This post was inspired by a lovely comment from the writer and artist Susan Ersinghaus on my presentations on this blog. She said she would love to 'speak the language of Turkish coffee':
I speak four languages and in thinking about how I learned to speak and understand them, I realize that similar steps are involved in learning the 'language of Turkish coffee'. It is indeed a beautiful way of contextualizing what I do: processing, creating, seeing, figuring out 'sounds' and images in my brain. When I interpret what I see in a fildzan and snap a photograph, mostly I am recording history - documenting the story and symbols of my cup. I have taken thousands of pictures over the years. I hope that it evokes conversation, memories, sensations, ideas. What appears initially to the naked eye at the bottom of the cup is an immediate impression that eventually transforms from something vague into a pattern of words - a 'form' here and a shadow there... the third eye is attracted and awakens. Recognition.
I speak four languages and in thinking about how I learned to speak and understand them, I realize that similar steps are involved in learning the 'language of Turkish coffee'. It is indeed a beautiful way of contextualizing what I do: processing, creating, seeing, figuring out 'sounds' and images in my brain. When I interpret what I see in a fildzan and snap a photograph, mostly I am recording history - documenting the story and symbols of my cup. I have taken thousands of pictures over the years. I hope that it evokes conversation, memories, sensations, ideas. What appears initially to the naked eye at the bottom of the cup is an immediate impression that eventually transforms from something vague into a pattern of words - a 'form' here and a shadow there... the third eye is attracted and awakens. Recognition.
More.
There is a seductive 'leading on': a prompting, pushing to cognition; suddenly the opening of fleshy dreams from the 'old country', grandmothers, sister sing-songs from a long time ago.... a voice is heard in the distance. From the fields of self life a word resonates - it is familiar in my own language...the language of interiors. A sentence is formed, a symbol is recognized, a picture is named. Turkish Coffee Language.
What an honor to be a spring board for such a lovely description of what you do so beautifully here. I am fascinated by words and what they symbolize, and am guilty of being to literal -- not too precise, never that! --and so I am inspired by how clearly you let the images/symbols resonate for/through you.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying this communion between us, Susan. Your comments touch me deeply and I feel 'heard' and 'seen',in the purest sense. As if I were a word myself, appreciated for it's existence. The honor is mine.
ReplyDelete