“Photo’s create a world,
but I don’t know what’s happening
outside of the frame.”
“You know the world of the photo’s,
but not the world they photographed.”
~ quotes by Gerhard Richter from the DVD, GERHARD RICHTER PAINTING
When it comes to photography I enjoy it and I am also constantly dissatisfied with it. The two quotes above, by Gerhard Richter seem to get to the crux of the matter for me. A photo can seem real enough but it isn’t. And it is that pretense of reality that everyone seems sucked into that I have trouble with.
I’ve destroyed almost as many of my photos as I’ve printed for this very reason. I want to create art; something that is lasting and meaningful – but all I can seem to create are images. ~ Terry S. Amstutz (a.k.a. mobius faith)
Nature can teach us so many things if we only take the time to stop and listen. This photo was taken at a local area called Gorge Metro Park. And yes it does live up to its name since it is a large rocky gorge carved out by the Cuyahoga River over centuries and cuts right through the city of Cuyahoga Falls. There are several trails in this park where one can observe huge rock overhangs, cliff walls and large monstrous boulders. This image is a detail from a cliff wall. It was well above arms reach and I had my zoom lens out to its max of 200MM. I was mesmerized by this patch of grass that seemed to be growing happily on a small outcropping of the cliff wall. I took this photo a few weeks ago and have been pondering over it ever since.
As a species, we humans are a restless lot. We never seem to be satisfied with where we are at – neither in physical location personal, emotional or intellectual development. It seems are constantly dissatisfied with what life hands us. Now some people would praise that and say, “Duh! That’s how progress is made” But is so much dissatisfaction really beneficial? I think there’s a difference between the dissatisfaction that encourages progress and the dissatisfaction with life’s circumstances that are imposed on us that we have no control over. Can we ever accept contentment and happiness – even if they are fleeting?
I wonder if we need to take the time to truly cherish where we are located in life. I wonder if we can grow where we are planted like the grass in the photo. Talk about an inhospitable environment! That poor grass is in a bad location all around – lack of nutrients, lack of water, limited light and limited attention. But it is still growing. Is its life circumstance sad, tragic or unacceptable? Absolutely not. For it has shown me beauty and taught me something valuable. That patch of grass can be content with its limited life span because it has served some purpose for the betterment of the planet – even when it has reached maturity and “gone to seed” it will feed other animals and as it decays on it’s little rocky outcropping it will become fertile soil for the next generation. You and I are the exact same way. We may live an ever so humble existence – we may lack one thing or another – we may be living in circumstances that have spiraled beyond our control. And like the grass – we have worth – we have value – we exist for the betterment of the planet; it may have happened in the earlier part of our lives, in the present or may even happen in a fleeting moment in the future but we have worth. It’s not the amount of time we have or how much we do with it. The fact that we ARE is enough.
In our birth we bring joy and wonder. As we grow we become a symbol and a beacon. When we die we make room for others.
So go ahead try to appreciate where you are no matter how rocky it may seem. Just stop for a while and then slowly feel your way around lest you fall off the cliff. Then relax and grow where you are planted.
“Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?” – Matthew 6:29,30 (NIV translation)
“If the problem has a solution, worrying is pointless, in the end the problem will be solved. If the problem has no solution, there is no reason to worry, because it can’t be solved.” – Zen saying
“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” – Zen saying
“the quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” – Zen saying
“Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and grass grows by itself.” – Zen saying
Oh, I just had to share this video by one of my all time favorite musical acts – THE DIVINE COMEDY. This chamber pop group fronted by Neil Hannon appeals to my deep inner sense of irony and contrast. Sweet lilting pop melodies with lyrics akin to a razors edge supported by stunning visuals. All-n-all a win-win-win situation. Enjoy this brand new song, CATHERINE THE GREAT. It’s the first song from the soon to be released album FOREVERLAND.
I mean where else can you find lyrics like “She had great hair and a powerful gait….She might have conquered a third of the world but she was a sensitive girl….with her military might she could defeat anyone that she liked….She looked so bloody good on a horse, they couldn’t wait for her to invade….”
Run into the cage
With what I grew up hating
Keep on recreating
Please help me
Something’s got to change
It was something that you said
Happy times ahead
Happy times ahead
Saw the kind of blood
Like a picture’s going to shatter
Can you recognize the pictures of a bone-luck setter
All the people, all the faces in my head that are running around
I’m trying to make connections but the circuits are down
Look at me
Look at me
Look what I can do
I’m amazing
I’m living from without and I’m living from within
Got light in every layer of my illuminated skin
Could swallowing a lightbulb transform into the sun?
I can jump into the darkness
I can shine on anyone
Look at me
Look at me
Can you see what I can do?
‘Cause I’m amazing
Look at me
Look at me
Look at me
Can you see what I can do
‘Cause I’m amazing
Reaching out my hand
I’m going under water
Sunlight filtered into shafts
I’m going under water
With the human race
I’m going under water down
Under water down
Under water
Trying to put it together in my head
Feeling the weight of what you said
The weight of what you said
Happy times ahead
Happy times ahead
Happy times ahead
Look at me
Look at me
Look what I can do
‘Cause I’m amazing
Look at me
Look at me
Look at me
Look what I can do
‘Cause I’m amazing
Cause I can!
And I will!
It’s moving in me
The spirit is free
Oh what did I leave?
On his website Peter Gabriel[hereafter PG] states,
“I wrote a song a few years back – ‘I’m Amazing’, which was, in part, inspired by Muhammad Ali’s life and struggles and at the time of his death, when so many people are celebrating his life and thinking about all he achieved, it seemed the right time to release it.”
I do not believe we should see this song as a tribute to Ali. I saw one video posted on YOUTUBE that said this song was “about Muhammad Ali”. I disagree. PG is an artist; and as such, he uses all of life as inspiration in creating his art. Ali was only one part of the equation that helped clarify the point PG was trying to make. PG has something much bigger than one mans life that he want’s us to consider. If there is any comparison to Ali that can be made accurately is that the song deftly alternates between “Float like a butterfly, Sting like a bee”.
So what makes this song, it’s music and lyrics so powerful? Peter Gabriel has become an undisputed master of using various music influences from around the world in creating his own unique sound. “I’m Amazing” is a blend of these influences that borders on genius. The music moves forward and has it’s own pulse points with a fusion of sounds electronic, tribal and organic with lyrics both spoken and sung, chant and vocal ululation. There are ebbs and flows in the overall song structure that help propel the listener through the song with rhythmic emotional intensity.
Lyrically, the song offers intense criticism of our culture and society. He is careful not to place blame. He simply let’s the character in the song make observations and leaves it up to us to determine any cause and make appropriate adjustment in our own lives so that we do not end up in the same predicament. What is NOT said in the lyrics is just as important as what IS said. PG does not write on the surface of things but gets under the skin. While on the surface if you just read the lyrics it may seem like a positive paean with the old “pick yourself up by the bootstraps” mentality. But listening to how the lyrics are sung provides a whole new wealth of meaning that seems truer. It is funny how music can add clarity to the meaning of words. By themselves lyrics are ambiguous and can be interpreted by each individual as they wish. But what is lost is the authors intention. Music provides that intention. I have not heard such snarling sardonic expression in pop music for a long time and it is refreshing. A true wakeup call. I love how the lyrics switch between introspect/retrospect/prospect as the singer looks to escape his own mundanity and latch onto all the promises made by a self-help society with “happy times ahead”. Drowning in his own misery he not only seeks for a way out but becomes so self-obsessed that all(and everyone) else is left behind. The character acts/does because he can and never asks if he should. It’s only after it’s too late does he contemplate what was left behind.
This is a most welcome addition to the canon of music written by this great artist.
Where do you stand? To the left of things or to the right?
I came across this sign while exiting a parking deck(car park). What the signs didn’t tell me is that if I turn right I would only lead to a dead-end and no real exit. I got to thinking about that: Isn’t that the way of the “far right” – always leads to a dead end? So, I think it’s best to be left of center. I have leftist leanings – truth. “You can find me, left of center…”
Okay so this is indirectly about football. No footballs were abused, hurt or damaged for this presentation.
This location in Akron, Ohio USA is called The Rubber Bowl. It was the football stadium for the University of Akron. Seating 7,000 souls this stadium was built in 1940 into a hillside – right next to Derby Downs (home of the acclaimed Soap Box Derby World Finals). This stadium was in use until 2008. There are rumors and speculations about reviving the stadium and while some events had been planned for here as recently as 2015 they have all been cancelled due to concerns about the condition and safety of this space.
The University of Akron team is known as AKRON ZIPS. Their mascot is a kangaroo named Zippy which in 2007 won the national competition as MASCOT OF THE YEAR. Nicknamed the “ROO” you can often see in advertisements and slogans like “Fear The ROO”.
Where did the ZIPS get their name? Akron was, in it’s heyday, the undisputed “RUBBER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD” as it was home to the largest rubber tire manufacturers; Goodyear, B.F. Goodrich and Firestone. B.F. Goodrich company also dabbled in side product lines like rubber footwear. Those footwear lines were known as Goodrich Zippers (sometimes advertised as ZIPPS). There was a zipper on the top of the shoe/overshoe instead of laces or straps. There was also supposedly a tire line called zippers by that same company although I have found no evidence for it at this time. When the University of Akron was searching for a name, in 1927, for their sports teams the name Zippers was proposed – inspired by the footwear line by B.F. Goodrich – and it stuck. In 1950 it was shortened to ZIPS by the Athletic Director for the University.
A personal connection: I played (alternately) trumpet and tuba in my high school marching band. During my junior and senior year (Fall 1976 – Spring 1978) in high school our band traveled to the Rubber Bowl for a regional marching band competition. This usually happened in the spring. While we never won – I did come away with a fierce impression of this place being extremely windy and cold. The day I took this photos (May 15, 2016) was no exception. In fact, we actually had snow later in the day with temps in the mid/low 30’s F. The day of this post is a different matter entirely. Since May 27th we have had temps in the high 80’s F.
***The two previous posts featured some of the graffiti currently found in this location.
Another holiday in the US – Memorial Day is a shameful experience. A sham to make us feel better about the bad things we do and have done in the name of politics, war and nation. More national self-victimization promoted, celebrated, paraded and justified as we sink/slink further and further toward totalitarian rule (in the name of democracy). A certain despicable presidential candidate has as his Hitlerian slogan “Make America Great Again”. But I think we need to ask, “Does America deserve to be great?”
Is anyone asking the tough questions anymore? Or is it actually like one of my favorite headlines from the satirical paper, THE ONION – REPORT: NOBODY FUCKING CARES.
This image was taken recently at the abandoned football stadium known as the AKRON RUBBER BOWL. I’ll have some more shots of the stadium itself in the next couple of days.
More in the ongoing series of images of signs….. today a side-by-side view of the same image. Only one word is changed. You already know my fascination, interest, obsession with textual content in images and art.
Well since I’ve switched to B&W. This obsession has been renewed and re-imagined.
I’ve started one series called THE STORY OF OUR LIVES which is simply just photographs of signs with the idea that signs tell our life story.
What do signs mean? What do they tell us? How do they control us? etc.
I’ve since started a new series which is a spin-off of that. The new series is about re-texting our lives. In this new series I am actually re-wording the signs I photograph typically just one word. The previous 3 images I’ve posted are part of this series. How does one word change the meaning of a sign? What happens when we mis-read a sign (thinking it says one thing when it actually says another)? How much attention to we pay toward signs anyway? Are signs just the ignored art of our time?
When everything we do is monitored – everything is condemned
Where everything is condemned – nothing is permitted
Where nothing is permitted – there is NO freedom.
I love blenders. They make great drinks, soups, etc….
But what about culture blending… there are pros and cons…. one of the pros can be – it’s just so damn entertaining. This has been proven, time and again, by many serious musicians. Some of you may remember a comedy called SPINAL TAP that lampooned every hair metal band that existed to that point in time.
Well, there was a movie in 1989 by Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki called LENINGRAD COWBOYS GO AMERICA…. A fantastic comedy if you like your comedy very dry and dark. The “Leningrad Cowboys were called The worst rock and roll band in the world. In many ways they were the Finnish version of SPINAL TAP….. not afraid to mix in their cultural roots with communism and rock and roll they pretty much live up to the SPINAL TAP of world music comparison….. Of course just like SPINAL TAP – the band – the cowboys started taking themselves too seriously even daring to write some of their own rock standards and phasing out the cultural mishmash that made them so much fun to begin with….. But that’s the way of all things….
So here is a reminder of what once was. This live video was titled LENINGRAD COWBOYS TOTAL BALALAIKA SHOW…. featuring drums mounted on a tractor, guitars shaped like tractors big, BIG hair and pointy shoes and of course the actual Red Army Chorus/band and Dancers from Moscow – all doing a cover of ZZ TOP’s “GIMME ALL YOUR LOVIN'”…What more could a citizen of the world ask for? LOL
May it put a smile on your face this weekend. 🙂
and here’s a trailer for the movie that started it all.
I once saw a sign and my first thought was, “Hmmmmph, that’s the story of my life!”…..
In the past few months I’ve noticed that has been my reaction to more and more signs. These signs just seem to be coming into focus of my awareness in a way they haven’t before. In fact there almost seems to be an oppression by signs. Some are just general informational signs. Things that announce operating hours, directions to a place, time it takes to get somewhere, who to call (and it ain’t Ghostbuster’s), and other general announcements. But I’m finding, and maybe it’s just my growing awareness, that more and more signs are dictating things. Signs that tell us to do one thing or another, telling us what we can and can’t do. And there are signs that are used to threaten and control…..
That is the focus of this new photo project I’ve started. These signs make up the story of our lives and can tell us things about ourselves, our culture, our perceptions and misconceptions about the world in which we live. So while one may dismiss these images in this project as just pictures of signs. I am asking the view to go further. To go beyond the obvious. To ask questions and let these signs bring new understandings.
Here are eight of the 20 odd images I’ve collected so far (in no particular order). Enjoy.
Is there such a thing as too much color?
In a world where saturated color and manipulated images have become the norm is black and white more real?
In our so-called modern society, and culture, image saturation is not only 360 degrees around us but also gets embedded in us as it’s imprinted on our minds. Technology now is primarily image based and all of it is in color; brilliant, vibrant, glowing, saturated color. Printed matter whether publications or advertising is 99% image-based.
Is there such a thing as too many images?
By having so many images do we become desensitized to the image and color?
Or, are we still in the process of becoming desensitized?
How much is too much?
I read a recent article in a publication that people today prefer to look at art online than actually going to a museum. Does this devalue art?
Well, these are just some of the things floating around in that vast empty space between my ears….. I had these thoughts as I have found that color images no longer interest me. I’ve gotten bored with images – specifically color images….. As a result, all my newer work is strictly in B&W. For me B&W feels more real. I find greater nuances in the images when I’m working in B&W. The image in B&W does not bore me – it makes me look closer. Will that change? Probably, at some time. But then, again, maybe not as long as our world is – the way it is.
Here are some recent B&W images I’ve created. Enjoy.
As always you can click on an image for a larger view and then use the arrows to advance to next image.
You already know my love for all things abandoned and forgotten….I recently came across this video…… and I gotta say – makes me wanna buy a drone camera… I must be in heaven – this is soooooo beautiful.
... on being and becoming ... 