTIST PORTFOLIO – WEBSITE
!!!!!! – !!!!! – !!!!!!
~TRICIA KEIGHTLEY, JACK KOHLER BYERS . . in ‘DYSTOPIA FILTER IV’ / BROOKLYN POP-UP / opening to-nite SAT AUG 12 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 12th, 2017, 11:45am
EMMANUEL LIMON . . WORK ALERT !!!!!
aka @awkwardchopper !!!!!
the man of leather, & heavy metal / sin coyote . . soul.
see: EMMANUEL LIMON – ARTIST PORTFOLIO WEBSITE
‘YELLOW WORMHOLE’ – GROUP SHOW / CLOSING PARTY – TO-NITE / FRI AUG 11 / 6 – 10 PM
HEAD TOO HEAVY GALLERY, 383 BUSHWICK AVE, BROOKLYN
with: VILAYKORN SAYAPHET, RUSSELL MURPHY, GILES THOMPSON, ISABEL LASALA, ANDREW OHANESIAN, DROID 907, EMMANUEL LIMON,
ARIEL CHURNIN, JASON ALEXANDER BYERS, UFO, DANIEL LEON, JEN HITCHINGS, DARKCLOUDS, MATTHEW BIXBY, EKG, NICK McMANUS,
SPY 33 YR 907, MATT SIREN, AUSTION PINON, PETE WEISMAN, DAVID NORDINE, FISH GLUE, SAXON
check out their website: HEAD TOO HEAVY GALLERY / esp. THEIR PHOTO GALLERY !!!!
IMAGE / HEAD TOO HEAVY GALLERY – PHOTO GALLERY / HEAD TOO HEAVY
lol, HEAD TOO HEAVY – LOGO !!
~’YELLOW WORMHOLE’ . . HEAD TOO HEAVY GALLERY, BUSHWICK / CLOSING PARTY TO-NITE FRI AUG 11 |
Posted in The Bomb | By Nancy Smith | August 11th, 2017, 2:26pm
