like a turtle with its shell
carrying it wherever they go
a sure sign
it’s move-in weekend at the uni.
—
“the sweetest part of leaving home is knowing,
beyond the shadow of a doubt,
that you’ll always carry it with you.”
-homestratosphere
Born in 1960 to a Sicilian family living in Morocco and raised in France, Catalano became a sailor in his twenties. This nomadic lifestyle was a major inspiration for his work as an artist. The sculptures of Bruno Catalano, especially, Les Voyageurs show this influence. They delve into themes of travel, migration and journeying. Themes extend into exploring the ideas of home, belonging, loss and the experiences of a “world citizen”. Each statue carries a single suitcase, weighing them down, but also serving as their only means of support. Fascinating technically, artistically, and in its symbolism, the large omissions in the statues leave much to the imagination. Some figures appear to be fading away, while others materialize before our eyes. Contrary to the opinion that travel broadens and enriches, Catalano lamented that all his travels left him feeling that a part of [him] was gone and will never come back. ‘Fragments’ makes full use of this ethereal effect with three sculptures broken down to create one unit. The man looks fragile and delicately held together, losing more and more of himself till only his feet and bag remain.
—
“life is made of so many partings welded together.
-charles dickens
—
credits: Daily Art Magazine
rescued while trying to join a colony of cats in detroit
cared for by a foster family
looking for a place to call home
i feel lucky she landed in mine
shy and sweet and young
not quite sure what life will be like here
she came out from her hiding place
long enough for us to each check on the other
i see her natural fancy costume
of black ears and tail
snow white body
she’s now olive’s new sister
and will be called rose
which makes her *rose kennedy
*(the cat, not to be confused with the political dynasty’s family matriarch who shared the same moniker)
—
“a kitten is, in the animal world, what a rosebud is in the garden.”
-robert southey
no, she has not gone missing
but keeping santa’s promise
to sweet kitty, olive –
find her a sweet companion.
with virus, time home, holidays
sweet little kitties are hard to find
but i’m on the case
ready for the rescue
i see her on the horizon
have one very close
to coming home.
—
“there are no ordinary cats.”
-colette
—
photo credit: reed.edu
olive the cat not the oil
startled for no reason
(as often happens with both of us)
jumped off the ledge
right onto my favorite lamp
startling both of us
(now for a reason)
I see it as her way
of not so subtly suggesting
a redecorating idea.
—
“my personal decorating style is cozy,
romantic and a little rustic, with a sense of whimsy.”
– k. schlapman
when giving a friend my new address
she was surprised
to discover
that she already was familiar with that address
and she could let herself in
as she already possessed a key.
she used to care for a little black cat who lived there,
bonnie.
her client happened to be
the woman who sold me my condo
and now
there is a new little black cat living there,
my olive.
there must be something about the house
that needs a little black cat living there
to feel like home
I think they would have liked each other.
—
“I believe that life is chaotic, a jumble of accidents, ambitions, misconceptions, bold intentions, lazy happenstances, and unintended consequences, yet I also believe that there are connections that illuminate our world, revealing its endless mystery and wonder.”
-david maraniss
—
image credit: getdrawings.com