“People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy, and I can't do that as Bruce Wayne. As a man, I'm flesh and blood. I can be ignored. I can be destroyed. But as a symbol, as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting.”
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
As readers over the years have observed, I’ve fully tilted into embracing the arts (and sport) as a source of inspiration, comfort, meaning and joy.
A few weeks ago in Basel, I went to the Beyeler Foundation for an exhibition titled Northern Lights (Nordlichter). I’d been to the museum a couple times before but this exhibition had a specific draw to it.
Seeing its posters downtown in the city the days before, I couldn’t not go.
The work of Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish and Canadian artists on display. The commonality?
Long summer nights, dark winter days and forests and lakes forever.
I grew up in a household where I learned specifically about the Group of 7, some of which would be on display.
I have a loose memory of seeing my first Tom Thomson at the National Gallery in Ottawa as a child after having a root canal. I could be making this up, so Dad if you are reading this, tell me how my memory is.
Later, when in grad school my parents visited me in Toronto and we went outside the city up to the McMichael Gallery which hosts one of the largest collections of the Group.
There was about 11 rooms at the Beyeler, and was a mix of processing the landscapes and experiences of my time in Sweden and also remembering home in Canada - the cottages and cabins of my family and friends.
I wandered and was satisfied.
Had the exhibition ended I would have been content and found a way to right about it. But as I entered the grand room, the largest of the rooms, it was filled with the work of Tom Thomson and Lawren Harris.
In the age of digital world and memes, often the art we experience are replications or remixes formatted to our screen of choice.
The weight of this across the room, hit me in the stomach.
In the best possible way.
Not to over stretch things, but it was a shift that set me up to enjoy one of the best nights I’ve had over the last decade.
Art Takes Many Forms
Cultural critics will speak of high and low forms (from symphony orchestra at one end and AI slop at the other) and sorta like coffee, I like them all for what they are.
Instant coffee, airplane coffee, catering coffee, 3rd wave coffee etc.
I’m not sure what this art form is called or how we will look back on it in the future.
But, I’ve watched this thing over 100 times since I stumbled upon it.
And I’ll likely watch it again several times tonight.
https://x.com/1886DL_/status/1909335652912472108
Its creator doesn’t know me, but how do they find a way to bring together so many of my favourite things in one piece of art. It’s truly meta.
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Night; Radiohead’s ‘Everything In Its Right Place’; and the Arsenal.
It’s of course playful, but for me, a fun symbol for what’s possible when we seek or experience meaning from things.
And it set the stage for the most incredible game against Madrid.
Got late to the pub. Full, but thanks to having dropped in a few times on recent visits the bartender found me me a spot near the screen. I pinged a ‘friend of a friend’ who has become a friend, especially since he joined in the triumphant evening. While English, he’s not a football fan. He replied saying he’d come for one beer, but stayed for two and a half.
The first goal I missed while telling a story about the damn stock market; the second goal was from another galaxy; and the third was just pure dreamland!
Scenes, limbs, euphoria! Embracing strangers. The works. Incredible.
I get that talking about one’s team or sport is often only interesting to those who also follow it. You can only get so far telling someone about how good a new series is before you have to stop talking. So here’s my stop. I had to get this out and share it because tonight we go again vs Paris-St-Germain.
One game at a time, but I’ve not followed so closely something for these past 5 years. I am at peace with tonight’s game. Purely confident but know what it takes to win.
The journey this club has been on fits all the criteria for the Hero’s Journey. There’s still a ways to go and my immersion in the work of Joseph Campbell this past year or so has been a wonderful guide. Not just as a fan but in life.
I’ve often been saying the transformation at Arsenal is only complete once the fans mindset can shift. That’s the last and the hardest to change. All the old patterns, thoughts, limiting beliefs and so on.
Let’s go.
Memes of the Season
Some things I’ve been enjoying..
Want to keep reading?
Here’s a couple pieces from the last month over on my more “business” newsletter.
Provocative as always. Going to look at Group of Seven images again (for the 100th time)