salon unhinged i have often had the feeling i was born at the wrong time, that my preferences, my livelihood are from a different point in history. that i would have been better suited to life in a different era. (eh, but here i am in the 21st century *shrugs*) i was always fascinated by the idea of the salons in europe in the 19th century. rich people lounging about and paying artists of all kinds to lounge about with them. painters, poets, musicians, just hanging out together performing and creating. while the people paying for it could be cruel and capricious, the idea of someone paying me to practice my violin has become increasingly appealing to me over the years. the frye museum in seattle is one of numerous free museums in the area dedicated to showcasing local talent. i have always read good reviews about shows there but never managed to make my way over there til yesterday. take a look: fryemuseum.org the museum, whoever at the museum decides these things, probably some board or another is working on a salon series this year. they invite artists to work on projects where they are presented in a special show and then installed in the museum. sound_installation the second episode of the salon was also installed, which was the exhibit that i had been reading about that finally drew me in. it is an exhibit of fashion designed by mark mitchell called burial, a collection of clothes designed for the dead. i have always had a fascination with morbid and macabre art. frye salon season 1 episode 2: mark mitchell Addressing ceremony and tribute, transformation and release, Mark Mitchell: Burial will present ensembles to clothe the dead. Buried in the earth, incinerated, or at the bottom of the sea, these vestments are intended to degrade readily, leaving nothing behind. Each was inspired by, and created for, the nine muse/models who will present the collection in a live performance on September 20. This will be followed by an exhibition of the ensembles September 21–October 20 (fryemuseum.org) the way the exhibit was displayed was in and of itself beautiful. first of all, the walls of the gallery where absolutely covered from floor to ceiling with the paintings of the founding collection, hung salon style according to the museum worker on watch in the gallery when asked by another museum goer. my mother used to hang our family photos like that in the upstairs hallway of the house i grew up in; i have always appreciated a massive collection hung in unexpected ways. each of the nine outfits were placed on mannequins, which were placed on full length mirrors on the floor of the museum. each mannequin was unique, assumingly to represent the muse that inspired each outfit. each mannequin was also uniquely placed on each mirror. (no department store sterility, uniformity here *sighofrelief*). i took so many pictures. so beautiful. the idea, the execution. just beautiful, in the melancholy sort of way that i've been attracted to since i was a small child. i think it is the russian, polish, ukrainian gypsy in me. i wish i could meet mark and hug him. i wish someone would make such beautiful garments for me when i die. i want to become a member of the frye museum. i am eagerly awaiting episode 3. it is refreshing to live in a city that cherishes the same cultural institutions and activities that i do. the frye is the 2nd free museum i have been to in the seattle area that has exhibited local artists. there's a lot of good ones around here...9 months of rain is creatively inspiring i guess. *shrugs* 131012 what's it to you? who go blather from