Check out the link for Brian May (of Queen) classic solo track BACK TO THE LIGHT. The lyrics are really powerful - especially for the times we are living in.
https://youtu.be/Zvmp8YhEgQk
Far, far from the light
Hear the night creatures call
With a cold breath they howl
All the hollow hours
They're calling you
I'll be there
No matter what your going through
In the dark I care
I'm holding on, I'm hoping on
It's still the same old me inside
Back to the light
Back to the streets that are paved with gold
Back to the light, yeah
Back to the land where the sunshine heals my soul
Deep, deep in the night
When the world fills with tears
And the wind blows
Colder and colder it grows
And the fire dims with the same old fears
I'll be there
Though maybe you don't hear me, babe
I still care
No matter when and I still be there
When you make it to the other side
And I'm going back
Back to the light
Back to the streets that are paved with gold
Back to the light
Goin' back to the land
Where the sunshine heals my soul
On and on, searching for a clearer view
Winning and losing an inner war
Wonder what we do it for
Though the road seems never ending
Hold on to the hope I'm sending through
Yeah
No, no matter what your going through
In the dark I care
I'm holding on, believe it
We'll be walking in the light
'Cause they'll be no place left to hide
Back to the light
Back to the streets that are paved with gold
Back to the light
Oh, I'm goin' back to land
Where the sunshine heals my soul, hear me babe
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Back to the light
Back to the light
Back to the light
Back to the light, yeah, yeah
Babe, come with me
Back to the light
Yeah
we live in an over-saturated world of images. Images are everywhere we go. In fact they are so prevalent they are becoming mundane. Boring. They’re primarily “pretty” photos of realistic/recognizable subjects (objects, landscapes, people, animals, plants). Abstraction is seldom seen and seems to be less and less appreciated. Is there still a place for abstraction? And what is it?
s0lt 824 0sp70lt
First, abstraction in photography is very different from abstraction in the paint/sculpture arts. Abstraction in photography is merely the “capture” and/or presentation of any deviation from the perceived norm (no matter how slight) and therefore more passive. Abstraction in painting/sculpture is very different. Painting/sculpture is an active medium unlike photography. In painting/sculpture the abstraction is created compared to documented. And it’s this creative action that I think gives a viewer pause to consider what “it” is. Can photographic abstract also be the result of a creative action? I think it can – but is extremely rare. Because of the nature of photography; abstraction has become such a generalized category that it has become redundant.
w9t78n on4s or18t
Now about our world. In addition to being overly saturated with heavily saturated images is also, thanks to technology, is moving at a faster and faster pace. There is no rest. There is no contemplation. Even the internet with its myriad blogs, photo sharing sites, art sites, etc is not conducive to slowing down to consider what we are doing. The internet has created a culture of clicking “LIKE” and moving on. In one minute I can look at and “like”/”fave” a hundred photos.
For this reason I think there is more and more a need for true abstraction in the painting/sculpture sense. Because these type of abstracts are more likely to cause us to slow down (maybe even stop) from time to time and consider what we are looking at and how we feel about it or what it means to us. So bring on the abstraction. Deviate from the norm. Give people a reason to pause and “rest” on your work.
824 8sl0n3s
The images I’m including today are photos of something people would NEVER photograph. I went to the park the other day – one of my favorite hangouts to decompress. I went to photograph some winter scenes etc – you know the kind of stuff everyone photographs that I described at the beginning of this article. The kind of stuff we DON’T need more of. But most of the shots I kept were These here today. Shapes and textures of salt melting ice on asphalt pavement in the parking lot of the park. For me they have their own intriguing wonder.
Your music moment today is a track titled Awakening by Greek artists (and friends) MK-O from their album ETHER. For me this song has the kind of energy I feel in these images. The kinetic energy of salt melting ice. Check out their website http://www.mk-o.com for more.
... on being and becoming ... 