“The artist is continually going round in egocentric circles. He has consciously severed himself from the past, whose heritage means nothing to him.” — J.B. Lotz

This is my sabbatical placeholder. It was an odd year. My posts have been light because I just don’t have that much to write (and travelled so much for work this year).

Submitted my Flickr YBS for 2024 and it’s my first since 2019. You won’t be surprised that both my 2019 and 2024 submissions are photos from monasteries. According to MyFlickrYear I only uploaded 300 photos in 2024, and this was the community favorite.

My 2024 movie recommendation is Licorice Pizza (2021) but watch Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game (2022) before or after! Hollywood is a cesspool, but still capable of producing thought-provoking art. Alana Haim is amazing. The soundtrack is brilliant (on red vinyl if you have the means) and includes songs from Bowie and Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters. I love this song from Jonny Greenwood.

Compare and contrast this ad from Smith and Barney in 1979 and HOW influencers are selling investment vehicles to SIMPS and NPCs in 2024. We are definitely at peak stupid, and something is going to break.

Related
1968: The Year That Broke Politics (The Imaginative Conservative)