Chasing Beauty

I was reading something about Kiki de Montparnasse, who was the muse and lover of Man Ray. Just the mention of Kiki's name got me thinking about Man Ray, and how his images are so moving to me, and then that got me thinking about other things that give me the same feeling.

Each of us have certain sights, sounds, scents, tastes that we crave, repeat, long for--sensations that evoke some private, fleeting bit of heaven. I know that's why I dance tango: it's an easy way for me to be in that moment. But there are other situations, perhaps more sublime or transitory, that will do that too.

Are tango dancers more sensual beings than other people? I don't think so, but perhaps we've just found a way to get our fix faster?

I've had a bad headache today. It's finally, finally going away after all day, but the little headache that lingers puts me in this hyper-aware state. Things seem a little louder, a little brighter, a little more forceful than usual. Perhaps that's why I'm so fixated on this topic of sensation today.

What transports you? Tell me. I found it interesting to see how these sensations are grouped, for myself. I'm curious to see what you come up with.



Sight:
Paintings by Gustave Moreau in his atelier in Montmartre
The Caress, pictured above, by Fernand Knopff
Paintings by Giorgio de Chirico
Photos by Man Ray
Works by Andy Goldsworthy
Red figure and black figure ancient Greek pottery
The last mysterious segment of 2001: A Space Odyssey
The hallway scene in La Belle et La Bete, by Jean Cocteau
The Eagle Nebula, as captured by the Hubble Telescope

Smell:
Privet or boxwood trees
Redwood trees
Double Delight roses
The smell of certain old stairwells in Paris (what is it, the plaster, the wood, the past?)
The smell of Metro stations in Paris (it's a warm, greasy smell)
Chanel No. 5, Hermes 24 Rue Faubourg, and D&G's Sicily perfumes
Cardamom
Marzipan
Fresh thyme
Tomato leaves when you rub them between your fingers
Amber
The jasmine bush in front of my neighbor's house
A little male perspiration and a faint whiff of cologne mixed together

Taste:
That first "pop" when you bite into a juicy hot dog or sausage (you know what I mean)
Really really good hamachi sashimi
Foie gras (no judgement here, please)
Bacon
Crunchy salt
Soft polenta with lots of butter
Coffee with cardamom in it (the kind they sell at Middle Eastern stores)
Saffron
A perfect bing cherry
Bittersweet or dark chocolate
Red Vines
The tiny little drop of nectar that's inside a honeysuckle blossom (wow, that's an old memory!)

Sound (these links all have sound--turn up the speakers and close your eyes):
Nessun Dorma, as sung by the late Luciano Pavarotti, may he rest in peace
The Flower Duet, from Lakmé
Ave Maria, by Schubert
Gymnopedies III, by Satie
Summertime, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
My Sweet Lord, by George Harrison
When I can hear the faint sound of a foghorn while I'm still in my bed, sometimes happens around 5 a.m.
Rain (any kind, from drizzle to thunderstorm)
Little kids laughing

Touch:
Walking in mist, especially mist on my face
How my legs feel after I've shaved them and put lotion on them
My hair after Kat blows it dry at the salon
A kitten on my lap
Chenille
Very lightweight silk
When someone else touches my hair

Okay, now it's your turn!