L to R: Rob Delamater, Anthony Marshall, Heather, Jill Slater

The shows just seem to be getting better and better. September’s show explored how we can value the past in the present with three grerat remixers. Rob started things off by showing several paintings and objects that were meaningful to him. First was this self-portrait by artist Peter Witwer who was murdered not long after he made the painting.

Rob kept this painting for himself after he and his partner at Lost Art bought the entire collection of Witwer’s paintings from a descendant. He loves the aesthetics of the painting but the story just as much, and said he felt it was his job to share these stories with the people who buy the work at his Salon. It’s that story that he finds holds the power in a piece of art or an object. “its a way of ensuring it will be valued. If I can craft a true story about an object or an image, then there’s a better chance it will survive.”

Rob also shared a story about his dad’s fascination with creating animatronic figures. He would take the family mannequin shopping to have parts for these puppets and Rob would sleep with mannequins in his room as a child. Jill spoke about leading a hora of over a thousand people at Burning Man (apparently there is now a Black Rock JCC) and edified the audience on the specifics of what a hora is and what it means. At the wedding of a Russian-Jewish couple’s last child, they are lifted up in the hora as well, with wreaths on their head. Where Jews in Russia got wreaths is beyond me, but that’s the deal and it’s called the mezzinka. It was hard for Jill to focus on one topic only as she said “my whole life is about connecting with the past.”

Anthony talked about hip hop culture and generally the lack of Inheritance and known history of many Black Americans. “I do not have much to look back on.” “The youth today do not have a lot surrounding them in terms of history.”He commented that the greatest inheritance you can get from someone is their point of view or perspective. His mother, a Rastafarian, raised him as a vegetarian and after she passed, he found himself taking on her advice-giving role about everyone’s diet. “We’re all just a slice of the pie. We’re all just perspectives.”

Insights + highlights

• all three guests had lost parents (in Rob’s case, his grandfather had been orphaned) and the interest in connecting presently to what came before was a spiritual and/or familial anchoring.
• the life in an object comes from its story, from the human life and caring which gives it its character and energy.
• “America is a country that doesn’t repect culture.” —Anthony Marshall
• “Maybe we’re cultural rebels in that we’re all into preserving whatever little corenr of culture we’re into.” Rob
• “In NY people pay to have everything done. So why not beginning the hora?” —Jill Slater
  “Are they paying for the hora or to be relieved of their anxiety worrying about it?” —Heather
• “I thought that if I moved to NY (from SF) I’d be surrounded by my family and the people looking down on me..that would ground me and then I’d able to focus on future as well as the present. So far it’s not working so well.” —Jill Slater
• Jill’s valuable gratis hora tip “Put the short people at the back, when you life up the chairs.” (so the honored guests don’t fall and break a limb on their happiest daykaynaynahoreh) Jill also gave a great explanation of kaynaynahoreh that’s worth listening to the podcast to hear. I love that Jews “created” monotheism but the most powerful stuff in the day-to-day lives of many Jews like Jill is fears of the evil eye and of the positive happy statements that supposedly attract it.
• It’s the 250th anniversary of the first public market in NY. Jill is working to bring it back.
• “Back in the day” is now 5 minutes ago”—Anthony

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