A Good Barber

I was checking out The Sartorialist blog this morning and was delighted to see a very familiar face.  Let me introduce you to my barber, Robby.  He is a native New Yorker and is of the coolest dudes I’ve met since I moved here.  Whenever I need a cut, or whenever I need info on a hotspot in the City, he puts me on.  He’s a barber and a walking NYC almanac.

The relationship between a man and his barber is a special one.  You have to like them (Robby gets my hard-earned cash almost every week, so I had better) and you have to trust them (I wouldn’t feel comfortable with just anyone holding a sharp razor to my face).  I liken getting a haircut to going on a roadtrip with a friend—there are moments when you want to talk and then there are moments when you just want to be quiet and fade off into the hum of the engine (or in this case, the buzz of the clippers).  A good barber can tell the difference.  Conversations can range from “what is my purpose in life?” deep to “did you see that girl who just passed by?” shallow.  A good barber can sense when each type is appropriate.  

I’m actually going to see him this afternoon and after he daps me up he’ll undoubtedly ask me the same question he does everytime I climb into his chair: “What are you getting done today?”  And everytime my answer is the same: “The regular.” And then, without any further direction, he gets to work.  Because he knows his client, a good barber will already know the answer to this type of question.  But out of courtesy and for the sake of professionalism, he asks it anyway.  Robby is a good barber.

You can catch Robby at Changing Faces Barber Salon at 692 Fulton St. in Brooklyn.

—TRAVERS

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Say YES to Life.

"In hoc signo vinces (You'll Win Under this Sign)" by Bettina Werner; NO.3 panels 80 x 24 inches each © Bettina Werner 1993;Painting created with textured colorized salt technique invented by Bettina Werner in the early 1980’s

A human being
is a unique being,
single and unrepeatable.
Work hard at fulfilling yourself.
With courage,
mark out in your life
irreversible red cross,
and keep going, erect,
along your marvelous path.
Learn to be alone
and keep yourself company.
Let your mind listen and absorb.
Let the most dazzling secret salt of the earth
penetrate you.
Demand intransigence, rigorous verticality.
Don’t be afraid of facing the unknown,
and with violent desire
say YES to life.
–Bettina Werner

A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine invited me to a cocktail party in this really great penthouse overlooking the East River.  The view was magnificent, but what really caught my eye was the painting above and, particularly, the poem that accompanies it. 

In hoc signo vinces in Latin means “in this [sign] you will conquer.”  As the legend goes, while marching with his army Constantine looked up in the sky and saw a cross of light and the Greek words “by this, be victorious!”, (or In hoc signo vinces in Latin).   That night, Constantine had a dream in which Christ told him that he should use the sign of the cross against his enemies, making it one of the earliest Christian symbols.  Centuries later, acclaimed Italian artist Bettina Werner used the same symbol and phrase when creating the artwork above. 

Both her painting and her poem inspire me, and I hope they provide inspiration for you too.  For more information on Bettina Werner and her artwork click HERE.

“YES” indeed,

—TRAVERS

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Defiance

Images: The Guardian

I don’t agree with their method or most of their message, but from a photo-journalistic perspective these images from the anti-capitalism (among other things) protests/riots in London during last week’s G20 Summit GO SO HARD!

More photos below.

Activists or Anarchists?

—Travers

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