Feeding my soul at Gallery Sand

Posted on May 23, 2012 by sigridthorbjornsen

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“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
-Pablo Picasso

If Picasso’s right, my soul went through spring cleaning today.

Today I visit Gallery Sand. As a result of reading an article about the Sand brothers and Vebjørn Sands paintings in PLOT magazine, I came to know about the exhibition going on right now “Scenes from the Second World War”. Today was the day. I finally went to see it.

Do you know the feeling of have been waiting for something for so long, that when the time comes to do it, it’s almost a little scary? My morning was filled with that exact feeling.

And nothing ever turns out exactly as you thought. Today, I was thrown back in time. To WW2. I was prepared for paintings of situations and moments from this era, but I was not prepared to feel like I was there. Almost being able to shake hands with the Nazi elite. I had to see the whole exhibition with goosebumps…

Donald Kuspit wrote this about the painting “Corpses I” (since my english is kinda limited….) :
“Looking at the picture, we cannot help becoming a part of it. We also stand around the garden table, implicated in the Holocaust as well as silent witnesses to it, helplessly accepting its inevitability. doing nothing to stop the conference, to break up the gathering, to arrest, judge, and condemn the participants. We are co-participants – co-conspirators – wether we like it or not. By drawing us into the picture, Sand makes us feel guilty, making the picture all the more memorable – and it is a shock to the memory, reminding us of an event we’d rather forget, wished never had happened.”

Donald Kuspit wrote what I felt when my eyes met the paintings by Vebjørn Sand. This exhibition goes way deeper than I thought it would, and has multiple dimensions more than I can grasp.

I had almost forgotten what it was like, to be drawn into a painting. I remember my meeting with Michelangelo. As I walked into the Sistine Chapel and lifted my eyes to look at the ceiling, my feet could no longer move. The image I have seen a thousand times in books and magazines, was right over my head, and I could not move.

Vebjørn Sand is one of Norway’s greatest painter. His work stands out and I am so glad to be in this world to enjoy this. Today I am grateful for not being blind. I love what I saw.

Today, I sat at a table when the Holocaust was planned. Today I was a part of the Wannsee Conference and present at the Second World War. Today I saw the greatness and profoundness in the paintings by Vebjørn Sand. Today I learned about “The White Rose Group”. Today I washed away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

www.gallerisand.com
www.vebjorn-sand.com

Thanks guys!!

What a day….

Categories: Art, History, New York City, USA | 2 Comments

Funktion 11, ya’all !!

Posted on May 22, 2012 by sigridthorbjornsen

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The most fun band to go out and see, is Funktion 11 from New Jersey. The people in the band are the best. When they are playing, they can blow any roof off  and make people in the streets dance. The energy of this band can only be felt, so what ever you do this upcoming week-end, make sure you go out to listen to some live music. It is a totally different feel to it, than CD.

Last week-end they made the streets of Philadelphia into a party. People were dancing and singing, everybody joined. From grandma to small kids, lovers and rockers. Everybody had a great time. And that is what music is all about :)

You can check them out on www.funktion11.com.

Categories: Music, Road Trip, USA | 6 Comments

HIPP HIPP HURRA!!!!!

Posted on May 20, 2012 by sigridthorbjornsen

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“Blant alle Lande i øst og vest
er Fedrelandet mitt Hjerte nest!
Det gamle Norge med Klippeborge
meg huger best.” ~ Ole Vig

A year pass really quickly. Summer is green, autumn is yellow, winter is white and then there is spring. Spring is everything waking up from the dead. Life itself. The trees are turning green, flowers popping up everywhere, girls wear their summer dresses, guys in their short n shades. Spring has arrived. With spring comes the ultimate spring party. Norway’s birthday May 17th.

No matter where in the world I am, I know I am norwegian. I don’t think about it all the time, but still I know I am a norwegian. I am proud to be a citizen of Norway.

On the 17th of may, there are small, large, painted flags everywhere. People dressed up in national costume. Cream cake, ice cream, hotdogs, soda everywhere. Marching bands are on every corner, children walking in the school parade, national anthem is played again and again, and we can’t get enough of it. This is the day all children in Norway are looking forward to. It is a children’s day.

When I was young, I loved this day. I would have a hard time sleeping the day before, all the preparations, the songs, the dresses, the flags, everything had to be in place for this big day. As I grew older, I tried my best to escape it by going out of the country. And now, I love to spend it abroad, but together with other norwegians. There is something about being a norwegian together with other norwegians, outside of Norway. It brings out the best in all of us.

My favorite place in the world to celebrate this day outside of Norway, is in New York City, at the Norwegian Seamen’s Church on 52nd street. We all come together, sharing our traditions with the whole neighborhood, all dressed up, wearing the colors of the flag, and sing, play and laugh. We’ll have different reasons for being in New York, but on the 17th of may, we all come together to celebrate. Celebrate the independence day of Norway.

This year my top favorite sing and songwriter from Norway, Bjørn Eidsvåg, came to New York City to start this day together with all of us. He has this ability to bring us all together in a way that is magical. After July 22, 2011 (The killing in Oslo and Utøya), there is a need to share love, and to sick together. It feels like Bjørn Eidsvåg has this power to take us all in his arms and give us all a hug. He brought us closer together when he sang “Eg ser”. It really had an impact on me, and I teared up like an old aunt…..

Someone once asked  “What does it mean to be a norwegian”. The answer was “To be able to stand on our own, together”. I kinda liked that answer. It is what I feel like on 17th of may. I am standing on my own, together with other norwegians.

Happy birthday Norway. Congratulations to all my norwegian brothers and sisters.

Categories: History, New York City, Norway, Photography, Travel, USA | Leave a comment

Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music

Posted on May 15, 2012 by sigridthorbjornsen

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“Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music”
~ Sergei Rachmaninov

At the Garage, Manhattan, NYC, a week ago. Vanessa Perea & Robert Edwards. Awesome people. Awesome time. Awesome music.

Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A Walk In The Park

Posted on May 15, 2012 by sigridthorbjornsen

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If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking.  Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk. 

~Raymond Inmon

A walk in a park, or just a walk, clears your mind. Thoughts floating free, energy moving in your body and dreams pops up from nowhere. Rain or shine.

Categories: Black&White, New York City, Photography, USA | Leave a comment

Music Can Change The World

Posted on May 8, 2012 by sigridthorbjornsen

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“Music can change the world because it can change people.” ~Bono

Today I did as I wrote about in my last blog. I went out to listen to live music. At Joe’s Pub on Lafayette, Manhattan, a  14-member strong New School R&B Revue band hit the stage, and you know what? It was tight. And I am so happy to know that the future of music is safe. With these young musicians, I can rest when thinking about what music will bring.

The New School for Jazz has produced some seriously talented musicians like Bilal, Robert Glasper, Jesse Boykins III, and more. The students I heard today, will bring more music to life, and I can hardly wait. Tonight they had arranged the music and preformed it with soul, sound and heart. These musicians will only be together for a limited amount of time. I love the fact that  I will be able to see them all in different bands and settings in the future, and talent will be shared, all over. The future holds great things.

Lenny Pickett (Saturday Night Live Band) showed up, and played together with the band, and really blew the roof of the place. The way they all worked together, lifted the whole show, and MAN did I have a great time tonight!!

Thank you guys, for being the future of music and for an awesome show tonight.

Categories: Music, New York City, Photography, USA | 1 Comment

What we play is life (Louis Armstrong)

Posted on May 4, 2012 by sigridthorbjornsen

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Music is what feelings sound like.  ~Anonymous

The Lee Hogans Group with trumpeter Lee Hogans featuring Will Boulware on keyboard, Tom DiCarlo on bass and Jerome Jennings on drums, really gave me the sound of feeling. The type of music was jazz, and I have to admit, I don’t always get jazz. But for some reason unknown to myself, this music hits me in a very good way.

The mood, the tones, the beat. All are like unknown land for me. And still it moves me. “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent” Victor Hugo once said, and All I know, that this is truth to me. ”If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know” Louis Armstrong said, and I will leave the question, and just listen. Be moved.

“What we play is life.” ~ Louis Armstrong

There is only one thing to do. Live life, keep on listen to music, be moved and enjoy. If it has been a long time since you went to a live concert, please do. Listen to life being played.

Categories: Music, USA | Leave a comment

Me By The Sea

Posted on April 22, 2012 by sigridthorbjornsen

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All the way out on the west coast of Norway, there is a place called Slåtterøy. What a beautiful place to spend some time in solitude.

Silence. Just like an invisible friend, sitting quietly beside me. The silence can sometimes be so hard that I almost feel tempted to talk to myself, just to break it, chase the silence away. But I do not dare. I know that it is important to be quiet now. Totally quiet.

“Begin by being still. Silencing the outer world, so that the inner world can bring you long term. This entry visibility is what you seek but you can not get it when you are so busy with the outer reality.” Anonymous

In the silence, my old thoughts pop up. The old thoughts that have been so quiet for so long, almost forgotten. All the noises of everyday tasks, phones, tv, computer, traffic and plans. The thoughts that came to life by silence and tranquility, in defiance and anger, in the eagerness to fill their lives with big visions. The thoughts that came at night and at dawn. These thoughts are now coming slowly to the surface again. Only when everything is quiet within me, the space for the forgotten thoughts opens up.

And with the silence and quietness, the eye opens for details. I see. I see the rock formation. I see the scars that was left by the last ice age. I see the life and the struggle for survival here on this island. I see the patterns and the abstract. From clear blue sky to heavy clouds and strong winds. I see life. And it is beautiful.
The wind has arrived, and it pushes me around. It’s time for me to leave this spot. But I remain silent. My silence is no threat, not a silence that kills. It is the silence that comes when I want to listen to nature. Listen to what the winds have to tell, hear whispers of the trees, hear the waves’ history. This is the silence I need to find my own self. Here. Just me. Just me by the sea.
(Photos are taken at Slåtterøy Lighthouse. More informations will come, with links and how to get there and what to expect. I jut have to say, that this is an inspirational place, and i can’t wait to go back.)

Categories: Lighthouse, Norway, Reflections, Travel | Leave a comment

A Taste Of Heaven (Food Asylum in Kristiansand, Norway)

Posted on April 11, 2012 by sigridthorbjornsen

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“Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.”  ~Voltaire

And today I tasted the best sushi in a very long time. If you need one reason to come to Kristiansand, this is it. Go to Food Asylum. It is worth the visit.

My hometown is small and cosy, but when it comes to dining, it’s a disaster… Kristiansand is a costal town, with many fish and sea restaurants, small cafe’s and lunch bars,  but it has never had a real sushi restaurant. Go figure, but it hasn’t… And for many years, we had to make sushi at home, cause the restaurants only had crappy sushi. But today I woke up. My sister took me to a place called Food Asylum, and guess what, the restaurant interior is like nothing I have ever seen before. It has it’s one style, simple and really delicate but rough at the same time, and the sushi here is to die for!

Signature Roll: 5 tempura seafood , 5 salmon majesty , Wasabi & Ginger. This is what heaven tastes like. It was a pure delight for the eye, and it tasted like heaven. I had one of those moments where I just wanted to stop time. I didn’t want this roll to end. The minute it landed in my mouth, it exploded, and I just had to dive in for one more. You know the feeling, just to make sure it’s still there, and that the taste was as good as you remembered. And it did. Even better. If that is possible.

Even the simplest of the rolls like California rolls and Alaska rolls, was an adventure. Sushi all over again. Together with the green tea, I almost had a Meg Ryan “When Harry met Sally”-moment. As this is my hometown, I didn’t go totally bananas, but I really had to control myself.

You have no idea of what this means to me. To have access to sushi in this town. And not just sushi, but amazing sushi. They have totally mastered the art of mixing traditional sushi with new tastes, and to combine the best ingredients from the oceans and the best ingredients from the shore.

“We didn’t start up Food Asylum for you to suffer through an uneventful meal. We will prove that it is possible to combine excellent quality with a good dose of insanity - all wrapped up in a way that nobody else has done.We will give you an unforgettable experience.” – Food Asylum

I am not a food professor, but I have had sushi in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kumamoto, Manhattan, Jersey City, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Prague, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, Cairo,  Oslo and some other places, and now in Kristiansand (Norway). And Food Asyum is on my Top 5 list.

“You choose if you want to visit us. It is your choice. But this you shall know: If we get the opportunity, we want to give you a unique experience!” – Food Asylum

No broken promises here.

www.foodasylum.com

Categories: Food, Kristiansand, Norway, Restaurants, Sushi | 5 Comments

One doesn’t stop seeing. One doesn’t stop framing.

Posted on April 9, 2012 by sigridthorbjornsen

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“One doesn’t stop seeing. One doesn’t stop framing. It doesn’t turn off and turn on. It’s on all the time.”
- Annie Leibovitz

In Tokyo, in streets, among tall buildings, in beautiful parks and small pubs and restaurants, there are some awesome people to meet. In general, japanese people are very polite, nice and helpful. But the group of people I met, are the most welcoming, heart warm and greatest of them all. The Flickr Tokyo Photo Session. F.T.P.S.

This is a crew of people who meet up, do photo walks, BBQ, trips in the park and events together. I love these guys. And thanks to this group, I can say that many of them are my true friends today. They continue to inspiring me, and make me want to do better, see new things. As Annie Leibovitz says “it is on all the time”, and this crew makes me aware of this, all the time. And with that in common, they love to meet up, shoot and drink and eat together.

“If I could tell the whole story in words, I wouldn’t need to lug around a camera.”
- Lewis Wickens Hine

Or maybe I would. But I love to tell a story with my photos. The story about one moment, or one object, one feeling, one mood. It is for the lack of words and too many stories, I am showing the photos I took on my photo walk with these guys, they are a true inspiration.

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”
– Elliott Erwitt

And I gotta say, it is awesome to walk together, and being able to be alone within your own mind, see what you see, and everybody understands it if you are hanging from a fence, or crawling on your belly, just to get the photo you want. I am really blessed to know these awesome photographers.

“It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.”
- Alfred Eisenstaedt

Indeed!


 


Categories: Japan, Photography, Travel | 1 Comment

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