Winifred Wikkeling

We find it pretty, the way it is tall, elegant, definitively imposing.

The Cube by Orange Architects

Via Dutch DFA

The way that there are many things achieved even with a cool exterior reflecting maybe just one.  The way that it has presence drawing us in to look deeper, curious to uncover its secrets; how is it then, those magnificent rotations?  Ah, it is the strength of the core that frees each level from any constraints to volume, design, vision, creativity.  Throughout the core flow a riches of elements.  Some then become alchemists….

One morning, we woke up

and it was 2011

so we decided to

make

a

wish

Make a Wish, by Bettina Nissen

Via Designboom

And when we looked up we saw

Interminati

Spazi

…definitely

Before you there was only darkness,

a perpetual night with only occasional glimmers of light.

Before you there was no reason for anything.

But then you let me in and my life began again, and you filled me

with a joy I never even knew was possible.

A joy I might only imagine

the times when I would dream of you.

Now when I look up and I see you there, I realize

it was you I always wanted.

I waited for you my whole life, I needed you for so long

and I promised that if I were allowed to experience you again,

if destiny should seek for us to be reunited,

I would never stop working to earn your love,

I would never stop working to earn your trust,

I would never stop working to earn your warmth,

your beauty, your many special and unique ways.

I would never stop working to earn the taste you give to me

every time that I am with you.

I would never stop working to earn the fullness that only you can bring.

Nothing before you means anything,

nothing before you exists…

Everything is for you.

Happy Independence Day Suriname!

Fascinated by the secrets and invisibility of water, in particular the antithesis of structure and chaos, Iris van Herpen takes this as the foundation of her collection. Imagine the transformation of water to crystal, soft and fluid as water, opposed to hard, mathematical structures as ice crystals. Seemingly chaos to structured precision.

We do wish for our chaos

to crystallize -

for it to crystallize with precision for us,

and when it does and finds its form

we hope what is revealed

is beautiful,

and that its beauty may startle us

Crystallization by Iris van Herpen

Via dezeen

If we were to spin a tale, een Sprookje,

like Viktor & Rolf

perhaps

we would

write

Viktor & Rolf for de Bijenkorf

Via design.nl

about a girl who soaked up the warm air,

who was mesmerized by the lush green,

and worshiped the star speckled skies of Paramaribo.

A girl who spent hours staring at mineral rich waters,

and densely packed forests,

adrift on het meer,

intoxicated by beauty and brilliance.

Stuuwmeer, Suriname

A girl who danced entire evenings away to the rhythms of kaseko…

We might also write about the secret.

The secret of the spell cast over her when first she heard

kay manman la te ke tramble.

The spell that sets her eyes ablaze like fire,

her hair tracing the pattern of her body, swaying, turning,

transformed every time by zouk.

Her arms are set free as they pay homage,

they too are in a trance, they too feel its magic -

zouk their master, zouk their salve.

Nothing before then means anything,

nothing before then, exists.

zouk la sé sèl médikaman nou ni…

We found it difficult to avert

our eyes once confronted with

this image of

fisherman’s wives awaiting the return

of husbands who might forever

be lost at sea

Gejaagd door de wind by Maarten Schets

of course,

we wanted more

of course,

we went to Enkhuizen

so that we might

re-discover

oud Nederland

by way

of

experiencing

‘Gejaagd door de Wind’

a sort of

treasure hunt

which caused us

to feel some hesitation

when first,

we were led here..

..and surprised us

when we

landed here

And as we drew closer to

the vissersvrouwen

we felt quietly

overwhelmed

by this celebration

of Dutch traditional clothing

and delighted

by every

revelation

Hats by Elizabeth van der Helm

of just

how glamorous

a fish wife

can be…

After amusing ourselves

on the

Oude Zijde

Oude Zijde

We decided

to take

a peek

Animal Eyes by Heidi & Hans-Jurgen Koch

Inside the

World Press

Photo Exhibit

Oude Kerk

We

rather

enjoyed

the

setting

And then we thought about

Perspective

for

this

Chaiten Volcano Erupts by Carlos F. Gutierrez

so beautifully

captures

love….

The other day,

we saw

this

Christian Louboutin f/w 09

Then,

we saw

this

Christian Louboutin f/w 09

But we could scarcely

contain ourselves,

over this

Christian Louboutin f/w 09

Via Yatzer

We loved that,

we could then,

wander over

here

Rijksmuseum

And spend sometime,

marveling over

the likes of this

Stilleven met bloemen by Balthasar van der Ast

refreshing ourselves

on

why

Stilleven met bloemen by Hans Bollongier

this was

the

Golden Age

Stilleven met zilveren schenkkan by Willem Kalf

and

how

this

De compagnie van Frans Banning Cocq by Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

Via Rijksmuseum

still takes

our breath

away…

Tulip Fields Holland

Via 2 or 3 things I know

Home is where I want to be
Pick me up and turn me round
….
Feet on the ground
Head in the sky
It’s ok I know nothing’s wrong . . nothing

Home – is where I want to be
But I guess I’m already there
……

I can’t tell one from another
Did I find you, or you find me?
There was a time before we were born
If someone asks, this is where I’ll be . . . where I’ll be

…..

I’m just an animal looking for a home
Share the same space for a minute or two
And you love me till my heart stops
Love me till I’m dead
Eyes that light up, eyes look through you
Cover up the blank spots
Hit me on the head Ah ooh…

~Talking Heads

Narcissus by VanEsch

Most often a mirror is for gazing, at times for questioning and sometimes for reflecting. After gazing we questioned, what might our Narcissus reflect? Would it be, thank you for this journey, thank you for the obstacles, thank you for your perseverance? Or maybe, thank you for your fearlessness, thank you for your exploration, thank you for your open mind? It might also say, thank you for your intuition, your questioning, your searching. But then we would have to add, thank you for your growth, your dynamic style. Surely we would want it to offer, thank you for surprising, thank you for believing, thank you for receiving. We would hope for enough space to thank you for that laugh – disproportionate and loud – for it was there with us always when we needed it most…