My Backyard Illusionist fantasy

I've always been a fan of magic. Not the dark, witches & sorcerer stuff that is all too popular now, but good old stage magic. Abracadabra, nothing-up-my-sleeves magic. That voluntary suspension of disbelief that allows us to enjoy what we know can't be real.

I chose to recreate three major stage illusions, as performed by a backyard amateur. First was not a single, but a rarely performed double levitation of twin sisters. The crowd was awed.

 

 

 

Next was the famous Hindu Rope mystery - a rope lifts itself out of a basket, and becomes rigid enough for a young boy to climb up. This was performed even without the traditional flute. The crowd was shocked.

 

 

Finally, rather than just sawing my lovely assistant in half, I proceeded to quarter her as well, just to prove I could. There was no hypnotic trance required - she remained awake and smiling throughout. The crowd went wild.

 

 

Then, after the crowd left, I was able to just relax and plan my next event ...

 

 

 

This is a marvelous black & white photo by Edward Weston. It depicts a single cabbage leaf with such detail and shading that it becomes much more than a leaf. This is part of a series of photographs taken in the 1930's of peppers, artichokes and other vegetables which highlighted their organic, sculpted contours. He was able to capture fine details normally overlooked by a casual observer, truly forcing a new level of observation and appreciation of nature itself.

Weston was also known for striking photos of gnarled trees, seashells and sand dunes in the wilds of California, again highlighting the marvelous textures and shades created by nature. For someone with my interest in textures and pattern, stumbling across this portfolio was worth all the effort.

.gif fun at the bulletin board.

     The visit to the UNM art museum was enlightening. Thr current exhibit covers technologies and works spanning the full history of photography. The premise behind the selection was that the definition of a masterpiece needs to be redefined periodically. Classic works were displayed amongst similar but unknown photographs. The result is striking.

     As an example, Ansel Adams' classic work "Moonrise over Hernandez, New Mexico" is no less striking than ever. When placed between two other crisp, striking outdoor images of similar size, new questions arise. Why is it so widely recognized as being a masterpiece? Is it twice as good as the others? Ten times as good? or perhaps just a little better? Or is there something about the image that strikes a chord inside that the others lack?

  All in all the exhibit is worthwhile. Just seeing the range of techniques used over the years, and understanding the differences between them would justify a visit. The range and quality of the works is a huge added justification.

I'm a big fan of fun. I'll always choose a comedy over a drama. I like happy endings and good stories. So much of the current content in the world is just too dark and serious for my tastes. This weeks assignment presented 3 different photographers who I found to be too depressing to spend much time pondering. Dwarfs, circus sideshows, human exceptions, alcoholics and overly tattooed people just don't inspire me to comment. I nearly opted to skip the assignment to avoid the experience.


I searched a bit deeper, however, and found this image. It is described by it's photographer, Richard Billingham, as his favorite shot ever. This is good, coming from an artist who has pondered the darker side of his own families issues for years. It depicts his son and his dog in a fleeting moment of recognition and curiosity. The black & white image shows a marvelous symmetry in the main subjects and in the background. The bay window compliments the two subjects, and the two potted plants reinforce the pairing. There is a slight blur from the rapid, spontaneous decision to shoot, but it doesn't detract from the idea captured in this image. 


I'm glad I kept searching, despite my natural bias. This one really is fun. 

This is a great photo by Alec Soth (rhymes with 'both'), titled "Desire to Run Away". I depicts a school bus and a horse out in the middle of a large, relatively barren field. The terrain is much like flat parts of New Mexico and West Texas, but it is not clear where it was taken. The sky, half of the image, is grey and overcast with only patches of light. This image is one of a series he produced over a 5 year period documenting American hermits. These isolated loners have created homes in many rugged, remote settings across the country. This particular one struck me because an old school bus is the classic vehicle for nomadic adventure. A furnished cave just doesn't meet the same need.

To me this represents the splendid isolation of the Western plains. I have criss-crossed the West since the 70's, and just love to be in the wide open spaces between cities. It provides the comforting illusion of freedom in the world. It would be hard to live like this, but the dream of getting away from it all flares up often. Just knowing it is possible helps keep the urges at bay.

I've become fully absorbed in a new project. I am nearing the end of the process of clearing out my parents estate. There are only 2 items left - the family home they lived in for over 40 years, and their lifetime collection of photographs. These are really the hardest of items to deal with.

The flash came when looking at some of the photos taken in the house - showing many of the things that went on through the years. I have started re-taking many of these from the same vantage point, but with a wider field of view. I've done dozens so far, and plan to pull together a book of 50 or so for the family. The theme is all the things that make a house a home. Here are a few of my recent favorites:

Bath time, circa 1988

Friends Birthday ~ 1997

First bike - 2001

This image, by Robert Adams is part of a black & white series titled "Summer Nights". The image shows a spinning ride in an amusement park, tilted and whirling around. The lighting is provided only by the on-board lights of the ride, the nearby attractions and the moon. Given the lighting constraints and the motion, it is a remarkably clear image.

The series was taken in the mid-70's of various sites near his home in Longmont, Colorado. All the images appear casual, as if just views from an evening stroll. There is no obvious underlying message, but the images are of high quality. I liked this one because of the pattern of a large circular form made up of smaller circles.

I have chosen to recreate an excerpt from the central panel from Michelangelo’s vault of the Sistine Chapel. The entire panel is titled “the Creation of Adam”. The excerpt is of the hand of God about to give the gift of life and knowledge to the still-malleable Adam. 

The essence of the painting is the transfer of the spark of life, of that human ability to think and understand the world around. In my world, this is well represented in the raising of my son (Moses; not Adam …) and specifically the daily routine of algebra homework. As an engineer and all-around science fanatic, I know algebra is clearly the key to a deep understanding of the world around us. My ability to explain math is the gift I can provide my son. 

This photo by Stephen Shore is of the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona. It sits right off the old Route 66, and is a classic landmark on a classic route. It shows four of the kitchy rooms clearly located in an agricultural/light commercial zoned area. They are out of place, but a fundamental part of the overall road trip experience. This was from a series on the 'new' American west, and clearly moved color photography into the world of art photography.

This is typical of many of his images - crisp, clear photos documenting mid-century America, in all it's banality and simplicity. Colors are muted, little is staged, and the images are just captivating in their simplicity. They document a time and place that is fading into franchises and strip malls, never to be seen again.

Of his many images, this one jumped out at me for one particular reason. My parents married in Kansas, and immediately moved to California. One of the stops on their honeymoon road trip was this very motel. Way cool to find it here!

The image "Oasis" by Gregory Crewsden, taken in 2004, is equal parts crystal clear and absolutely generic. It matches his many intensely precise images, shot with a cinematographers eye for lighting and control. It depicts a small town business district in twilight, after a rain. It is rich with subtle details, reflections and light coming in from outside the frame. It could be any of thousands of small towns, with it's liquor store and laundromat. There is no obvious story; it is just another evening street scene.

Most of his images have a similar dark feel, appearing like a painting at first glance. His complex staging and lighting, with teams of people assisting are legendary in the world of photography. Many of his images have an other-worldly feel from spot lighting or people in unusual situations. This one stands out to me for it's total normalacy, it's perfect plain-ness.

Here's a little still life from the classic days of magic - none of the recent fascination with wizards and spells and such, just good old-fashioned abracadabra alakazam!

This image by Andreas Gursky, titled Kamiokande, is a stunning actual image taken far below the surface of the Earth. It shows thousands of golden photomultiplier tubes in an underground physics lab in Japan. The grand scale of the photo is only recognized when the small human figures are noticed. They are floating on small boats in the large pool of water. The overall uniformity of the image appears artificial, but is clearly a true image.

Andreas Gursky has photographed many large urban and man-made environments, highlighting patterns in the overall scene. They tend to be anonymous but captivating views of ordinary scenes. This one is truly unique, but the repetitive pattern echoes many of his other works.

This image, titled Puglia, was taken in 1978 by Franco Fontana. It depicts the flowering plains of the southern Italian region of the same name. It is a relatively flat, arid region with abundant clear skies. It is a simple but striking contrast between a flowering yellow field and the sky above. The two clouds rise over a distant hill almost in the form of smoke signals. It is a simple, yet striking image of an overlooked region of Italy. A region I came to love in my time there.

Franco Fontana is an Italian photographer who has been working the craft for over 50 years. He has exhibited and published around the world, as well as working with advertising campaigns. His images are typically vibrant, regardless of the subject matter. He has documented many subjects in his career, from landscapes and portraits to nudes and still life images.

I was pretty busy getting ready for a trip to the cabin last Friday. Somehow the shutter got stuck and I found this image in the camera. Hmmm ... 

Here is one opinion of order - a neat, regular pattern, relatively permanent in it's place. It's called a herringbone pattern in the bricklayer trade. Bricks weigh about 3.8 pounds each and come in a nearly infinite variety of colors and textures. Shopping for bricks and picking patterns is really a chaotic exercise in order. 

The good news is that I got my own copy of Photoshop. The bad news is there was no manual, and I had to figure out everything on my own ...

This photograph by Martin Parr, entitled "Beach Dome," was taken in 1996.

It appears to be a fun beach scene with vibrant colors and happy people, but the more you look at it, the more interesting the picture becomes. The upper edge of the picture shows a ceiling and a fake background which continues the ocean scene. It doesn't appear to be a staged photo, but it's deceptive because it's not a real beach, but the people in the photo have suspended their disbelief and are having a good time at the fake beach.

The subject is easily hundreds of people enjoying a day at an indoor beach. Because the picture was taken in 1996, it's easy to say that it was taken with color film on either a small, medium or large format camera. The picture was taken from a high view and it was focused at an aperture of f/16-f/22. And the shutter speed would have had to be relatively fast because there were people moving and splashing and having a good time at the beach. It doesn't appear to be staged because it seems as though it's a normal past time to go to an indoor beach (especially while in London where it is cloudy a lot of the time). There were a lot of different versions of the picture online because it's widely known and duplicated, so there were different edits and some with high contrast and low contrast, and others were large scale and some were smaller scale. However, the picture was the same throughout. I can imagine that Martin intended to have this picture be highly contrasted because his technique and style shows that he really likes bright and vibrant colors.

This was taken in an "Ocean Dome" which we assume is an indoor waterpark in England. It seems as though all of his work is connected. We are unsure if this photo is included in a larger body of work or a series, but he has lots of pictures of people at beaches (mostly outdoor). We think that this work is unique because we've never seen any other photographs like his in that particular time period. A lot of professional photographers work was done in black and white film, but Martin's work seems to embrace color which is what a lot of people feared then.

The culture climate of England is what makes this photo stand out so much. You can't build an indoor ocean in Florida and expect people to attend because they have that weather all the time. In England, it's obvious that scene has more of an impact on the every day life of the population.

Looking across the years

I'd like to come back as a cat. Probably tough to come back as my cat though ... Can't mess with the time-space continuum like that. She's got the best job in the world, and a pretty good philosophy to live by. 

 For now I'll just have to be happy with what I'm doing now.