Sunday 4 April 2010

Blue is the new red

I have been thinking a lot recently about whether the themes that emerge during my journeys are a result of a happy synchronicity or whether there is some subconscious impulse which drives me to photograph certain subjects.  Photographer Stephen Shore talks about a state of conscious attention which he describes as:

" a condition of seeing the world in a heightened state of awareness... where everything may look brighter or more vivid, or space and time feels more tangible, things seem more real."

This sounds similar to that special awareness experienced during gameplay, where a different reality suspends the normal rules of everyday life.  It is quite possible that this increased awareness leads to a perception of currents below the surface which may manifest themselves as connections. Whatever the reason, my eye seems to have been drawn to the colour blue on this trip, a change from my normal fascination with red.....








To bring this current journey to a close, I thought the following photograph summed up the day's mood in a nutshell - travelling without a purpose or goal is a bit like travelling blind.



4 comments:

  1. You have only to mention the colour 'blue'- and, sorry, I'm excited- my absolutely favourite colour! - I don't know if there are only in German so many poems about the colour 'blue' (Blaue Gedichte, Stuttgart 2001) or also in English or French- maybe, inspired by the "blue flower" of the romanticism and romantic tradition? 'Blue' is a "Südwort"/south-word Gottfried Benn once said - colour-aspects are fine aspects of photography- yesterday as I saw the red telephone box I thought you should edit a book about the colour 'red', today I think you should compose a book about the colour 'blue'- there are so many 'blues'- natural blues- art and artificial blues - daily blues (Alltagsblau) - heavenly blues... -yes, this could be a project, indeed! In particular I like the photo's nr. 3,4, and 5 - amazing are the light-and shadow-plays- and nr. 3 includes a kind of secret (a broken text?)- the last picture looks a bit mysterious and could tell a story!

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  2. I'm afraid I'm not an expert on blues Philine so know nothing about the blue flower of the romantic tradtion or the 'daily blues'. The only blue I'm familiar with is the lapis lazuli used in religious paintings for the robes of the Virgin Mary. the final picture is indeed mysterious - it is in fact a poster, glimpsed through a train window, advertising an art exhibition by the painter Delaroche and the woman with the blindfold is Lady Jane Grey at her execution.
    Ingrid

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  3. Many thanks for the additional information- the poster is very attracting and I would like to visit the exhibition. "Daily blue" (my word) is the blue overall of the worker or the blue "washed-out like on a children apron" (Rilke, Blue Hydrangea, one of my favourite plants and poems!)- yes, the romantic blue might be a specific German tradition (Novalis). We cannot say "I am feeling blue" (depressed)- but a "blue hour" might be a sweet-melancholic time- I find it interesting comparing the connotations and feelings that are connected/joined with different colours! In our town you can see the little bluebells spread out allover the greens- wonderful!
    One of the most beautiful, very melancholic poems has been written by Else Lasker- Schüler, Das blaue Klavier (symbol of a blissful childhood and happy life)/The blue piano (translated ini-net)!

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  4. Sorry: "My blue Piano" http://matthewkaberline.blogspot.com/2008/04/else-lasker-schuler-my-blue-piano.html

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