Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Hidden Meanings


"Brother Mainard, why is there a three-circle decoration above the door to our Holy Place?"

"A fine question, Timmy. The lobes of the Triple Loop symbolize the division of life into labor, play, and rest; the vine inside binds them together into the Holy Work. Within each..."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Brother, but I overheard your explanation. I'm afraid it's incorrect."

"What do you mean, Brother Larch? It comes directly from the Third Catechism of Dennis the Wise."

"Dennis was judged a heretic by the Thirteenth Committee at the Cleveland Conclave."

"When was this!"

"Last January."

"I, well, ah, I never heard anything."

"The Committee sent quite a few text messages right after the decision."

"Oh, yes. I usually run out of data halfway through the month. Probably missed them."

"You should speak with Brother Jackson."

"Does he have special knowledge of the Conclave?"

"No, he moonlights at the phone company. Got me a great deal with unlimited data and no contract."

"I see. But what did the Holy Texts say?"

"The symbol refers to the time we start our meetings, three in the afternoon."

"But we start our meetings at four."

"Daylight savings."

And thus Brother Mainard was enlightened.

Monday, May 22, 2017

It's a Solid Piece of Work



"I particularly appreciate the variation in texture. Exposing hidden conflict through varied material choices, while retaining the fundamental paradigm of the brick."

"I'm impressed by the intentional skewing, very Kandinsky-esque. Regular that becomes irregular, chaos seeping into the perfect geometry, embodying the failed pursuit of perfection."

"Well, yes, I agree with both of you, yet the strongest statement is made by his choice of location. He's perfectly matched these surroundings while maintaining the tension between artificial and natural. Were we in a grassy field the pretension would be overwhelming, whereas this urban setting requires the viewer to find the art *within* his art."

"Oh, hello! Sorry I'm late, had to park. Do you still have time to see my sculpture?"

"Well, young man, I think I can speak for the entire jury that we're very impressed by your work."

"Ah, um... did you? I mean, you already saw it?"

"Indeed, we've been discussing this installation at length."

"Ah, it's, umm, the hand? About ten feet tall, coming out of the ground? It's at the other end of the block."

"Oh! Well, I see. And, ah, what's this then?"

"The bricks? I think they're fixing the sidewalk."

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Hiding



Oh, this is perfect.

<thud>

Ow! Okay, ceiling is low, it's a little cramped, and it smells kinda funny. But I don't think anybody's climbed all the way up here in a long time. Probably nobody even knows this room exists.

Nice, if I stand over here I can peek out the little windows. Not much to see though.

They are going to look so hard but they'll never find me. Hide and seek champion!

Hmm. It could be a while, maybe I should have a candy bar or something. Wonder if I can sneak out to the vending machine?

Wait a minute. What the heck's going on with this door?

Why is there no handle on this side?

And what *is* that smell?

Friday, May 5, 2017

The Leash



"Mind control."

Not again. Every time he drinks...

"Don't shake your head. Look for the antennas. There's one right across the street, on the old office building.

"Of course, otherwise our phones won't work."

A look of sad condescension usually reserved for small children. "I've been reading. A lot. Stuff they don't want you to see."

"They who?"

"I don't want to say the names, not here."

"What? We're in a noisy bar. You seriously believe someone is spying on you?"

Silently pointing to the black slab at the edge of the table.

"My cellphone? It's spying on you?"

Emphatic nods.

"Okay, fine. Someone could hack my phone, but that doesn't mean they can control my mind through a radio antenna."

"You can't sense it. You don't even know it's happening. I'm serious. They've been doing this for so long, it's totally hidden. They're playing the long game."

"Okay, let's talk about something el..."  BRAAP BRAAP BRAAP "Oh, it's my boss. I have to take this."

"It's eleven o'clock at night. Do you really need to answer?"

"Yeah, you know how it is, work and all."

A sage nod. "Yes, I do know just how it is."