Packing Circles

This morning I was having coffee with the lovely Saudia Young when I noticed a fantastic looking lady walk in wearing a really fantastic altered pin-striped suit jacket with lots of buttons and flourishes. The woman approached and handed me a flier for her show, so I handed her a flier for my show.

"I already have one of yours," she said,"Actually I'm going to come to your show. Actually I was going to contact you. And here you are."

We talked about her show - duo contact juggling, and I told her I liked her coat. She told me her coat had been a Burning Man costume. Something sort of went click inside of me. I asked her if she would like to perform a piece at my show on Sunday to promote her upcoming show.

As she talked and moved and as I admired her clothes I felt more things clicking inside of me. She gave me her website and email, told me she makes clothes, and said she would be happy to perform on Sunday.

The clicking started to form a picture - like a dolphin! I went home and looked at her websites. The clothes are wonderful, I have such a crush on a few of the jackets. I'll have to find a way to buy one. So beautiful.

And then I watched the video of her and her partner.

And then the clicks made pictures made a scene:

Two years ago I was at Burning Man, watching a shadow puppet show under a tree made of steel, when I saw a couple I could only describe as impossibly beautiful. They were both women, wearing androgynous, anachronistic, hand altered clothing. After the puppet show one of these beautiful women arose and walked to the stage where she took out three glass balls and began to contact juggle (think David Bowie: Labyrinth: HOT!) I was completely transfixed by the performance, the performer, the event.

This was the woman in the coffee shop this morning. Across the world, across the room, across the table. All across the universe. Her name is Frix.

Things like this happen. The other day while at an art opening at Strychnin Gallery here in Berlin I recognized the subject of a painting as my friend Carrie, and then the painter as my friend Ben. I haven't seen them in years, we don't really keep up. And here we were, in the same gallery. Click, click, click.



All the clicking, and thinking, and then the forming of a circle. When something comes round again in your life, we say that things come full circle. And I think of the art of Origami, which has been discovered to be a secret of circles. To make a shape you figure out how many circles fit inside of it. Then you fold up the circles and the shape arises. From one sheet of unbroken paper, you get details and definition, and folds, and beauty. And I think of all the circles that appear in my life, superimposing a pattern on the background chaos, and how, with this pattern, my life folds and unfolds, and folds again, into a constantly changing shape that moves with me as I wander and gather more circles, more patterns.

And then my thoughts went way into outer space. And I want to write more about that. And I will. Later.

Now go look at beautiful art by someone in one of my circles:

The Clothing Website

The Performance Website

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And also find out about Origami and circle packing.