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December 27, 2008

watching

In the mountains, whilst squatting in the attics of a chalet in Saas Fee, Switzerland, during the winter of 1980, I watched and I waited. And so I had, during the long dark winter evenings, time on my hands.

Saas-Fee-night-81.jpg
a long dark winter evening, Saas Fee, Switzerland

My needs were simply met, a mattress and duvet under the eaves, two pans for to cook macaroni cheese, and a sketchbook plus scratching tools. Mind you with nothing better to do after dark the term sketching, and it’s previously described connotations, was far from the truth. I took a lot of time over the drawings, they were, I suppose, to be more accurate, objective drawings.

I drew what I had, and I had, at the time, as well as a tangle of climbing gear [more of which later] my father’s watch.

JEMC-watch.jpg

The dial took many hours, and is accurate to every minute of the hour and every five seconds of those minutes.

father's-watch-06.jpg

During the day, with complex laminated plastic planks clipped to my feet, I would rush headlong down the slopes, all the time watching. I was watching the mountains. I was waiting for the weather.


Posted by john at December 27, 2008 01:50 PM

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