Travelling

Visiting foreign lands becomes a ritual of discovery that focuses on the new while at the same time reiterating the similarities and differences between the little worlds we encounter and home. I find things I want to take back with me, while others are best left behind (Red Light District, anyone?). Traveling is one of many paths towards self discovery which, when wrung of all it's benefits, becomes an indispensable calibrator of self-identity. And to help give adrenaline rushes of weighty import, I prefer to merge my travels with looking at art.

So when I travel abroad (as in across the states) the act of looking is paramount for me. But when faced with the constraints of time and the sheer amount and variety of cultural experiences in the menu of many metropolitan center (as in Brussels, where I am now), the importance of brevity of selection cannot be ignored. Normally, in such situations, the web is indispensable in lending a hand at cutting the fat and narrowing my preferences... but I have not, as of yet, found a useful travelers site geared for the contemporary artist. Maybe I'm asking too much. Of course it's easy to find the museums in the guide books and searching for the top listing of galleries isn't difficult. But surely someone's realized that aesthetes of every stripe don't feed solely on museums (and those of us that do, don't know everything about the collection - I miss things all the time!); and sifting through galleries, reviews, and artists' websites can take a lot of time. There has to be something that cuts search time without sacrificing variety, while also providing novel suggestions, avoiding the trap of just being another guidebook online.

I'm imagining "Travepedia for Artists"... so far, I haven't found it.

Until I find it, I hope to dedicate some time sharing what I experience while in Europe, in case you ever decide to cover the same trails.

No, my blog is not about to turn into a travelogue. Everything will remain centered around the subject of my art and it's process. I apologize, but it's time to get back to more immediate concerns....

(my last gratuitous photograph)