La Città Strana e Straniera

Ciao tutto!

An enormous flock of pigeons lifting off, flying in low circles several times rather pointlessly, and then landing back down in the exact spot that they took off from. Feet on lampposts and furniture that are, quite literally, feet. Purses in the shapes of dragons and frogs, and purses presented on stands that look like bird legs and feet. A suit jacket on a half-length mannequin, its torso that of a human, its head that of an eagle or falcon. A man walking a pig on a leash down the sidewalk, and a street performer performing the illusion of levitation in the Piazza della Repubblica. This city certainly is a quirky one. But it’s this spontaneous, vivacious nature, in juxtaposition and contrast with (complementarily so) the quiet, serene beauty of its art, architecture, and natural spaces, that makes it such a fascinating place.

It may be strange, but it’s the kind of strangeness that you want to become familiar with; the kind of strangeness that you want to immerse yourself in – because from my experience there’s really nowhere else like it. It’s the kind of place that encourages exploration, both internal and external – which is wonderful, because there really is so much to explore! There’s the food, the language, the atmosphere, even just the act of seeing – the architecture, the sculpture, and nature, all immersed in sunlight that’s warm in regards to both sensation and color. Italy really is a wonderful place to make art!

Here's some of my work from this semester: