It’s my favorite holiday of the year: Christmas! đ
This year, I’m celebrating the holiday on here by featuring this cool illustration that I found on Deviant Art. It was created by Sandara, who does some really cool fantasy pieces (you can see more of her work here).
This one is entitled “Cosfest Christmas.” It seems that she entered it for an art contest. Though it doesn’t say Christmas outright, I think it contains the Christmas spirit: the feeling of unity and sense of enchantment in the air. It also calls to the child within us all, which I think tends to come out when Christmas comes around. Everything is lighter and happier at Christmas. đ Such a wonderful holiday and this illustration does a great job of capturing how I feel about it.
“I have been photographing our toilet, that glossy enameled receptacle of extraordinary beauty. Here was every sensuous curve of the ‘human figure divine’ but minus the imperfections. Never did the Greeks reach a more significant consummation to their culture, and it somehow reminded me, in the glory of its chaste convulsions and in its swelling, sweeping, forward movement of finely progressing contours, of the Victory of Samothrace.” â Edward Weston
I bumped into Edward Weston, an American photographer (1886-1958), while re-reading my art history text book, Living with Art by Mark Getlein. Why am I re-reading a textbook? Well, I really love art and I enjoy learning about it. Since my memory of art history is a bit foggy, Iâve decided to revisit the subject and re-learn what I studied. Itâs a lot of fun! Not only am I refreshing my memory of art history, I am also deepening my appreciation for the subject.
In a section titled âArt and Beauty,â Westonâs photograph of a cabbage leaf was featured as an example. I paused when I saw it. If I wasnât told that the photo is of a cabbage leaf, I wouldnât have guessed it. At first glimpse, I thought the picture to be the skirt of an elaborate gown with the bodice not shown (I think many others thought the same). As you can see [above], the photo is taken against a dark background and is casted in black and white. Taking away the characteristics of the cabbage (its color) and focusing solely on a piece of it makes me consider the cabbage in a new way and focus on parts of it that Iâve never considered: for example, the lines caused by its rumpled leaf. I love lines and the lines in this piece kicked my imagination into overdrive. They flow freely and form curves and sometimes arch against each other. To me, they look like the ruffles in a dress and other times I think of them as veins or the wrinkled skin of a weird sea creature or even an alien.
Another item that Weston photographed is the toilet. Now, why would anyone want to take a photo of something so ordinary? I enjoyed gazing at Westonâs toilet. His photo transforms it. The perspective that Weston shoots from causes the bowl to loom above us, taking on the persona of the âporcelain goddess,â as some refer to it. He makes the toilet look majestic. Also, I couldnât help thinking of it as a sculpture.
Weston is a gifted photographer whoâs quite adept at making the ordinary extraordinary, and at giving objects a new personality. I find that his use of black and white photos emphasize things that are blind to us in color. With the absence of color, we focus more on content and contrast. I now have a new appreciation for black and white photos. I suggest that you check out some of Westonâs photos too. You will be blown away.
Also, check out Martha Schwendener’s article in The New York Times to read more about Edward Weston and his art. And visit this slide show, also on The New York Time’s website, to see more of Weston’s work.
As I riffled through posts on Flavorwire this morning, I came across one that features images by Brooke Shaden. The post’s title, “Surreal Photos of Women Dressed in Books, Butterflies, and Paper Planes,” made me curious. What could Flavorwire mean by women dressed in books and paper planes? I clicked on the link and was immediately fascinated by its contents. The post contained amazing photos by Brooke Shaden, an art photographer who’s based in Los Angeles. I fell in love with Shaden’s style as I clicked through the photos. Some are dark and seem to be a still from a scary movie but others I found to be dreamy. Either way, I love her stuff.
This piqued my interest so I googled her and discovered her website. Even more of her work is posted there so I advise all who read this to visit it. Her photos will sweep you away and make you want to visit the places that the women are in. The women seem to exist on a plane that is between reality and the imaginary. According to Shaden’s website, she is a self-portrait artists and “she attempts to place herself within worlds she wishes we could live in, where secrets float out in the open, where the impossible becomes possible.”
The photo above is one of my favorites from the Flavorwire post. It is of a woman in a dress made of books. Visit both websites and enjoy!
I saw these wrought iron sculptures while travelling yesterday. I’ve never paid them much attention before, thinking they were just some iron bars that were supporting the beams at the bus stop. But since I had some time, my eyes drifted around and stared at them until I realized that they were sculptures. They portray different modes of transportation and travel.
I’m looking forward to touring cities now that the weather is swinging to the temperatures that I like. I love walking around cities and taking pictures of buildings and whatever else that catches my eye…when it’s warm outside. The picture above was taken last year in Washington, D.C. I was newly introduced to Instagram and was playing with its features on my phone. I love this pic. It dazzles my eyes.
“Peering between the lamp posts at the beauty across the way.” Washington, DC
As I sit in my room shivering slightly due to the random drop in temperature, I reflect on my summer excursions with my cousin. We acted like tourists for a day and toured the city. One of the places we visited was the Capitol, where I took this picture. Though I know nothing about architecture, I do admire the craft and design of buildings. This one is beautiful.
Zezee with Books 