Welcome back to New York City, my local Brooklyn café seats me. By the window and gloomy skies that compliment my ‘small americano, please’, bagel with hummus, not cream cheese. Playing songs on repeat, enchant me. Today would be ‘vagabond’ by Beirut on the Riptide album.

I would like to add a lot more personal content to this blog. Such as my travel journal; including photos, writing & videos.Recently, I returned from Thailand and have plenty to share.

chinese new year / temple of dawn

blurred roads entering Bangkok

Thai roof tiles

Entr’acte (1924, directed by René Clair / screenplay by Francis Picabia )

we all

a r e.

photo by NV

photo by Nicole Van Straatum

road trip through middle lands of california nov’11

n o s t a l g i a

fall/winter 2011 – assembly new york mood from Assembly New York on Vimeo.

Quilted journeys of the work man. Mountains by the sea or seams.

Collection by Assembly New York

execution/concept; nicole van straatum & greg armas

shot on location with personal handlheld devices nov ‘11

music: dr john ‘danse kalinda ba boom’

hands: natasha nunez

Mine like dusk

One paints the beginning

of a certain end.

The other, the end of a 

sure beginning.

-Maya Angelou

Un Chien Andalou from razielle Φ on Vimeo.

film by Salvador Dali and Luis Buñuel.

Exploration of the excitement to kill
maybe the excitement to feel
who knows what is real?
–nv

1972, Recorded at Chateau D’Herouville, Pantoise, France.

Tyrannosaurus Rex, known in the 70′s to record beautiful folk into rock’n'roll music start by guartist Marc Bolan.  The psychedelic music made waves across the UK and US with hits such as “The Children of the Revolution” and “20th Century Boy”.

Kokedama (‘koke‘  meaning “moss”, and ‘dama‘ means “ball”)  is a Japanese traditional hanging planting method. Kokedama is used today as wondrous decoration. As I find myself looking through the string garden index, I see the variation of hanging moss balls. Tenders and seasonal to orchids,even trees can hang in your living room. This brings a little gravity to the home or garden reminding you how beautiful this life and universe really is. Don’t mind hanging ornaments for the Christmas tree this year, you can having a hanging tree!

more on how to make your own garden : Design Sponge

source: string garden // index

Element, 1973 // Cinematographer, Hilary Harris

A female image seethes and reaches through the muddy earth conceiving light and dark shades. Cinematographer Hillary Harris and Performer Amy Greenfield capture in the avant-garde 1973 short-film, Element, exploration of primitive life and death. Presenting these matters as a human sculpture, Greenfield explores a  language of body and art. Finally, she surrenders to the cause of emotions. Settling, deeper into the natural form as earth’s art.

spoken: nicole van straatum

xxnvs