Anthony J. Crowley (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
serpentinthegarden) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
tramitem_log2020-05-10 12:23 pm
serpentinthegarden) wrote in tramitem_log2020-05-10 12:23 pm
Art sprouts and spring blooms
Who: Anthony Crowley and OPEN
What: A grand Gala proceed the opening of KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature, an art exhibit that would take over the entire gardens featuring the work of Yayoi Kusama.
When: May 10 (Gala) and Month long Catch All
Where: New York Botanical Gardens
Rating/Warnings: None yet
The Gala - May 10th
What: A grand Gala proceed the opening of KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature, an art exhibit that would take over the entire gardens featuring the work of Yayoi Kusama.
When: May 10 (Gala) and Month long Catch All
Where: New York Botanical Gardens
Rating/Warnings: None yet
The Gala - May 10th
The Gala was hosted in the Garden Terrace Room, a spacious ballroom with volume enough for the lavish floral displays that decorated each round table and left plenty of dance floor left for the three hundred guests dressed in their finest. The expansive windows featured breathtaking views of the gardens beyond and if one should wish to have a closer look the terrace was open for all guests to enjoy and catch a breath of fresh night air. This celebration of dinner, cocktails, and dancing kicked off the beginning of the renowned artist, Kusama's months long exhibition.
*****
1.) As the Director of Living Collections Anthony was here in a black tux, as was his duty, to greet each guest as they entered the ballroom. A gorgeous blond in a fashionable blue dress stood by his side helping him to welcome each visitor like the two were a pair of royals ushering in the nobility to a magical evening.
Later when the food was served and the music began Anthony would be found mingling or taking a turn on the dance floor with his date, Grace. - Wildcard Option
2.) The evening was beginning to wind down and the band was hushed as Anthony pulled Grace to the middle of the room. He had a microphone in one hand but Grace favored him with an entirely puzzled look as he spoke. Hadn't they been about to dance?
"Grace, you have been my everything. We've had five years together filled with both bad times, but mostly good times... and I'd like to make sure we have more of each."
As he dropped to one knee Grace's hands flew to her mouth as if holding her breath in might prevent her from crying. It didn't. The faint tears began to well up at the corners of her eyes even while a small box was produced from his pocket and held out to her.
"Will you marry me?"
It had been the perfect sort of evening to lay the foundations for their future and Grace responded with a warm squeal. Yes! Of course she would marry him! The band came to life then to play a soft sweet song as the newly engaged kissed and had their first dance as a soon-to-be married couple.
*****
1.) As the Director of Living Collections Anthony was here in a black tux, as was his duty, to greet each guest as they entered the ballroom. A gorgeous blond in a fashionable blue dress stood by his side helping him to welcome each visitor like the two were a pair of royals ushering in the nobility to a magical evening.
Later when the food was served and the music began Anthony would be found mingling or taking a turn on the dance floor with his date, Grace. - Wildcard Option
2.) The evening was beginning to wind down and the band was hushed as Anthony pulled Grace to the middle of the room. He had a microphone in one hand but Grace favored him with an entirely puzzled look as he spoke. Hadn't they been about to dance?
"Grace, you have been my everything. We've had five years together filled with both bad times, but mostly good times... and I'd like to make sure we have more of each."
As he dropped to one knee Grace's hands flew to her mouth as if holding her breath in might prevent her from crying. It didn't. The faint tears began to well up at the corners of her eyes even while a small box was produced from his pocket and held out to her.
"Will you marry me?"
It had been the perfect sort of evening to lay the foundations for their future and Grace responded with a warm squeal. Yes! Of course she would marry him! The band came to life then to play a soft sweet song as the newly engaged kissed and had their first dance as a soon-to-be married couple.
KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature - Month Catch All
The 250-acre New York Botanical Garden grounds would find themselves completely transformed by the 12th. Works by the renowned artist Yayoi Kusama were strategically scattered throughout the park and could be found by way of a map or by following the trail of trees whose trunks had been wrapped in festive polka dotted fabric for the event. Visitors would be treated to such works as Flowers that Speak all about my Heart Given to the Sky and Pumpkins Screaming About Love Beyond Infinity. Colorful portraits of the artist like Yayoi Kusama with Pumpkin, Flower Obsession, and photos of her childhood would be on display in the library along with her childhood peonies sketchbooks and several paintings like I Want to go to the Universe and Summer Flower. A special outdoor infinity room called Infinity Mirror Room -- Illusion Inside the Heart had been setup on the green and designed in such a way that it responded to the natural lighting conditions. Kusama also created her first obliteration greenhouse, inviting visitors to stick fake coral-colored flowers on the surfaces of the building’s interior. On the conservatory lawn a new 16-foot-tall sculpture titled Dancing Pumpkin rested. The piece was a monumental bronze sculpture that allowed viewers to approach the work from multiple angles, including having them walk under and around it. The piece was something like a cross between a spider and a pumpkin and in a sense was meant to give one the feeling like you were being obliterated by flowers. Inside the Victorian greenhouse a painting from Kusama's "My Eternal Soul", series called Alone, Buried in a Flower Garden has been recreated in a grand display of blooming flowers and dark gravel paths.
*****
3.) There was a lot of work to do on the opening day of a big show. Anthony's alarm had been set to wake him far before the sun had risen and he had been up and over the roads and fields in his official golf cart more times than he could count. Wearing an official green Botanical Gardens Polo he was prepared to answer any question those attending might have about the display but really... he was anxious to get a proper look at the installations himself! He can be found anywhere in the gardens. - Wildcard Option
4.) Anthony looked at the piece, Pumpkins Screaming About Love Beyond Infinity, with a head tilt and a thoughtful frown. Was this what love was, glowing dotted pumpkins reaching out into the infinite void? He imagined he could see love in their warm glow but what were they reaching for? It could have been that intangible 'love' that the universe was said to have been built on. Or maybe they were reaching out for another pumpkin just like them, a mate they could hold onto for all eternity. Beyond infinity. It made him think of his own situation. Was there anyone like that in his life. Grace? That other face that kept appearing in his dreams? Was there a love strong enough to endure infinity?
He could still feel the softness of the worn lapels under his fingers and the heat of the other man's chest pressed so very close to his. He had been angry, furious even when he had pushed the shorter man back against the wall, but even while he was yelling his rage the dandy had been perfectly calm, watching his lips and waiting for the fury to subside as if longing with some baited breath for... for what? What might have happened if that former nun hadn't appeared?
Anthony sighed and turned away from these deep thoughts to address the person who had slipped up beside him, "So... what do you think of the piece?"
Because asking such a normal sort of question seemed the best way to banish these odd thoughts.
5.) He had been in an odd mood since the exhibition opened but none of the pieces on the grounds gave him as much pause as the one sitting on the green.
Infinity Mirror Room - Illusion Inside the Heart...
It looked fairly plain on the outside, more like an aluminum box, but once he mustered up the courage to step inside it burst upon him like a dazzling array of stars! Suddenly he was the illusion and his real life was out there in the cosmos helping God design the heavens. His white wings carried him easily between the gaseous giants and the nebula seemed to gain their stunning red colors from merely being touched by his long red hair.
The man himself was only a dream. A small insignificant lump who had collapsed to the mirrored floor and whose unconscious reflection echoed off between the artistic lights.
The 250-acre New York Botanical Garden grounds would find themselves completely transformed by the 12th. Works by the renowned artist Yayoi Kusama were strategically scattered throughout the park and could be found by way of a map or by following the trail of trees whose trunks had been wrapped in festive polka dotted fabric for the event. Visitors would be treated to such works as Flowers that Speak all about my Heart Given to the Sky and Pumpkins Screaming About Love Beyond Infinity. Colorful portraits of the artist like Yayoi Kusama with Pumpkin, Flower Obsession, and photos of her childhood would be on display in the library along with her childhood peonies sketchbooks and several paintings like I Want to go to the Universe and Summer Flower. A special outdoor infinity room called Infinity Mirror Room -- Illusion Inside the Heart had been setup on the green and designed in such a way that it responded to the natural lighting conditions. Kusama also created her first obliteration greenhouse, inviting visitors to stick fake coral-colored flowers on the surfaces of the building’s interior. On the conservatory lawn a new 16-foot-tall sculpture titled Dancing Pumpkin rested. The piece was a monumental bronze sculpture that allowed viewers to approach the work from multiple angles, including having them walk under and around it. The piece was something like a cross between a spider and a pumpkin and in a sense was meant to give one the feeling like you were being obliterated by flowers. Inside the Victorian greenhouse a painting from Kusama's "My Eternal Soul", series called Alone, Buried in a Flower Garden has been recreated in a grand display of blooming flowers and dark gravel paths.
*****
3.) There was a lot of work to do on the opening day of a big show. Anthony's alarm had been set to wake him far before the sun had risen and he had been up and over the roads and fields in his official golf cart more times than he could count. Wearing an official green Botanical Gardens Polo he was prepared to answer any question those attending might have about the display but really... he was anxious to get a proper look at the installations himself! He can be found anywhere in the gardens. - Wildcard Option
4.) Anthony looked at the piece, Pumpkins Screaming About Love Beyond Infinity, with a head tilt and a thoughtful frown. Was this what love was, glowing dotted pumpkins reaching out into the infinite void? He imagined he could see love in their warm glow but what were they reaching for? It could have been that intangible 'love' that the universe was said to have been built on. Or maybe they were reaching out for another pumpkin just like them, a mate they could hold onto for all eternity. Beyond infinity. It made him think of his own situation. Was there anyone like that in his life. Grace? That other face that kept appearing in his dreams? Was there a love strong enough to endure infinity?
He could still feel the softness of the worn lapels under his fingers and the heat of the other man's chest pressed so very close to his. He had been angry, furious even when he had pushed the shorter man back against the wall, but even while he was yelling his rage the dandy had been perfectly calm, watching his lips and waiting for the fury to subside as if longing with some baited breath for... for what? What might have happened if that former nun hadn't appeared?
Anthony sighed and turned away from these deep thoughts to address the person who had slipped up beside him, "So... what do you think of the piece?"
Because asking such a normal sort of question seemed the best way to banish these odd thoughts.
5.) He had been in an odd mood since the exhibition opened but none of the pieces on the grounds gave him as much pause as the one sitting on the green.
Infinity Mirror Room - Illusion Inside the Heart...
It looked fairly plain on the outside, more like an aluminum box, but once he mustered up the courage to step inside it burst upon him like a dazzling array of stars! Suddenly he was the illusion and his real life was out there in the cosmos helping God design the heavens. His white wings carried him easily between the gaseous giants and the nebula seemed to gain their stunning red colors from merely being touched by his long red hair.
The man himself was only a dream. A small insignificant lump who had collapsed to the mirrored floor and whose unconscious reflection echoed off between the artistic lights.
1.
You go too fast for me, Crowley.
And its implications. Dining at the Ritz? Having a picnic together? Gifting Anthony the means of his own destruction just so he wouldn't pursue it himself? It was fragile, tender, perhaps even (in a certain light) a little romantic.
They needed to have that discussion. But he would rather not do it somewhere so public and certainly not in front of--
Her. Grace. Oh, she was very pretty, almost angelic. Aziraphale felt immediately frumpy and a bit dull in comparison.
He straightened up his suit, smoothed down his bow tie, tidied his hair, and squared up his shoulders. Putting on a bright smile, he walked over and tapped Anthony on the shoulder, then stepped around to his side.
"Anthony! Fancy meeting you here."
no subject
"Aziraphale!"
His smile was nearly as bright as he took the other man's hand and gave it one of those friendly shakes one was slow to let go of.
"I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. An art exhibition like this must be your jam." Then because he did have Grace on his arm he gestured between the pair of them in introduction. "This is Mr. Fell, a professional art restorer I fell in with a few weeks back. And this gorgeous creature is Grace."
"Oh stop," she said with a giggle before playfully swatting at Anthony's chest and offering her own hand in greeting. "It's very nice to meet you Mr. Fell. Are you looking forward to the opening tomorrow?"
"He's probably got his tickets all lined up so he can be the first one in the door," Anthony agreed, after all what would an art enthusiast love more than a fresh exhibit.
no subject
"So this is the beautiful Grace I have heard so much about." He tried not to wince as the couple was sweet and playful with each other, fading instead into that neutral pleasant smile one adopted out of occupational necessity. "My dear, you do live up to your name."
And then, after shaking Grace's hand, onto easier discussions. He gave a guilty little laugh at Anthony's teasing. "Oh, yes. I actually had the pleasure of seeing another exhibit by the same artist during the early 2000s in Central Park. A series of mirrored spheres on the water--a reflection on narcissism, if I recall correctly. And as I haven't been to the Gardens in forever, it will be nice to see how she's integrated the works with the grounds."
"Will you both be attending?"
no subject
"I'll be working too," Anthony's expression took on just of touch of wicked delight as his tease had gone over so well, "But, I work here. I will be able to see everything, maybe even before the gates are opened. The only problem is I might not really be able to enjoy it until after the rush settles down."
If he were honest with himself it felt a touch weird standing between Grace and Aziraphale. Nerves, Anthony decided as he sought out the nearest waiter holding a tray of drinks and spotted one just on the other side of the room. Liquid courage felt well in order here!
"Would either of you care for a drink?"
no subject
"Oh, I would love something," he said with a happy wiggle as Anthony flagged down the waiter. "A nice red if they have it."
And, then once he had his drink in hand, and attempting to sound like he wasn't trying to set up some illicit meeting, Aziraphale suggested: "You know, Anthony, if you aren't too busy tomorrow, I was hoping I might have a word with you? Perhaps after the rush?"
no subject
"I'll have a lunch break around noon," he said as Grace was offered one of the glasses of white wine and he collected a red of his own, "Would that work for you? Things should be calmer then too. People tend to filter away from the gardens when it gets warmer out."
Anthony raised his glass in a small toast to the evening as he added.
"We could have a picnic."
no subject
Aziraphale froze, glass raised for the toast. His face turned a little rosy. A picnic. Did Anthony already know? Or had he maybe had a memory of that future picnic?
He took too large a gulp and then cleared his throat.
"Yes. Right. That would be lovely." He had to remind himself that Grace was here and he was making an utter fool of himself over Anthony. Really. He was old enough to know better than to be tripping over himself daydreaming about picnics with an attractive man.
Oh, but it would be so very nice. "What would you like me to bring? Anything in particular?"
no subject
"That sounds wonderful," Grace said as she clinked her glass against Anthony's feeling the need to speak up before she was entirely overlooked, "I'm almost jealous, you two will be having so much fun."
"Shoot me a text when you arrive?"
no subject
"Of course."
And then, as he ran out of items to consider and silence fell, he was abundantly clear that he didn't know what to say to Anthony that he could say in front of Grace and he should probably take his leave of them. Third wheel, and all. (And a nagging awful gut-feeling that this was not how the dynamic was supposed to go-- Or maybe he had it wrong: flights of fancy, thoughts running away with him, and all. This was reality, not those 'memories.')
"Well, I best go have a look around. See the art. Yes, right. It was lovely meeting you, Grace," he said with a nice bow of his head, "and I shall see you around noon tomorrow, Anthony. You two enjoy your evening."
no subject
"Yeah," he agreed only because he couldn't think of any excuse to hold the man there if he was ready to be off, "Maybe I will catch up with you later. We can have a drink."
To toast his good fortune... Anthony felt the need to reach out and grab his arm, just to prevent him from leaving but...
"Thank you, it was wonderful meeting you too," Grace spoke up and saved him as his mind wandered back over his plans, questioning them again.
This was the right thing to do. One moved on with life, got married, had kids, made their family proud. This was the way things ought to be.
"He seemed nice," Grace added when she caught Anthony staring off blankly after the art restorer and when that proved not quite enough distraction to draw him back to her, she kissed his cheek, winning back Anthony's smile even as she carefully wiped her lipstick off his skin. Yeah, it was silly. Whatever had he been in doubt of!