Vibrantly Grey

04/01/2024

03/23/2024

22 March, 1929

Celebrating her 95th birthday today, one of the more colourful characters of the Japanese art world, artist, writer and poet Kusama Yayoi (草間 彌生) who was born on 22 March 1929 in Matsumoto (松本市), Nagano Prefecture (長野県). https://youtu.be/Els2gFMTU-Y

A precursor of the pop art, minimalist and feminist art movements, Kusama influenced contemporaries such as Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg, and although throughout her career she has worked in a wide variety of media, including painting, collage, sculpture, performance art, and environmental installations, most all of her works exhibit her well known and distinctive thematic interest in psychedelic colours, repetition and pattern.

Although largely forgotten after departing the New York art scene in the early 1970s, Kusama is now acknowledged as one of the most important living artists to come out of Japan, and an important voice of the avant-garde.

In 2017, the Yayoi Kusama Museum opened in Shinjuku, Tokyo, featuring her works.

You can learn more about her life and work here: https://youtu.be/vbmsL7tSPc4

03/14/2024

We work, love and help others as best we can, gawk at nature, rest. Is that it? Pretty much.

03/02/2024

Iris Barrel Apfel
August 29, 1921 - March 1, 2024

02/29/2024

02/24/2024

Anne Martin, 88, in action in the event at the The BMAF British Masters Athletics Federation at Lee Valley Athletics Centre last weekend. She was the only competitor in her age group, the 85-89 year old category both for this event and for the earlier on the same day, so of course she claimed Gold for each of them. In the triple jump she broke her own indoor of 3.66m, jumping 3.91m to create a new one. Wonderful, eh?
Actually, when it happened, she was somewhat dejected. “I mean, it’s pathetic!” she said, walking back from the sandpit after her record-breaking jump. “How can you say that?” I asked. “You just made a new record!” She rolled her eyes at me. “Well it just IS!” she replied. “Look at the distance!”
This is the dilemma all these top athletes face. Yes, you can continue to get gold medals and break and make records as you progress through the age groups. But train as much as you like, you won’t be able to achieve the speeds or the heights or the distances you could in your younger days. Most of the time, all of them, Anne included, are simply happy to be there. A common refrain when you ask a how they are, is for them to reply with a smile and a shrug and say, “I’m HERE.” They are thrilled and grateful that they can compete at all, especially if they are coming back after illness or injury. Anne herself was a joyful presence in the stadium throughout the weekend, very much enjoying being a part of it all, with her wonderful group of friends.
But just sometimes, the gap between what you can do now and what you used to be able to do, stings. And it stings hard, irrespective of medals or even of records. Once a competitor, always a competitor, and even at 88, you can still remember your old performances, and, deep down, however illogically and fleetingly, still expect yourself to be able to reproduce them again now. That realisation of the difference between ‘now’ and ‘then’ is something that all masters athletes have to reconcile themselves with. It’s a story I’ve heard time and again, from many of them, not just from Anne.
After listening to Anne, it occurred to me of course that whether you’re an elite athlete or not an athlete at all, we all have to deal with the differences between ‘now’ and ‘then’ as we get older, however we live our lives. You know that cliché that sport is a metaphor for life? Seems it really is! So thank you Anne and all you other masters athletes for being such awesome sportswomen and men and thank you for the inspiration and for the life lessons you bring too 🙏🌻🥇

02/24/2024

Iris Holder is another remarkable in her 80s, showing us that we don't inevitably need to be living a fearful life of constraint when we reach our 9th decade. 83 this year, the words 'exuberant', 'strong', 'agile', 'determined', 'energetic' and 'joyful' are just a few that came to mind when watching her compete in the The BMAF British Masters Athletics Federation indoor at Lee Valley Athletics Centre last weekend. Iris doesn't hold back. She goes for it. Here she's leaping 5.56m for gold in the event. She also earned gold medals in the with 2.42m and in the sprint (12.60secs).
On Sunday when I was saying goodbye to her, I left way before she did as I had what to me is a long drive ahead of over 3 hours and I don't like driving in the dark any more. She wanted to stay to support her friends in their different events so she wouldn't be leaving until late afternoon. How long was the drive she faced after all this competition? Same as mine. She shrugged. It wasn't an issue for her. No she wasn't crazy about driving in the dark but neither was it a problem. She'd take it steady and wouldn't miss supporting her teammates for anything.
I know I've said it before, but what marks these wonderful athletes out from the rest of us is attitude. They commit 100% and they look to the positives, not the negatives. Iris stayed because she wanted to be there for her friends. I left because I was worried about driving in the dark. Be more like Iris, Alex!

02/24/2024

I'm continuing my theme of indomitable athletes in their 80s (and there's more to come yet, folks!) Here's Dorothy Fraser, 87, racing to victory as the lone competitor in her age group, in the women's , at Lee Valley Athletics Centre last weekend during the The BMAF British Masters Athletics Federation indoor . Dorothy holds the of 57.14secs for this event in the 85-89 year old age group, a time she achieved last year at the world indoor championships in Torun, Poland. (She also holds the 200m British record of 37.38secs for the 75-79 year old age group.)
Dot, as she is known, is a much-loved regular at all the national and international events, travelling with her group of friends, all, like her, remarkable athletes and human beings themselves. These are close-knit friends who have supported each other across the decades through illnesses, injuries and bereavements - something they of course continue to do now. Sport may have brought them records and medals but it's the deep and enduring friendships across a long lifetime, as well as the warm camaraderie within the broader masters athletics community, that they will all point to as being the gifts it brings that they treasure above all else.
I would like to add that Dot also makes wonderful cakes 🍰(And yes, this is the voice of grateful experience speaking😋) So thank you Dot for being great to photograph, great to spend time with, and for being not just a world-class athlete but a generous and gifted cake-maker too! Oh, and of course, another role-model par excellence, for how to navigate our ninth decade with kindness, fortitude, courage and grace 🙏🌻(She'll hate me for saying this, so, sorry Dot. But it's all true 👍👏💕)