Three pots of inspiration: Swirling around.

Three visual pools I want to swim in, three vintage clothing pieces, and three bits of ephemera from my week.

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The mind of a visual thinker (hi!) is PACKED with photographs, colors, textures, and various oddities—both real and imagined. While Absolument is always a snapshot of what’s skipping around in my head, I want this writing to hyper-reflect what’s going on up there right now.

The first installment of inspirational pots included Ionic columns, vintage couture frocks, and oil paintings galore.

Three people whose visual pool I want to swim in:

I bought a seasonal pass to the *visual pool* so that we can enjoy more time swimming among luscious textiles, ravioli, high heeled shoes, and glimmering patterned flooring. Here are some creative brains who I admire greatly!

1. Gala Dalí, because the more I dove into the life of Salvador Dalí (and visited their historically preserved home in Port Lligat, Cadaques, Spain), the more I wanted to know about her. Like many women who served as the muse and/or wife of a famous painter in history, their identities seem nearly impossible to untie from their male counterparts. When you Google her, about 98% of the results feature Salvador.

   

   Salvador Dalí‘s Gala Placidia, Galatea of the Spheres from 1952.

   Equinox Magazine describes Gala as cold, “ambitious, domineering, cynical and lov[ing] money and luxury more than anything.” Not my favorite kind of person, frankly! A few lines later, a quote from the director of the Gala Salvador Dali Foundation clarifies: “Gala was above all a free woman, and it is an example for today's women. She was fighting for what she believed in—art and literature—and it was important to present her as an artistic personality in her own right, to rehabilitate her as a key piece of the surrealist movement.” Far Out Magazine headlines her as “the demonic dominatrix behind Salvador.” The New York Times had a lot to say about her as well, including the thoughts of Peggy Guggenheim. I must know more!!!

Gala c. 1947 © Julian P. GrahamDrets d'imatge de Gala i Salvador Dalí reservats. Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, Figueres, 2019

2. It’s no secret—or at least I hope it isn’t—that I really, really admire

   Ali LaBelle
   (and her Substack newsletter,
   À La Carte
   )! I think she has one of the finest eyes out there. She’s able to spot what’s important and interesting from miles away and present the ideas to the rest of us in the most visually palatable way. We also have a lot in common and I personally hate that we live so far away because I imagine that it would be super fun to hang out!

   I love following along with whatever she’s up to, whether it’s: running a pasta appreciation Instagram account, creative direction for the coolest shops and brands, her frequent mood boarding, hosting dinner parties, or gathering up lists of cherished items. Everything by Ali is a bullseye, every time!

alilabelle.co

I also want to greatly thank Ali for being the one who introduced me to Substack. She interviewed me almost one year ago for her At the Table series and it felt like a really fun and natural exercise!

3. Holy moly, do I love experiencing Jenny Walton of

   JENNY SAIS QUOI
   ’s liveliness! She moved to Milan from New York and you can feel the pep in her (vintage, pointy heel-ladened) step as she explores her new home country, learns Italian, and dresses in the most desirable way imaginable. I first caught a glimpse of her when she curated a vintage Marimekko exhibition at their Soho storefront and I became instantly hooked, hooked, hooked!

   I think my awareness of her feels extra meaningful because I spent my first year living in France feeling terrified of even the most of basic things. I know the internet can make things appear more whimsical than they are, but she seems to have so much grace about being in an unfamiliar, culturally-different place, and that inspires me. I’ve thankfully taken a good turn while starting my second year in France—finding myself becoming more alive, positive, and in-tune with myself again. I’m looking forward to sprouting more, just like Jenny.

Three clothing items that occupy my day dreams:

1. This clamshell hat by Bill Cunningham. He remarked, “unfortunately they didn’t sell widely,” via Cindy Green. When I lived in NYC over a decade ago, I saw Bill Cunningham walking down the street in his famed cobalt chore coat. He had a sunny disposition and he was eating a hotdog. Anyway, did you know that he was a hat designer in his earlier years?

2. Beth Lavine stacked and swirl-heeled shoes, 1962, via Beau Traps. When I was around ten years old, I was OBSESSED with writing in what I called “Swirly Letters.” I added a curving spiral wherever I could to my handwriting. I even was bold enough to sign my Social Security Card with my Swirly Signature. I would show you, if it didn’t mean giving away my identity. It’s precious and I’m proud of 4th-grade-me who decided to keep the swirls alive for the rest of my life via one of the most important documents I own. Now that I think of it—I regret not signing my passport this way. At the time, the twenty-six-year-old version of me was trying to be a grown up, I suppose. But, life’s more enchanting when you’re swirling around!

3. Basket Ring by Jenna Katz. I’ve always found weaving to be hyper satisfying—especially a basket weave. It’s super cool when someone can recreate this form with a non-textile or typical basketry medium.

Three pieces of ephemera I’ve been captivated by:

1. “A pair of Lalanne calfskin sardines. Because why get a stuffed fish at the fair, when you can get one of these?” via Acqua di Artem. I eat a lot of sardines, so it would be nice to be able to cuddle up with them and offer my apologies. Je suis desolée !

2. This view of the eclectic Casa Balla in Rome, as photographed by Federico Ciampi, via Piece de Resistance.

3. A stupendous writing, Fashion at the Art Gallery: Allen Jones, by

   Laura McLaws Helms
   is going to be embedded in my mind for a bit. She was browsing through a 1970s issue of Mademoiselle when she noticed a fashion photoshoot captured inside a gallery exhibition of pop artist Allen Jones. From there, she poignantly connected the dots between couture, editorial journalism, and then-contemporary art. I swoon when I find a piece that combines more than one of my historic interests.

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From the Absolument ! Archives:

• "How is Paris?" Recommendations, and Paris as *the focal point* of the entire world.

• A story that I revisit a couple times each year, which touches upon the importance of language, big FEELINGS, relationships between humans, the greatness of site-specificity in our lives, culture, and impermanence.

• The paintings, Roman sculpture busts, and hurried scribbles in the homes of artist Cy Twombly.

**

Stay Swirly,

Kelsey Rose ✶𓏲ּ꩜ .ᐟ