Rusty’s Weekly Diary

Early morning start (7 am! For me as a late riser… ts, ts. But too late to join the guided tour in the morning in Marfa), bringing Adrian’s son to school first and then heading towards Marfa in 3 hours. For me, a very exciting landscape: the Plains or/ and desert (not easy to differentiate), mountains, different kind of plants (again: not easy to tell: palm tree or cactus…) and as it is springtime: flowers everywhere. Did not expect that – from blooming little flowers by the wayside to cactus flowers in the desert. Uh, gosh, they just did not let me off the leash there … perhaps because of the snakes or the barbwire?

And I saw deer! Cows … no horses yet.
Even the mountains are very different in their appearance.
Quick stop at a service station; for the first time in my life I saw a real sheriff – although I did not really recognize him without wearing his uniform.
Border Control! Lucky that Almut carried her and my passport and the customs formula – they checked it then and Thomas’ ID. Uff … Thomas was sweating.
And we nearly missed the famous Prada Store by Elmgreen and Dragset – this is so absurd, in the middle of nowhere. Absurd but exactly this is the reason why this work is so appealing. A Prada Saloon… 😉

Finally we made it then (thank you Adrian for driving all the way; and: finally a few horses) and stopped at the Chinati foundation. Actually, there are two foundations in Chinati fighting for the right to be THE foundation connected to Donald Judd. Little shopping there and then lunchtime in the restaurant ‚Capri‘ (horrible pricing, but good, nice environment to hang out, had the chance to meet and greet many dogs  (do not miss the garden)). We, the dogs, running around, locals and tourists mixed …

2.30 pm the day tour continued with us, starting with the 6 old military barracks (from World War 2!), now containing Dan Flavin’s work only – neon works, of course. For that reason alone, the contrast between old military usage and new setting with art works is outstanding – in this area, in the desert.
The guide gave us our own time to have a walk through the buildings (we were 7 people all together – so easy to manage). Although I know the works of Flavin and saw many of them before – this was really different: all the barracks are in U-format and the Flavin works are placed at the end of the two side wings coming from the open end.

My impressions were (as far as I can remember it – even a dog’s ‘human brain’ has its limits):
Barack 1: Net (red/ green) I saw nets on the wall after having looked at the pieces))
Barack 2:  Headache (or: neon green is not for me; again red/ green but different than in B1)
Barack 3: Surprise 1 (blue + yellow = pink; blue + pink = purple)
Barack 4: Painting 1 (same as B3 but the 2 pieces in each wing leaning against each other and gave me the impression that they are paintings)
Barack 5: Surprise 2 (purple green; PINK, PURPLE; soft&mild, very subtle)
Barack 6: Painting 2 (colors? but: like paintings the neons were leaning against each other plus: refections on the windows inside and to be seen also from the outside

3 other buildings (old cantinas and stable) (sorry, cannot remember the artists…except Roni Horn) but most impressive to me were the text works. And – obviously pre-minded – the text work with the word ‚green‘ in lines and columns was the strongest – I could even see the strong lines. And Roni Horn referred to the mining history of the area with her heavy but decent conical copper sculptures on the floor.

The Oldenburg sculpture is odd – not really good in my eyes.

Last things we saw at the foundation were the 2 x 50 Judd pieces – just amazing – even more when you are looking at them with the sun.

In town then  – the PAISANO HOTEL: Wow! With beautiful little shops! The hotel where scenes of ‚Giants‘ were shooted, a court building (really big), old cinemas/ theaters, shops (even a barber shop ;-)), then – as always – again a coffee stop for TT and all of us). I am always happy to have some water in this hot environment.

And back again – with a double rainbow behind us (they say that there are hidden treasures where the rainbow touches the ground…); I’ll be back – as an artist and/ or trail rider dog (Texas Mountain Trail…).

P.S.: Mind the time change in Marfa!

have been visiting the AT&T Stadium // Dallas Cowboys Stadium this morning. Really huge (80,000 visitors; can be compared to our Olympic Stadium in Berlin).
Ha, and Lisa (surprise!) was guiding us there together with the tall Phil. One more the educational, the other one the story teller. Very cute combination.
Impressing stadium. Ah, got a song: Step it up,

lounges and suites everywhere, Art !!! (what has been the reason to be there), dressing rooms … every cheerleader has her own twitter account. And both – dressing rooms for players and cheerleaders have the same size and furniture!
But: the stadium itself is so impressing … big big big. The screen in the round – oh my gosh …
Texas Stars everywhere – even the gully covers are stars, THE center carpet and, and, and … I have been so deeply impressed that I appeared unnaturally shy and respectful. And I was asking myself: where are the horses and the cowboys? Ah, football, OK, missed that, sorry.
Do not forget the shop at the end of your tour – only had a quick sneak but I am sure it is worth it to buy some branded *star* presents.

After a busy week at the art fair and the 11 (!) hours in the plane to Dallas in my box this has been another big event for me that made the journey worth it. (I did not know at that time that Almut and Thomas would take me on a plane again – to El Paso with me, grrr.)

There are a lot of strikes here in Germany going on at the moment. Still the Deutsche Bahn Union is temporarily on strike, Lufthansa pilots … but now also the teachers are on strike in several Bundesländer. And here in Berlin the Union for Education and Sciences (GEW) and the Services Union Verdi initiated a strike on the 11th and 12th of march. Also the Industrial Union Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt (IG BAU) and the Police Union (GdP) will join – in Berlin AND Brandenburg.

The Angestellte of the Kitas, universities, offices and authorities fight for „Das öffentliche Leben gibt es nicht zum Nulltarif.“ (Doreen Siebernick, Landesvorsitzende der GEW).

More money, for about 2,8 mil staff, officers and pensioners.

Strike as the last mean to push things forward – a simple demonstration seems to be not enough any more.

Hey, and have you ever been a teacher, policeman or farmer? Do you know about their hard work? (song hard work) „Come on, everybody is working hard for the money.“ Well OK, but some people work ‚harderer‘ as they have to do not well-balanced physical and brain work at the same time – and get exhausted …

Back in time, march, Märzrevolution … there are interesting parallels …

And I know there will be dog demonstrations as well: they do not want us runnning around the North Beach of the Schlachtensee anymore. One of our last hang outs …

another important historic landmark is entering the stage. 130 years ago – when Bismarck invited all the nations (of course only all the nations he was friends with) to the Kongo Conference to negotiate free trading at the banks of Kongo and Niger. Kind of a historic TTIP. BUT: even slaves were traded. And this was bad… Very bad for many countries – even continents (Africa!). And: the conference took place where? Berlin… eieiei. Ah, I love this historical place – even as a dog you cannot deny it.

Do not mix this conference up with the Berliner Kongress (Berlin again). 1887 a secret neutral treaty (auch Neutralitätsabkommen/ Rückversicherungsvertrag genannt) had been finalized between the German Empire and Russia to create a new European Peace Order in South East Europe. It took quite a time from 1883 on.

Don’t we have a kind of the same situation now, in a smaller version? With Greece emerging, carrying new political ideas along? But this time it is Europe negotiating. And they do not have as much time as in the 19th century.

Come on now,  let’s make it better this time. Better than Bismarck did.

Have been to the stud presentation with Almut in the Main and County Stud Neustadt/ Dosse on saturday. Never been there before but always have been curious as I am interested in horses and always saw the signage at the autobahn.

We were late, yes, Almut’s fault, as she did not listen to her navigation system respectively did not follow her nose nore my barking… But, nevertheless, we got a good impression and feeling for the horses presented. In the saddle about 1/3 women, 2/3 men, and we could see the differences between the horses. Appreciated that they were not bound to the edge the animals, from ‚calm‘ to ‚pepper‘  (like Quaterback’s Junior) – different temperaments and characters, colors … ah, like us.

And the promising newcomers – very impressive: dancers, curious ones, a little bit wild ones … oh, I really would have loved to jump into the arena and play with them right away! Almut just was able to prevent me from doing so …

The hall and presentation style – room for improvement. But you have to keep in mind that this stud is really a historic place (although the hall is newer).

I made some notes regarding some of the horses – they impressed me right away because of a specific attitude they had (I would say they showed their character in front of the public). Would be interesting to follow up and see how they develop …
And if a classic development in dressage or jumping is really their thing.

(And some or one of them – wow, (they) could really be MY horse …)

Wir dürfen gespannt sein – wie die Verhandlungen der EU mit Griechenland weiter gehen … und was das Ergebnis sein wird.

Die Meinungen aller gehen dazu ja sehr auseinander – selbst bei den Experten herrscht einig Uneinigkeit. Aber es ist ja auch: Wer kann und mag denn etwaige Folgen vorhersehen? Geht das überhaupt? Welcher Algorithmus kann das denn?

Oh ja – und dann die Eitelkeiten und Empfindlichkeiten auf allen Seiten (sind das Männer-typische? Sind ja eigentlich 99% Männer die da verhandeln oder etwa nicht? Hunde jedenfalls nicht.) – nicht einfach …

Nicht falsch verstehen meine Herren – ich bin kein Feminist aber bestimmt einer der die Meinung von Frauen nicht für weniger Wert hält als die der Männer.
Also – wenn für Sie als Politiker die Bühne ‚Politik‘ so wichtig ist um sich dar zu stellen – bitte vergessen Sie das Publikum nicht! Es entscheidet am Ende über den Erfolg oder Mißerfolg einer politischen Linie. Und: Da sind auch Frauen im Publikum – und von denen möchten Sie doch auch beklatscht und nicht eine geklatscht kriegen, oder? Und von mir? Doch lieber high five statt Pfotenhieb…

as the year of the sheep begins –  I was curious about my Chinese star sign…
and it was really terrific when I read about it – and how exactly it matches – even more than the ‚normal‘ western star sign. ‚I think‘ as a life motto – I never read that before – I swear – but I wrote that some weeks ago as an important ‚feature‘ for Almut – and now it is also me.
It stunned me, it really hit me – how can that be? We have the same sign – oha.

You have to notice that I am not that kind of a dog that wreathes horoscopes every day – I only was interested in the meaning of my star sign in general – and ever was.

And now – this …

Oh gosh, is the year you are born in then more important than the period you are born in? Or both? And what makes us us then?

I know for me I am getting bored if life becomes too much ‚Das Leben ist ein langer, ruhiger Fluß‘ (französischer Spielfilm von Étienne Chatiliez aus dem Jahre 1988).

So, like the heart rate there are ups and downs (sinus curves, some maths and meds ;-)) – and bpms (so, music, here we are again!).
A straight line is (…) – no good for me. Distraction and curves are elementary for me and my ‘arty outlets’ (thank you Gail for this delightful and really suitable expression!).

without any news from my side. Does not mean that nothing had happened – but: Thomas and Almut caught a flue and so did I. Oh gosh. Days in bed, hurting bones, headaches … Now, recovering, some thoughts come back.

I remember my last rides in the countryside, easy, without a saddle and only with side pulls (without a snaffle). Felt a little bit like an Indian on horseback…

If you are riding like that you really FEEL the horse (and I think vice versa) and your movements become very subtile. Crazy – but I did not think of falling off or something; I just trusted the horse.

Taking riding lessons that way is wonderful: you teach the horses and each other while riding – without running around in circles all the time. More fun and interaction – and you can use your training experience wherever it derives from (horse training, athletics …).

is what the world makes so overheated, so disbalanced, full of wars – with yourself, in pairs, in families, in companies, in countries. Struggle for life, for money, for status is what the western life is all about.
‚Time is money‘ is one of the most famous words in our culture. Faster, faster, faster. More, more, more. So, following this definition, even spare time is money. It is the best place to generate new ideas and thoughts. AND THESE ARE THE BASIS for starting new businesses.

‚But you spend money on it, don’t you?‘ YES, sometimes (or better: master and mistress) – but exactly for what is good for me. And for the rest: I am able to talk to and with other people and animals. And have time for it. This is an investment in my personal health. And a positive impact then on health costs 😉

Anybody now dares to say that I am not a business dog?

for 2 days, 2 people and me. Condensed time. Plans made before. Change of plans on site. But with a little bit of flexibility everything is not so stressful.

Ah – we did not need an umbrella, had 95% sunshine. A very nice hotel in London’s Eastend – so the region Hoxton/ Shoreditch to discover. Nice little shops and cafés, old and brand new buildings. Walking around west and south of Arnold Circus was just amazing. White Cube Gallery. Etc.

Attended a crowded opening at the White Chapel Gallery on Wednesday (Adventures of the Black Square) with wonderful works you have not seen on the wall for a long time. Starting with a classic Malewitsch black square you follow more minimalist positions up to an actual American outlook on the 1st floor – more colorful.

And not to forget a horse ride in Hyde Park – walking and trotting only the 1st time *what is OK* more to come if you want to the next rides (up to jumping and canter!). From a horse back you have definitely another view.

Public transport makes it easy to reach the most important places to visit. For us as Germans the British Museum was a must with the running show (until 25 January 2015): german Memories of a nation. A 600-year history in objects. Hm – the ‚Denker und Bastler‘ how DER TAGESSPIEGEL named it – we saw an exhibition very museum like. Classic. Starting with an Anselm Kiefer piece and statement and a video with scenarios of the night the wall was teared down you end up in a little tourist shop *even with the German Dachshound in both varieties*. AND WHERE IS THE STANDARD SCHNAUZER, hä? Too bad – they missed me …

The most impressive object for me was the Beetle in the Central Court of the Museum – right hand driven grey VW. This is Germany: ‚Der Deutschen liebstes Kind‘. VW, THE CAR, adapted for the British market. For use in another country. This is German Engineering.

As the fall of the wall – engineered by Germany, executed with partners, inspired by democracy. Greece is ‚die Wiege der Demokratie’, Africa where human being started. And many more countries who contributed to Europe being Europe.

Do not miss the Sir Sloane’s Museum, only a 10 minutes walk from the British Museum (walk through the little Sicilian Avenue!). An eclectic 3 part house – filled with lots and lots of antiquities, paintings and superb architectural ideas – 19th century, saved for today. Ah, what a wonderful and cosy hideaway after these crowdy places. The unusual ‘first look right and then left’ before crossing the street was really hard for me as a German.