From Hopi Kachina Dolls to Phillip Glass

Big power lines like this remind me of Hopi Kachina dolls. Can you see what I mean? It’s in how the ‘arms’ jut straight out from the ‘body,’ and how square the ‘heads’ are. You could use that big metal contraption as a framework to build a gigantic Kachina doll if you wanted. (Quick, somebody tell Jeff Koons!)

Hopi Kachina dolls make me think of Phillip Glass, because my first exposure to him was via the hypnotic film ‘Koyaanisqatsi,’ which is a Hopi Indian term meaning, ‘life out of balance.’ It’s a beautiful film, and there’s no dialogue, just lots of time lapse photography accompanied by Glass’ mesmerising arppeggios.

The first time I saw ‘Koyaanisqatsi,’ I was on a date with a guy who hated the movie and began saying so – really loudly, and to the point where it was embarrassing. There was no second date. I, however, went back to the movie twice. The first time, alone, the second with friends, who enjoyed it as much as I did.

I recently discovered that you can watch ‘Koyaanisqatsi’ in its entirety on Youtube. You have to be in the right mood, but now you know where to go when you are.