I need your help in picking the best composition below, horizontal or vertical. These were captured early morning at a local park. The horizontal image is were I’m leaning; it feels more balanced. I also like the contrasting tonality between the two structures.
The notion of “portals”, suggested by this composition, opens up a vast body of thought and science, particularly around the intersections of religion, philosophy and physics. How do we perceive what exists beyond our conventional notion of 3 dimensions? The ideas around this question are substantial. But here’s a quick summary of what I found along with some thoughts from my study on the subject.
In Hinduism, all matter is an illusion know as Maya, where our narrow perception of physical and mental reality blinds us from knowing the “one truth”. Conversely, Brahman as a metaphysical concept, is the single binding unity behind the diversity in all that exists in the universe. Maya is destroyed when we perceive Brahman with transcendental knowledge.
In philosophy, there is the dualist view of “mind separate from matter” (i.e. Descartes), and the monism view of a singleness to everything. While proponents of materialism and physicalism debate the metaphysic questions of “ultimately, what is there?” and “what is it like”, the science of theoretical physics seeks to describe a scientific understanding of our universe.
Einstein’s theory of general relativity and the 20 century evolution of quantum mechanics has led to a compelling, but sometimes contradictory view of the universe. At a string theory conference in 1995 M-theory immerged as the unifying “Theory of Everything” (ToE); its simplicity and mathematically elegant formula could fit on a t-shirt. An intriguing component of string theory is the existence of a multi-dimensional universe.
To me, experiencing art is a more monist perception of the type of artistic medium and its inherent physical attributes, along with the conscious attributes of feeling and interpretive understanding. For example, my composition above as seen in an art gallery, the viewer could perceive the physical aspects of the framed work along with physical aspects of the photographic subject – the stone textures, shapes, lighting and depth. Hopefully, they would also perceive possibilities of what the implied space means, and the associated feelings. Does the shadow imply the existence of a person within the space at a particular point in time?
I like the view of Max Planck, the father of quantum theory. He said, “There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the matrix of all matter.”
This composition has been on my to-do list for quite a while. I find it an interesting architectural abstract and street scene. There is actually a 5th bridge which is hidden behind the two far bridges in the lower left. Perhaps I should change the title to 5 Bridges on 5th Street Scene.
In United States, today’s holiday reminds us of our obligation to remember the countless men and women who died to protect their fellow man and maintain our precious democratic freedoms. Democracy is not easy, it requires compromise! The recent mood of absolutism, and rejection of government/public institutions dishonors those who have sacrificed so much to protect them.
Everyday should be Memorial Day!
Last week I had dinner in downtown Winston-Salem with my photographer friend Owens Daniels. Afterwards, we both grabbed our camera and set out on a local street photography expedition. I had so much fun. We met some nice folks, found some great scenes and Owens shared many of his proven street photography tips.
Lessons learned:
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A year ago, my family visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. This is my fourth post from that visit. Such a beautiful place! The first image features the Grand Staircase. The weight of the exterior staircase wall creates a cantilever force which supports the weight of the large granite steps. I used a “glow” filter in Filter Forge to add a subtle glow effect to the highlights.
Captured last June, I’ve been working on and off on this composition for quite a while. One of the common symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder is difficulty in finishing personal projects. Well, that definitely describes me. I’ll work on a composition in post for a bit, then move on to another task which is more interesting or urgent. But associative thinking also drives the creative mind. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! 🙂
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The dramatic cloudscape in the sky, in the reflective glass, and rays of sunlight complement this abstract view of the Showplace building in downtown High Point, NC.
Here’s the next post in this series. I can’t decide which composition I like the best. The first image seems to have a slightly more interesting composition. But the I also like the more pronounced door and brick textures in the second. Which do you like best?
Thanks for stopping by today. Click on an image to see a higher resolution version from my portfolio site. Oh yea, Happy Valentine’s Day!
Like many of the business in this area, the Reidsville Grocery Co. moved locations with the decline of the area tobacco industry; and as result, the decline of the local neighborhood.
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