Ive mentioned before that when something happens in 3s in my life, I pay attention. That whole edgy thing I was talking about yesterday? Well, first I thought it, then my friend mentioned it, and then while I was interviewing Gilles Larrain, it came up again. Meeting Gilles and Louda Larrain, an extremely accomplished artist in her own right with showings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and designing gowns for all the top fashion houses, through the owners of Cafe Hemingway, was like meeting soul friends, despite the fact that we have grown up in more than three separate countries, backgrounds, and even generations. Each of our distinct accents created an international soundtrack for the afternoon. I arrived at their house — and soon to be studio — at 3pm and didnt leave until half past 8 and I was enjoying every minute. Virtually everything in the house was an expression of creativity, whether it was obvious or subtle. You must go into the bathroom, Gilles encouraged, and as I did, I turned back around to see an entire wall covered with tschokes that would be used in future pieces. The anecdotes the two shared were just an ice cube on the ice berg, and quite often, Gilles would close his eyes as though he were fully embracing a point or remembering behind his lids a life fuller than pages can hold. Like the time when Miles Davis arrived at Gilles studio, and held up a hand showing all five digits that meant, I got five minutes for ya. So Gilles wonders what he can do in five minutes, other than invite Miles down to the basement part of his studio and offer tapas, telling me of the tiger shrimp and Sevilla ham tapas and wine. I apologized for the air conditioning having just broken, and Miles says to me, Dont worry, Im from Africa. He was a really cool cat. I put on music from La Nina de Los Penes who sings this high-pitched sound. He asked, Why do you like this music? and I said, Because I play music. Then he said, Go get your guitar, and I said, Go get your trumpet, and we started jamming. That memory became a photo session thats displayed on one of the walls in their new Kauai home. When asked why they moved to Kauai, Gilles responds, The physicality of this island. The diversity of this island. The contradiction of this island. Its this small island and a big island.There are parts of the island you cant reach, no mans land. There is a magical element of surprise. And, the landscapes. He pauses for a second, looks out the window, then begins again with what becomes impromptu poetry. You know what I love to look at? The clouds, and the light. Here, the Universe is within your reach, you can grasp it, even though its too big to grasp completely. Therein lie the contradictions again. New York is a magnet for artists, and I dont know if Kauai has that level of art. There may not be a Picasso or a Matisse here, theres probably no room for them here. But Kauai draws personalities, emotional things, a love of nature, a love of the fantastic. You will learn your roots and where you come from, because you come from nature. My questions became their questions, as we embarked on conversations that led to philosophical and spiritual insights, which became an unbelievably scrumptious and simple dinner. Before we knew it, we were looking forward to collaborating and co-creating an artist salon, much like the ones the Larrains used to host in Soho that were oft-written up by The New York Times. One of the most beautiful bits of the afternoon was to see Gilless love for Louda. At some point, as they were sharing their lives with me, I realized that the two of them were a perfect balance to the interview I conducted a few days prior with another artist and her husband. In the other interview, it was the woman upon who the spotlight regularly shone and the man who looked at her adoringly. And in no way was one partner ever less than the other — both have their own lifetime of accomplishments and accolades. Through these couples, I was able to see how a mature love can flourish in ways that are as real as they are inspiring. The very apparent common thread between the two dynamics is this unconditional support for one anothers talents and dreams. That, and an honesty about how each person and their partners were never perfect, but they were indeed worth working for. The Larrains and I danced in candid conversation on topics that ranged from vaginas to assholes (the latter in reference to people, not necessarily physical anatomy), woven together firm opinions, essential laughter, and necessary frankness. Their words became like the flamenco and guitar that Gilles is so passionate about. To hear him describe how he fell in love with this genre of music is exactly what I wouldve scripted if I could create such a scene from scratch. You can feel the vibrations of music, Gilles says in an accent that feels as though it is stirring words in the richest stew, With music, you are in the moment, for you cannot be in a note in the past or in the future, just this note right now. I was forced to learn piano as a child and took lessons in the house. My teacher, she had this terrible bad breath and got too close for comfort — she would hit my fingers with a ruler when I made a mistake. So music was off for me! Then I went to Spain when I was young, and was invited to the home of Pedro Domecq, who made the most beautiful cognac and raised miura bulls. It was the birthday of his daughter, his gypsy daughter. We spent the entire night of fantastic jamming of flamenco. It was hot. This dancer was in her bare feet, sweating, her tits were sticking to her wet shirt. Her whole body was wet. It was so incredible, like a virus in the vein, and I was hooked on flamenco. The rhythms of the music, the guitar, its all so special. Its a blend of music that came from the north of India, Rajastan, from the gypsies who traveled. It has Arabic, Jewish, Spanish, and Gregorian chant influences. It was all real. Music grabbed me by the balls. He looks to Louda, sitting beside him, and places his hand on hers. Im sure I bore Louda sometimes, and she quickly shakes her head no no. Shes used to his sensuality and honesty. When I get up to leave long after the sun has set, Gilles grabs my face and kisses me on one cheek and then the other. Ive agreed at this point that he can photograph me too, for if were talking about edgy, he says, Ive already looked at you. Your legs, your ass, your face, your everything. Promise me youll let me photograph you. Look at your teeth! They are so white, I cannot believe it!
Posted on: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 21:09:16 +0000
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