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Thursday, 11 February 2010

walk this way, please



those of you who were brought up properly will remember this phrase
spoken by Igor
[played brilliantly by the late Marty Feldman]
in the film classic
'Young Frankenstein'

does it with signage
and without the "thump, drag"

if that doesn't make sense to you go ask your mother
or
work your way through this post
elucidation as a reward
right at the bottom

today i went to the Amuse Museum
and followed the pointing fingers around
feasted my eyes on exquisitely the patched and mended
textiles in the Boro exhibition
a small part of Tanaka-san's wonderful collection



i was stunned that visitors were encouraged to touch these
precious fragments


but very grateful that photography was permitted


and now, for something completely different
shedding light on "thump, drag"

at

19 comments:

  1. ArtPropelled11 February 2010 at 23:37

    India you must be in your element!These photos are making my mouth water. So glad you could take photos..... and I really don't mind if you post more :-)

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  2. jude12 February 2010 at 01:17

    all clips appreciated here!!!!

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  3. Lisa12 February 2010 at 01:19

    What fabulous photos..such delicious textiles! Loved the clip form Young Frankenstein..my all time favorite movie with so many classic lines!

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  4. Yvette12 February 2010 at 02:02

    thanks...

    yvette

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  5. Leslie Avon Miller12 February 2010 at 02:37

    Thank goodness for touching. I reach with my hands as I feast with my eyes. I need the touch part.
    I count on you, dear India, to add to my life long learning experiences, to be a trail blazing Renaissance person.

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  6. dorie12 February 2010 at 05:01

    such a soft treasures - yes I would tough it too when it was permitted...

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  7. Kelly M.12 February 2010 at 06:26

    Love the intro with Young Frankenstein! Definitely a classic that must be passed on to future generations -- :-)

    Amazing textiles -- one wonders about the "text" of these many lives. But cannot believe that they encourage touching. Thanks for sharing your images!

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  8. Art12 February 2010 at 07:37

    I'm stunned they let people touch them too! The fabrics look so delicate and worn. But they are a delight to see--thanks for sharing!

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  9. Pamela Anne12 February 2010 at 07:56

    Thank you so much for sharing with us. How wonderful for you to visit the collection at the museum. What a pleasure to be allowed to touch.

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  10. india flint12 February 2010 at 09:14

    i admit to reverently laying a hand on one, but couldn't bring myself to vigorously open garments
    as some other visitors were happily doing
    reminded me a little of a visit to the Hermitage Museum textile repository in 1999
    no cotton gloves
    we'd had lunch with the curators, who then took us [greasy hands and all] to the treasure cave and offered precious 18th century embroidered textile fragments to hand around. LOTS of them. to reach the display table we all had to clamber over an AUbusson carpet that had simply been rolled up in brown paper, tied with string and left in the middle of the floor.
    enough to make you weep.

    mind you, visitors to Planeta in Copenhagen recently happily treated my exhibition pieces as if they were on a stand at Barneys. i guess it's that thing of textiles being so much part of life
    and seeming so familiar that we treat them as such?

    but see how far you get, trying that approach at, say, the Art Gallery of South Australia...

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  11. layers12 February 2010 at 10:32

    I sure wish I could see those Boro Boro garments in person-- you lucky dog..
    and the Igor bit is classic and very very funny.

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  12. Four Seasons in a Life12 February 2010 at 11:00

    Dear India,

    I have to agree with you that I am also stunned that visitors were permitted to touch and even encouraged to do so.

    These pieces of art are beautiful and had the fabrics been perfect, their appearance would not only have been different but for certain would also the meaning we receive from it.

    Thank you for sharing,
    Egmont

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  13. Joei Rhode Island12 February 2010 at 12:33

    Classic clip...with some of my favorite lines...have to admit.."Walk this way" has always been one of my favorites...know I'm getting old when people just look at me with a blank stare as I "thump drag" along.
    Boro cloth is beautiful...no wonder people love their faded blue jeans.

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  14. Harnett-Hargrove12 February 2010 at 22:01

    Boro Boro has long been an inspiration to me, as the Ranru aesthetic. Nice photos of fabric showing their history and well loved stories. -J

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  15. Deb G12 February 2010 at 23:56

    Love it all... helps me start my Friday on the right foot. :)

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  16. Penelope13 February 2010 at 01:11

    Oh gosh- to see those in real life...I have a thirst for boro fabrics and I can never seem to find enough images of them! Thank you for sharing these, and for sharing the clip! I love Young Frankenstein- I think I still have a crush on Gene Wilder!

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  17. Anonymous13 February 2010 at 07:26

    thank you, thank you, thank you...
    Boro & Young Frankenstein all in the same post! It doesn't get much better than that!
    Cat

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  18. Christine13 February 2010 at 21:56

    These fragments of the past are a feast for my eyes this morning. Thank you India.

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  19. Ahipara Girl20 February 2010 at 00:09

    My boro book arrived and has kept me very happy. I LOVE IT!!! I love you. Thanks for peeks. There really is something more-ish about beautiful old cloth stitched by hand.

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