thames 12 June 2008
Met up with some friends tonight including my lovely painter sis in law, Rebecca, and a mutual friend, John (brilliant musician and resident of Stockwell) – yep, went southside to deal with the melancholy of the job finishing. We got to talking about some great and interesting things that come with the creative world. For instance, I am not interested in perfection. I don’t trust it. I love to see excellence, yes, but surely the moment of genius is that flaw that makes a thing totally individual? I love the shiver of doubt, I guess. John tells me there is an oriental expression of this called wabi sabi, which is the appreciation of the imperfect – sign me up.
He will be presenting the very sound of the Thames river on Saturday week. Himself and some other musicians, with the aid of engineers who will sink listening devices, are going to interpret the river’s movements for 6 hours. It’s called ‘Floodtide’ and will be at Trinity Buoy Wharf – free event. There’ll be various instruments involved, including a vibraphone (which he kindly allowing me to call a profound zylophone)
I look forward to being a groupie for other rivers in the world – think the Nile, the Hudson, the Yangstze, the Amazon, the Seine, the Rhone…and on and on…sorted for travel forever more.
