Three Things — June 2024
The month of June was a whirlwind. In between the demands of attention, energy, intention, and time, here are three things that left an impression upon me:Bolo Na - Arooj Aftab ft. Moor Mother & Joel Ross
Arooj Aftab: Night Reign Album Cover
I was fortunate enough to see Arooj Aftab perform last fall with Vijay Ayer and Shahzad Ismaily. Her voice is, to put it lightly, spellbinding. I played her recently released album, "Night Reign," on repeat for the better part of the first half of the month, and this particular track with the poet, Moor Mother, is driving, haunting, and beautiful.Time Sensitive Podcast Episode 113: Ramdane Touhami
RAMDANE TOUHAMI: Illustration by Diego Mallo based on a photograph by Pierluigi Macor FROM THE TIME SENSITIVE PODCAST
“No one writes anymore with his hands. We write on our phone, on the computer, we don’t use…. This idea of writing with hands will disappear within one generation. This is something I don’t like to happen. I say, “Guys, let’s push it to this.” I’ll never do something without a political agenda. There’s always something political with what I do. No plastic, it’s for the nature. Reusing the bottle, reusing the candle jar. You have to have a second life of the product, but calligraphy also gives this envie to the people to go back to writing with their hands.”
FOREST HOUSE, Berkley Springs, West Virginia
photo: Justin Timothy Temple
I art directed and photographed client work for a beautiful rental property in West Virginia towards the end of the month. Sitting in a canopy of trees, the work the owners put into the house demonstrates what love looks like when it is imparted upon an object or, in this case, many. This image is one of my personal favorites.