I was recently told: when walking around in Budapest, instead of looking down, be sure to look up for all of the beauty that can be found above you. I am paraphrasing, but that was the general gist.  The architecture, statuary, and ornamentation here is amazing and thankfully survived a lot of the wars and bombing that befell other European cities.

Széchenyi Baths

just inside the entrance of Széchenyi Baths

just inside the entrance of Széchenyi Baths

The Opera

the building in which my and Mark's hostel was situated- these courtyards are very typical in Hungarian buildings

ornamentation on an old building now used as artist studios

I like the use of color on these shops in Buda

the entrance to the building that houses David's studio (part of it was on loan to Michael and me while here)

the falling ivy in the courtyard of the studio building

I feel like a mad scientist…perhaps an anthropologist spelunker.

I am really into the work of the artist Mike Peter Smith lately.  Can you guess why?

Friday was a blast and I am just now getting around to posting about it.  Nannette and I went to the Chinese market where I bought many pairs of crazy tights and enjoyed the empty spaces.  We enjoyed a coffee and lemonade at a really compelling cafe, Csendes (meaning silent), and shopped at Retrock.  We worked on the video and made spaghetti in the evening and then went off to the fashion show at Gödör.  It was one of those wild magical days full of serendipity.

Nannette and I have been collaborating on a video piece the last couple of days…

I’m not exactly sure how it will turn out, but it’s been a lot of fun to work on so far.  Props involve a bathtub, oil paint, a rock, the stuffing from a plush pig’s belly, a sharp knife (to procure the pig guts), a gold threaded cloud puppet, one broken video camera, one working video camera, ink- black and shimmery blue.  Here’s a still image from shoot #1.

The clouds have been floating over my bed.  I think they like it near the map drawings…

Nannette forbade me from posting her image, but since Mark wants to know who my new friends here  are, here’s her picture (with a giant breast):

Uh oh.  She’s going to kill me tomorrow…

In the photo, we’re at a place called Gödör, which, in Hungarian, means “hole.”  At some point, the city intended to build an amphitheater here, but never finished it, so a private party created a club out of the hole that the city started to dig out and thus resulted the Gödör.  Here are some photos of this popular hang-out spot:

When Mark was still with me for the first couple of days of my time here, we saw our friend Chris play with his friend’s band inside.

Getting back to tonight, at this point in the evening, we had been to a couple of openings, and decided to indulge in some decadent drinks, so we ended up at (rats I don’t remember the name of it!) some lovely bar.  Here we met friends, and got drinks that looked like this:

a rose-tini

an extra dirty martini (I've never seen this much care put into drinks before!)

You can see our bartender just behind my martini glass.  Just in case you think I’m spending all of my time here partying, here is an image of some work I did today.  I finished (I think) two smallish- to mid-sized island paintings:

In Budapest, even a casual walk down the street to Kaiser market is an adventure.  Here are some of the sights:

a view of the corner just north of my apartment building

a building I pass often- I bet it has hundreds of stories to tell

This particular Kaiser market is just like a regular grocery store, but it is located in this large market hall.  Also housed in the same building is a small flea market and several snack stands, and the like.

the market hall

the flea market, where the propretors are constantly rearranging the display of their wares

stuff galore

Since I tricked you into coming to the market with me, now you can help me carry these heavy bags home- köszönöm! (thanks!)

Dear Carl Adamshick,

I love your poetry.  Specifically Pacific.  I am writing you this letter on my blog for everyone to see because in searching for you on Google, I can’t find out how to contact you, so here it is.  Perhaps you, when Googling your own name, or when a friend Googles you, will discover this letter and the compliments it contains.

For all of the non- Carl Adamshicks out there, which would be most of you, sadly, you can read only an excerpt of this fine poem here.  Why write a letter to a poet on a blog about (predominately) visual art?  This particular poem, addresses Amelia Earhart and her place in history, specifically in the year 1935.

The poem opens thus with a quote:

“After midnight the moon set and I was alone with the stars.
I have often said that the lure of flying is the lure of beauty.”

Amelia Earhart

So,  Mr. Adamshick and I are caught up in the roughly the same subject.  If anyone is interested in reading the whole thing, get a copy of The Missouri Review Volume 31, Number 3, Fall 2008.  Thanks Joe, for calling my attention to this poem.  Mr. Adamshick, I apologize for turning this letter into a blog post addressed not only to you, but everyone else out there, but it is, after all, a blog post.

Speaking of Amelia Earhart, I have finished the fourth little panel in a set of four with Howland Island and Gardner Island as their subjects.  These little panels are artifacts.  They are wooden photographs.

Here is #4:

and here they are together:

So, please feel free to peruse the rest of this blog, as images of AE-influenced work abound.  Thank you for your time and patience with my cyberpermient.

Sincerly,

Amy Sacksteder

I keep forgetting my camera when I go out.  Last night was no exception.  We went to an opening, then to a bar called Instant followed by a theater performance–an English/Hunagrian retelling of Hamlet (in 45 minutes).  I borrowed this photo of Instant from flickr:

the sweet fish sculpture in one of Instant's myriad rooms- the ceiling opens and closes, naturally

Nannette took me to the “tooth museum” a little room dedicated to teeth, but alas someone had broken in and most of the teeth were missing.  I don’t remember my dreams from last night, but I am sure they were about losing my teeth…  Mark has been requesting photos of the people I have met here so that he knows who the heck I am talking about when I describe my adventures.  One day soon, I will remember to bring my camera along.

In other news, I have set up a space in the apartment to do some oil painting.  Again with the islands.  I have big plans for these… I’ll see how that goes, as sometimes Art has it’s own plans.

stu-stu-studio

…it looks like a am painting in quarantine because of all of the plastic.  I also wear a hasmet suit.

the fourth yet probably not final one of these:

See ya!

One of the things that gets me the most about Hungarian is something that correlates in a sort-of hysterical reversal with English.  When you enter a shop, for example, you generally say “szia!” (pronounced exactly like “see ya!”).  When you leave the same shop, it is very customary to exclaim “hello!” (meaning “bye!”).

Here is a wonderful cafe around the corner I can’t wait to go back to:

the inside of the cafe

The tiny chair in front cracks me up.

Hello!