The 2014 Santa Fe Concorso

The forms, while static, give the impression of being in motion. Multiple, flowing lines sweep past me in complex curves, some converge, some drift apart as they recede into space. Sunlight glints off hand polished surfaces, gentle shifts from light to shadow give volume to intersecting planes, while views of the distant landscape delineate negative spaces around, and thus define the whole. I am moved, not physically, but in spirit, by the fruit of a great creative effort.

I could be talking about Umberto Boccioni’s 1913 Futurist bronze, “Unique Forms of Continuity in Space,” or the Ferrari Spyder featured on The 2014 Santa Fe Concorso program cover. The language of inspired design and craftsmanship, and the feelings we experience witnessing it, are universal.

Being a guy, I enjoy a natural affinity for curvy forms, and being at least partly a product of my culture I’m a car enthusiast, so, The Concorso coming up this weekend is a natural go to. If however you find yourself thinking, “I’m not into cars,” this is ok, but think again. That this is a car show is only the beginning of what it’s all about.

Enthusiasm is one of my favorite words, and has its roots in the Greek entheos (I’ll let you look that one up). It’s a great feeling when we have it, and when we see it in another, it’s infectious. This is the magic of going to The Concorso. As in great works of art, this quality, the touch of the enthused hand, the inspiration, is right before us and impossible to miss.

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I’m into paint. It started when I was fresh out of college and landed a job in a boatbuilding shop (which also gave me an eye for line and form). Early on I got handed a tack cloth and a brush and was given the task of varnishing mahogany brightwork. Up to ten coats of spar varnish would be applied to decks and hulls, with hours, sometimes days, of hand sanding in between. From this I developed a deep appreciation for the tender loving care put into any glossy, visually deep finish. Many of the cars at The Concorso have coats of paint so rich they look like they’ve been dipped in cream, then polished to a mirror finish. Literally, one can make out blades of grass or grain of pavement in the reflections.

The underlying body work… often in aluminum, sometimes in steel, or carbon fiber composite, is typically hand made. In the forms, and oh, those delightful curves… not an awkward line can be found. Breaks between panels are perfectly consistent, surfaces flow without interruption.

The details… edges with ever-changing and flawless radii, flowing tapered trim pieces, chromed and polished, all are beautifully fair curves. Relish hand stitched and deeply tanned leather upholstery, varnished wood burl or engine turned aluminum dashboards, and lead crystal headlamp lenses.

The hood ornaments… the Rolls Royce Spirit of Ecstasy, AC’s Greyhound of The Road, Hispano Suiza’s Georges Guynemer inspired flying stork, all symbolic of grace and motion.

The engines… the mechanical hearts of the beasts, many are technological marvels of their days. Machine work as lovely as jewelry, and not limited to what we can see on the outside. Disassemble one of these engines and you’ll find the same care and attention has been applied to the internal parts. Labors of love.

And the sounds… the clatter and gear whine of an early Porsche air-cooled flat 6, or the wild rasp of a Jaguar straight 6 at full song, the uneven syncopation of a flat plane crank Ferrari V12 firing up… Bella musica! When I have the opportunity to listen to these machines running I close my eyes to fully pay attention, tears often come.

You see, this is a feast for the senses and the spirit. This is about the risks inherent to innovation and the greatness of human endeavor. Whether a world-class sculpture garden or the grounds of The Concorso, what we partake in and come away with are the same: feelings of deep appreciation, inspiration and awe.

One hundred eleven cars from 1904 to 2015, eight motorcycles, and fourteen bicycles will be on display. I’ll be there.

Gordon Bunker

For more information, click here: The Santa Fe Concorso

Cover Photo: Winston Goodfellow

Graphic Design: Inkway

The Savory Spice Shop

“A stranger is just a friend I haven’t met yet.”

Will Rogers

For those of us who like to cook and more importantly, eat, there’s a gem on Galisteo Street.

Good fortune visited one day by my simply being downwind of The Savory Spice Shop. The aroma greeted me well before I made it to door. Complex, rich, pungent, aromatic, it was all there, a world of smells. What is this? My sensory horizon shifted in an intriguing way. Stepping inside, I saw row upon row, jars of spices of all description. Owner Kate Wheeler greeted me in her friendly Scot manner, with a gleam suggesting she’s always on the verge of some kind of mischief.

I’d been tweaking a recipe for gingerbread cake and was looking for powdered and candied ginger with some kick. The woman helping me asked, “what will you be making with the ginger?”

“Gingerbread cake,” I said.

“Well,” she said matter-of-factly, “you better bring some for us!”

“I might just do that,” I said.

This little tease was all I needed. A few hours later I reappeared with two big chunks of the cake, still warm, with the zest I was looking for. The expressions on everyone’s faces were priceless, and I’ve practically been family ever since. Tremendous fun! Since then I’ve had a chance to get to know Kate and the Spicettes a little bit.

Kate has a Culinary Arts degree from Johnson & Wales University, has cheffed for a number of restaurants, and one of her sidekicks, Lydia, is a chocolatier. Of particular note, for seven months Kate did the cooking at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, “In the summer,” she says, “yeah, not crazy. A little crazy, not a lot crazy.” With an average low in the mid-twenties, below zero, winter in Antarctica has to be a lot crazy.

About ten years ago, “I stumbled onto Savory on a first date with my now husband Drew,” says Kate. “I fell in love with both and a week later had the job and had the man.” Kate became employee #3 at store #1 in Denver as a Grinder and Blender which is another way of saying she started at the ground level (no pun intended), and has worked her way up. A little over a year ago, says Kate, “it was time to start my own dream.” They moved to Santa Fe and opened the current location.

Since my initial foray into gingerbread I’ve moved on to other savory treats, and found cinnamon, poppy seeds, cayenne and sage, cardamom and I can’t remember how many others, more aromatic, more flavorful, and more interesting than anything from the shelf at the grocery store. Now I’m on to making my own garam masala and curry from scratch. Like, wake up those taste buds!

Kate and crew also teach cooking classes for up to fourteen students, everything from Spice 101 to Sauce Class to Sephardic Moroccan. “It’s a demonstration class,” says Kate, “so I cook for them and feed them, because that’s one of my favorite things to do.” With Kate at the helm these classes have to be a lot of fun; one of these days I have to take one. Heck, I just want to eat.

Gordon Bunker