Maybe 13 years ago, before kids, before living here, before cell phones with maps with a little blue-dot-me I was wandering the city with only myself, a crumpled map, and my own wits. You know where this is going to lead. I got horrifically lost and after trying to make heads or tails of my map (while trying not to make it too obvious that I was referencing a map -- I didn't want to be abducted/killed/whatever for goodness sake), I kind of thought I could figure it out if I could just find blasted Houston. That's HOW-ston -- even though it's spelled exactly like that city in Texas.
Thanks to my husband who went to school out here, I honestly did know it was HOW-ston, but when the moment came to ask a passing stranger where in the flying-freak HOW-ston had snuck off to, what should pop out of my mouth but the word I'm more familiar with: Hooston.
"Two more blocks that way. But remember it's HOW-ston, otherwise people will know you're not from here." Wink. I can absolutely see from this distance that he was just being pleasant. Actually, from the distance of about two minutes I could see that... I can own up to the fact that he did not deserve what he received... namely:
"I KNOW that. I KNOW that it's HOW-ston. SHEESH." Followed by muttering that surely sounded like: sprickets-brickets-wiggity-shmoo.
SoHo is the land where all the people in the world who want to do it different and let you know that they are cool enough and rich enough to do it different have converged. That street might be spelled the same as Hooston, but it's called HOW-ston. It's how they know. This is actually referencing the Bible, in the book of Judges (chapter 12) there is a story told of some conquerers who want to keep out those who escaped during the conquering and are trying to sneak back in. Everybody entering the city is asked to say a word, and if they don't say it correctly they are put to death. There you have it.
Who knew SoHo had such a connection to the Bible? That's the awesome part of SoHo -- it has everything.
Passing the funky store fronts, luring doorways, and illuminated giant eggs, we got buzzed down to a basement-level studio and entered the world of iconology in the Byzantine-Russian tradition. Thanks to a grant that NYCHEA received, and the coordinating efforts of a mom, today we had a field trip with other homeschoolers to The Prosopon School of Iconology.
It was a mind-expanding opportunity. I took mad notes, so let's see how this jumble comes out.
A. The gentle, sweet chutzpah of the instructors was like being spritzed with lemon water -- shocking and refreshing. Without blinking, and with zero squirming they presented their religious beliefs. I tried to analyze why this was so nice, and the word that kept coming to me was "pure." There was no effort to dilute their faith and the result of that is a purity that is hard to come by in a world of managing and maneuvering and being politically correct not for sensitivity's sake, but in order to not be criticized or seen as a rube. I'm not a total idiot -- I get that separation of church and state happened because of history and oppression, etc. -- we must be careful lest unholy groupthink become too powerful and cause war and torture and destruction... oh good golly, I'm not smart enough to go down this road (I am a partial idiot). I'm just recording what I felt: I wish that all beliefs could be presented with the same straight-forward, peaceful manner that I saw today. It would enable people to learn from each other and about each other and have rich stores of material to think about. I wish that teaching the ideas and stories I heard today could be seen in the same benign manner as math: it is what it is -- take it and use it if it benefits you, or learn of it, know that it exists, but ignore the bulk of it (and become an English major who has to wait tables to pay the rent)...
B. Icons are a language. We could understood the female instructor because she communicated to us in English, but not the other instructor, her husband, because he only spoke in Russian. The creation of icons is a language that expresses faith to those who understand, or are willing to learn, the same language. Further, each human can be seen as an icon, as we were made in his likeness.
C. Symbols help us understand in multiple layers.
D. Everything about the icon is symbolic. There are 22 steps.
E. Wood is chosen as the "canvas" because it symbolizes the tree from the Garden of Eden as well as the cross. It is carved to almost look like it has a frame, to represent that we all have an inner part to us -- where our secret prayers should be happening -- as well as an outer part that ultimately will radiate if we have inner peace and goodness. The wood is then prepared in some manner that includes a very thin piece of linen.
F. After the picture is outlined/drawn the first thing applied is red clay -- this represents three Hebrew words that have an almost identical sound, but three different meanings: "Adam" (representing humanity), "red," and "earth." The clay is put on -- not in brush strokes that might show the feelings/personality of person making the icon -- but kind of pushed onto the wood and let to settle and find it's natural equilibrium. After the clay dries it is sanded to symbolize the need to refine one's self and then burnished with a piece of agate.
G. The gold can only be applied to the areas where there is clay (usually this is the halo only). In order for the gold to adhere to the clay the icon maker puts his/her mouth right up close to the dried clay and breathes. This not only makes the gold adhere, but also represents the breath of life that God gave, as well as the effort that we all need to make.
H. The only part of the icon that will have exposed clay is around the edges. This is to remind us that unlike what is being represented and gilded within the icon, we on the outside are human.
I. The gold represents all that is most precious, and it -- like all materials used -- is never synthetic. Everything is natural to represent that we use what God gives to us.
J. Designs can be carved into the gold ONLY with this type of gilding, because the clay underneath allows the proper yielding. Just as we should have soft hearts and be willing to accept impressions.
K. To make the pigments natural minerals and stones are ground and added to egg yolk and white wine. Very specific processes and layers follow to symbolize different things -- like a dark green always goes down first for the skin tones -- this represents the dark mysteries within each of us -- which is why we should not judge each other. At the end "light" is added to remind us that ultimately all can attain light.
L. The pigments are allowed to develop naturally and then used with complimentary colors. Just as we all have different personalities, we should allow ourselves to exist in natural, complimentary, and if possible transparent ways.
M. If the icon was left with just the pigments it would not be serviceable for very long before moisture and dust ruined it. In order to protect it it is covered with linseed oil. This is considered the anointing -- it strengthens the icon and makes it serviceable, so it can fulfill its purpose.
Whew! That's the abbreviated version. My kiddos stood for an hour and a half listening (sometimes to Russian that was then translated), and watching this process. Their assessment: while there were a few boring parts, it was interesting. They both came home and wrote first drafts of interesting little reports. Here's the object lesson: the reason why icons exist is because they can transmit feelings and impressions that words (i.e. scriptures) cannot. Compare all that explanation to this:
Surely a different experience to see images, rather than read.
We then roamed SoHo. We went into a favorite shop called Loopy Mango. If somebody were to say to me: I can only stop at one place in SoHo -- what shop would best represent the neighborhood? Loopy Mango would certainly come to mind.
We had lunch at an Argentinian restaurant where the food was tasty and we were the only people who were not impeccably dressed men sitting in groups of two.
Eventually our weary selves ended up at the Scholastic store where we plunked down on the poufs inside the Magic School bus and watched an episode about the digestive system. A much better science lesson than I could have taught at that point in the day.
SoHo takes it out of me -- has since the very first time I ventured there. But it also gives back.
