Dispatches From Buenos Aires

Recoleta Cemetery Tomb Sculpture: Buenos Aires: 04/21

Recoleta Cemetery Tomb Sculpture: Buenos Aires: 04/21

Recoleta Cemetery: Drawing w/ Reversed Glass Foil: Cloisters Museum Collection: Buenos Aires: 04/21

Recoleta Cemetery:Cloisters Collection: "Figures of the Cloth..." Buenos Aires: 04/21

Me with Cemetery Gato...

Recoleta Cemetery Gato...

Yesterday , we moved to a new apartment about 5 blocks away. This place is great, living up to my “idea” of an Argentinean apartment dwelling. Pictures to come in the future…(orange walls, tall doors, brick & plaster, hardwood throughout, etc.). We’ve become accustomed to a good long brunch, probably by default, seeing as though food service moves very slow here. Sit down for a café con leche and you just gave up an hour. Ask for some light food and you just tacked on a bit more…and getting the check, well, that’s another wait. With that said, I have no where to be, so I quite enjoy giving in.

Yesterday, we also explored the downtown and “Micro-Center” as well. I can’t say I was impressed, but it was worth the experience. It’s busy, like most cities, and full of stores I’d rather not shop in. From there, we made our way to the Palermo neighborhood, where we indulged in more food and drink, and obligatory shopping. Being as though my old Camper shoes smell like rotten shrimp, I purchased a new pair for $595 Pesos, or, about $180 USD. Also, I neglected to bring a jacket, so found a sweet black fall jacket that I just love… and when I get something I like, I wear it to death! Only thing about it that perplexes me is that the zipper and buttons which are on the opposite side? Apparently this is typical, believe me, I checked. On a side note: It was hard to find “Argentinean” fashion. It seems as though the US and European styles, culture, and even music permeate throughout this city. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised? I just didn’t expect to run across all the old skateboard labels and clothing of my teenage years… like Danny Way, Plan B, Burton, etc… Since I got here, I’ve been battling a cold. So, I loaded myself with meds after dinner and crashed. I took “Dristan” which here is probably a narcotic, since I barely remember the INSANE cab ride home. If you think the cabs are bad in Chicago, NYC or Europe, you have NO IDEA. I have never been to India, but suspect that only they have it worse. (My friend Rob once showed me a video of Indian traffic, and it was kind of like what I experienced last night, only minus the lines. At least they have lines on the road here in BA. And, no mules, horses, carts, etc.)

Architecture: The architecture of BA is interesting in style, but not drama. It’s a mix of South American meets European. In some respects, it reminds me of Rome, but this is a MUCH younger city. BA has roots that go way back, but most of the architecture seems to date in the 1865 range. In that sense, it’s still a very young city in terms of architectural history. Someone out there might want to slug me, but I have not been overly impressed with the architecture or city plan (be it past or contemporary). Yes, I admire it for its unique features, being in itself, Buenos Aires, but it’s just not one of the great architectural cities. Also, the quality of preservation and new construction leaves much to be desired. Current trades seem worse in here in BA than they do in the US….i.e., there is a TON of sloppy construction. Bad architecture is one thing, but sloppy building practice is another (in this respect, they are closer to Athens, Greece or parts of Mexico). Also, these building would never withstand an earthquake or natural disaster, so, I hope BA is not in a zone? I’ll continue to keep an open mind thoughout the duration of my stay. My reflections on architecture should in no way demean my love for the BA’s vibrancy. BA is a large, moderate to fast moving city with a lot to offer. I purchased an Argentinean architecture magazine today. Maybe I’ll find something to report on that is more promising?

After awaking from my Dristan coma today, we did the Café con leche routine, followed by yet another rollercoaster taxi ride to Recoleta Cemetery. Amazing…! Think less about death, and more about sculpture and architecture. It’s a treasure trove of artistic nuggets, and yes, caskets too! Also, there are packs of feral cats that haunt the cemetery. Actually, they are quite agreeable characters who will easily allow your approach. I’d take one home if I could! After the cemetery, we found our way to the old cloisters, part of the cathedral attached to the cemetery. There, they have a small museum housing religious artifacts…and, as we were told, “figures of the cloth…” (basically, amazing religious figures with faces and hands carved of wood, ornately painted. Their clothing is intricately sewn and formed over wire armatures that give them their form. I actually even busted out my medium-format film for this part of the trip, and it was well worth it. Can't wait to get it back home into the darkroom!

During our tour through the cloisters, we befriended one the caretakers named Martin. At first, he was a bit slow, awkward in a way. Nevertheless, he started telling us about the “figures of cloth” in the collection. Through our discussions, Martin, a younger man about 35 years old, revealed that his slow speech was caused by a cancerous brain tumor. He had 95% of it extracted, but the procedure effected his speech, use of language, and emotions. As Martin told us, he is a writer and poet when not at the cloisters; an artist. Therefore, I could only imagine the mental anguish this must cause him. He has been using his position at the cloisters to exercise his speech and language skills, hence his initiating dialogue with us. We spoke with Martin for quite some time, listening to him expound about his love for Walt Whitman, the “essence” of the building design, and the artifacts in the collection. But at one point, Martin caught me off guard. He said, “I have stopped focusing on objects, and started to focus on actions. When I eat food, yes, I think of the food, but I don’t think about the fork. I think about eating…chewing. I am trying to think less about objects.” In his loose English, I think Martin was trying to tell us that life does not live in objects, or things, but in what we do. Experience is not a thing. For Martin, this may be both spiritual and therapeutic? For all I know, maybe I’m reading too far into Martin’s use of English….? But, right then, my heart stopped-skipped… and it hit me… At that moment, I was taking a picture of one of those “figures of the cloth”. Yes, I was looking, but not seeing it. I was focusing on the object, but not on the act of seeing. Photography is not always seeing. Being a person who admittedly loves objects, this is not an easy revelation. So, maybe I need to find a middle ground first? With that said, maybe it’s time to focus more on life, that is action, and less on things. -less on objects? I’ll work in that.

And with Martin, that brings me to a book my friend Jay recently gave me which I have been reading on the trip. In one short passage, there’s a reflection… “We can meet our match with a poodle, or with a raging guard dog, but the interesting question is -what happens next?” There is no answer. What happens next is what we decide. You can charge the dog, or run away? Running away does not necessarily mean you won’t get bitten? But charging it, doesn’t mean you will either? It’s about questioning expectations, or, not having expectations. To live in the moment is to focus just on that. Maybe Martin is on to something? And sometimes, even when Cancer can’t shed some light on life, maybe a trip 5,700 miles from home can?

Tomorrow, more touring of the city, followed by a short trip to Uruguay on Thursday via boat.

Comments

  1. Hey Anthony
    I recall an interview with the actor Robert Duvall who discussed his second home, an apartment in Buenos Aires. He said that the open air cafes fill with people late at night just sitting, talking and drinking coffee. Have you discovered this. He described it as a massive public gathering throughout the City.

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  2. There's a place called La Biela, it's my favorite corner in the world. It's a coffee shop near the Recoleta where Evita's buried. You can go there and sit in the evening, at 3 in the morning there are hundreds of people in the streets. And you can get up at 8 and go back and have your espresso. Going to Argentina, going to Buenos Aires, I like it more there than anyplace else. (On Buenos Aires)
    - Robert Duvall

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