I said I would tell you about Gretchen. Well, she is more than a nurse: she is an Occupational Therapist. She encourages us to give free rein to what she calles 'the back of the brain'
I did not make this sculpture - although I did take the photograph. It was originally in colour but Gretchen wants us to explore 'the black and white image'. She says 'Colour describes; black and white reveals'. I think that is true although in the colour version you can see the 'blood' trickling down the vertebrae 'tree'. (Tell, you what - I'll see if I can include the colour version next time.)
The piece was made by my new chum Eric (he asked could he be my chum!) and he calls it 'Come walk with me'. I don't know what to make of it, but Gretchen loves it.
Gretchen used to be in here herself. One of us, I mean. Freddie likes to 'promote from the ranks', as he puts it. Of course this was after Gretchen was 'cured' (makes her sound like a side of bacon!!) and went on to go to university, eventually qualifying as an 'occupational therapist'. I think she's still a bit odd.
Anyway, she is encouraging me to take up photography again. As you know I used take a lot of phographs (remember those hot afternoons at Wynorin, down by the lake!) but sort of grew out of it. Now the urge to express myself through the lens, as well as by the written the word, seems to have returned. My digital camera got broken when I fell down the stairs and I said to Gretchen that I would like to buy a new and better one. But she said, 'George, don't do that.' She explained, 'Technology can get in the way of 'seeing'. Now, I know that your mobile phone has a decent camera - 3.2 megapixels, is it not?' I agreed that this was indeed the case. 'Well,' she continued, 'I want to see what you can do with that - unencumbered by lens changing (your camera has a modest zoom), adjusting for this, compensating for that. Just a screen on which to compose your picture. And you, George, know as well as I do that you must 'see' your picture before you even reach for your camera.'
I said, 'Well, I'll have a go, Gretch.' And that is just what I propose to do. Watch this space!
To get back to my chum Eric for a minute. He's a strange lad. Plays his cards close to his chest, as my grandma used to say (she taught me poker). I asked him why he was in here. (Actually, it's like being in prison: we go around asking, 'What are you you in here for?
'Wot me, mate? GBH... breakin' and enterin'... broke mi wife's nose innit... Well perhaps not quite like prison.
Anyway when I asked Eric, he said, 'Phobiaphobia'
'What's that?'
'It's a morbid fear of developing a phobia' replied Eric, with a grin. I like his sense of humour, but I am still none the wiser.
Anyway, enough about me. Yes, I was joking about the photo of Propoquerian. Have you looked at any of the other blogs yet?
The tea trolley is coming round so I am going to end there. I will send you a follow-up.
Love and stuff
George
2 comments:
I like this photo a lot (well i suppose it is the sculpture) it combines a very human element--clothing, something we create, something that covers up what is common and natural about us all and something we use in an attempt to individualize, and, on top of this, it throws nature right in our face. A tree (we will all be laying underneath one of these one day, in the ground) and blood, reminds us of our weakness, our mortality, our commonality. Brilliant!
(of course, i may have entirely misinterpreted the sculpture, but isn't art sort of meant to be interpreted however we choose?)
Very interesting photo. Glad to hear you are getting back into photography! It's a great way of expressing things we usually can't in words. Photos speaks a lot, especially in black and white format. With color, there would be too much clutter, but sometimes things really are black and white, like your photo. What camera do you use?
Like propoquerian said, its definitely art and up to individual interpretation.
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