Constellations: Blue

January's Sentient.Art.Film bulletin is themed around 'blue'. We collect here a number of items that have inspired us that relate to that theme.“Blue transcends the solemn geography of human limits”, said Derek Jarman in the voiceover for his film Blue (1993), the first thing that will come to mind for many when thinking about that colour. It “has no dimensions”, wrote Yves Klein, who was also preoccupied with blue. Rebecca Solnit devoted a whole section of her book A Field Guide to Getting Lost to the colour, which Ashley (Project Coordinator for My Sight is Lined With Visions: 1990s Asian American Film & Video & Line of Sight) selected as her pick. “The world is blue at its edges and in its depths.” Keisha (Founder/Artistic & Managing Director)selects the work of American Artist, in particular A Refusal. Matt (Editorial Projects) picks Akash’s 'blue mixes' series, 23 half hour long mixes based around sound and synaesthesia. Below, Abby (Guest Curator for My Sight is Lined With Visions: 1990s Asian American Film & Video, Program Director for Line of Sight) sends her own recipe for a celery soup, which when blended up, comes out in a spooky greeny-blue hue. Rahel (Theatrical Distribution and Publications Coordinator) also offers a recipe for a Blue Lotus Tea, designed to provide calming release in times of turmoil. Caroline (Engagement Producer) offers 'i'm cyborg but that's ok', a YouTube channel that mixes classic films and indie songs that is a go-to when feeling blue.

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Celery Soup, by Abby Sun

What you need:

• 1 large white onion

• 1 potato (or 2 small ones)

• 1/2 stalk of celery

• Olive oil or butter

• Stock (chicken or vegetable)

• Heavy cream

• Immersion blender

• Any garnishes/additions: red pepper flakes, olive oil, chives, etc.

Roughly chop one large white onion, one starchy potato (or two small ones), and half a stalk of celery (including the leaves). If you have any leftover bits, save them for stock in a bag in the freezer until you have accumulated enough! Heat up some oil in a large saucepan somewhere on medium heat. If going for decadence, use a lot of butter instead, like half a stick or more. While waiting for the oil to heat, mince some heads of garlic. The more the better. Throw the garlic into the oil or butter. As that is lightly browning, crank a bunch of black pepper through a mill into the pan. Then crank some more. Put all the onion in once the garlic is fragrant. Stir, add some salt. Skip the salt if using salted butter. When the onion is starting to turn translucent, add the potato and celery chunks. The idea is to get the vegetables to sweat a bit first and maybe brown up some edges. If you like spice, like I do, now’s the time to add red pepper flakes and so on. Add some more salt and pepper. Potatoes need a lot of salt. Then add 1.5-2 cups of stock. I make my own from chicken bones and the leftover ends of veggies, so always have pint containers of stock laying around, but store bought is fine. Simmer until potatoes are soft, probably will take about 15-20 minutes depending on size of chunks. Take that immersion blender and go to town until nicely blended. It’s hard to overblend with an immersion blender and turn the potato starch goopy. If serving immediately, add a few splashes of heavy cream. Or more depending on how creamy one wants the soup. Go light and stir it in first to see. To be extra fancy, dash some olive oil over the top and then sprinkle on some finely cut chives. The soup might look a strange lumpy mix of brown/blue/green but it tastes delicious. Chow time!

If saving for later, let cool and store in fridge until it’s time to eat—then add in the heavy cream when heating up. Serves four, I suppose, or one person with many leftovers.