PT and thoughts arising, Textiles and Tea, Jean Pierre Larochette

Tuesday's physical therapy session, now near the end of our series, moved me far ahead. Squats, wall sitting, diagonal hip moves, trick to put on ankle weights safely. Just a long way from a few weeks ago. I'm very encouraged and feel more competent.

PT's mother is my age mate, and he wishes she would buy into getting stronger.  I think it's largely about self image. If you see yourself as a person who can, too, lift weights and keep progressing, it's easier to go ahead, no matter your age. If you see yourself as a weekly swimmer, nearing the end of your days, ticking over, different picture.

Sometimes I believe we can give great support to another person's self image without even knowing it. Two examples from the Great Me. One was long ago when I quit smoking, after being a  heavy smoker for decades. I suddenly had a compelling motive, child's health, and acted on it. Stubbed out the cigarette I'd lit, tossed the pack, never smoked again.

Weeks later, working in a office full of smokers, people smoked at their desks then, I was barely clinging on, such withdrawal. My boss, puffing away, said "You never went back to it, did you?"  I realized she now considered me a nonsmoker. So it gave me permission to do the same. That kept me going.

Another colleague commented, unknown to me, when I was under pressure to "settle to one job" instead of changing fields every few years, that "she's a person who reinvents herself". 

I heard this many years later from the mutual acqaintance she'd said it to. That was exactly what I did, and wanted, but I hadn't had any outside support for the concept, until I heard that by chance. 

So that's my thinking. I believe a brief acknowledgement can go a long way to improve someone's life. Worth considering.

Today's Textiles and Tea guest was Jean Pierre Larochette, third family generation weaver in the Aubusson tradition of tapestry. If you've seen the Unicorn tapestries in the New York Cloisters or the Cluny Museum in Paris, you've seen Aubusson style, worked from the back and  across the design. 

Today's tapestries are usually worked from the front, though the design can be worked side to side.

Along with his wife, designer Jael Lurie, and daughter Yadin Larochette, he has created amazing tapestries over 60 years, now in churches, temples, museums and libraries, and a classic book on the art of  tapestry. 

It's a collection of knowledge and tradition in the art, a kind of encyclopedic approach.

Now to admire the works, some of many. These were mostly commissioned pieces, sixty years of word of mouth -- he's never had to write a proposal!

Left, drawing of a weave structure, top right the town of Aubusson, his family roots, bottom right a weaving about a weaving pattern 

Detail of the piece seen on the wall behind him

 Comparing and contrasting the flowing, transparent styles of two Lurie designs 

This was a temple commission, about the unity of religion and observance across cultures, a menorah with natural forms and symbols.

This is Wall of Tears, about the Mexican US border, a joint work of seven world renowned weavers including Susan Maffei, long time collaborator with the late beloved Archie Brennan.

And here's the work being cut from the loom

He's already wondering about a sequel to this massive work!

Sample of many small weavings and drawings explaining tapestry weave structures, to be found in the book referenced above 

Wildly free and complex tapestry about movement

This was a wonderful afternoon with a kind and brilliant man. 

Happy day everyone, Tuesday was a banger!