The little town that was adjacent to the beach was full of all my favorite things. Door that are falling off their hinges, window just waiting to be framed, and all and all buildings showing their age. The town was small and full of surprises. I only really got to see just a taste of the town. I would love to go back and explore some more.
I was fortunate to head out of Tokyo on Sunday and out to the Pacific side of Chiba. Beaches and little seaside villages line to coast, as sun bathers, surfers, and families head down to the cooling Pacific waters. Luckily the day was a bit overcast which kept the overall temperatures down.
In typical Japanese fashion the beaches were not that clean, and were rather rocky. The rockiness always reminds me of Japan’s twin on the other side of the Pacific, California. Both have been battered by strong waves and the land has been shaped by even stronger earthquakes.
This first group represent the coast. The point where the land melts into the sea.
More to come from the little seaside towns later.
As I continue my pursuit of the geometrical beauty found in the Tokyo Megacity, I sometimes wonder how all these people that live literally on top of their neighbors keep their peace of mind. I need my space, or at least a bit of solitude where I can organize and calm my thought. I am know that behind these doors and windows the inhabitants are able to breathe a bit more freely. It is their own personal domain. Or in some cases it is part of a public interaction space where they can drink, eat and be merry with friends.
Doors, and windows divide us from each other, yet they are portals. They allow, at the discretion of those involved, to pass from one side to the other.
Knock knock
rap, rap, rapping, at my window
I am honored to have had one of my images critiqued by the art historian John Walford. He wrote an interesting critique of my image Window Squared Garden Door. I will repost the the text and the image below. Be sure to go and take a wander though his writing and his flick image stream.
Window Squared Garden Door
“The Tussle between Nature & Culture”
What man makes is straight and sheer,
Submits to measure, 3-3-1, lines full clear.
Manu-facture now means machines,
That press, and cut - it’s all so Schere.
A Creator-God does differently:
All lines have curve, none quite the same,
Species more than man can name,
In orange, purple, blue, and red.
Held up on stems, all twisty, bend;
Throw out sun-panels to catch
The rays and rains send down. -
But time and frost, He too does send.
From birth to grave, there is this dance,
Like plants that twine around man’s struts.
Interdependent, they lunge and lance,
As Jacob, with the angel, bends and butts.
–John Walford, for Jacob Schere/twisty331, July 8, 2010,
a salute for your scrupulous eye.
Originally published on Only Connect Blog, by John Walford
July 8, 2010
There are two basic themes in my work these days. One is seeing the shapes, and angles that make up the concrete metropolis that I inhabit. The other, still based on shapes, but in an abstracted way. That is what these images represent. That same world close up. That same world that plays with all the elements of image construction.
There are all sorts of obstacles that are put in front of our paths on a daily basis. Some of these walls are placed there by energies beyond our comprehension. Others we place in our way by our own minds. Neither of these barriers should stop us from reaching the other side. There is always away over, around, or straight though the wall. One must look at each one as a challenge and realize that the solution is simpler than we cold ever imagine.
So break though those walls.
If you have to venture straight though without pondering the solution.
They are only constructions of steel, concrete and wood.
I don’t mean that everyone on the planet will take ecstasy, I am talking about that the Japanese will go out to cast their ballots in an election. I hate the noise of the loudspeakers, but I can’t control myself with the political posters. I love taking them and flipping them. Subverting them and converting them into an artistic expression.
Get out and vote with your cameras, and brushes.
These days I seem to be tipping my hat to the old masters with my obsession with shape and forms in my photographs. The geometrical shapes are popping out at me from all sides of the road. It is almost if i see the shapes first and then what they actually represent second.
I do not mind this obsession. Only by working on the obsession can I figure out why I have become fixated on shapes. The more I photograph and construct the images in this way, the closer I can begin to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together.
I hope I didn’t go off on too much of a tangent.
As the sun was low in the sky this afternoon, the skies looked like onions Sautéing in the sky. Quickly the skies turned brown, and no long after that they opened up and let loose droplets from the sky.
The alternating light and dark spots were what stopped me in my tracks to snap a picture.
Next Sunday is the election in Japan. Until that day arrives we will have to put up with the loud speakered buses at 9 o’clock in the morning. The silly posters will all come down and we will all go forward with our lives.
Pure fields of colors to delight my inner self.
Enjoy.
