12/30/2010

One thing that I have been doing with my photographs on this trip in particular is to try and capture the perspective and actions that best describe various sculptures I come across. This is a fun way to think about narrative. Sculpture concerns itself primarily in this case with veneration of the person, myth or idea. The piece set in stone or metal usually sits atop another structure and occupies a space well above the gaze of most viewers. Suffice to say that most people cannot view the sculpture in the round or even on equal terms. With my lens I have attempted to imbue the scene with perspective that only a lens can. Mimicing the framing of cinema I attempt to distill the moment into a single frame. The easy part is that my actors never get tired of posing.
Did I mention it is cold? Very much so that our daily treks are a course plotted out by a series of connecting entryways that guard against wind and bitter cold, perhaps even offering liquid sustenance. I must say that as much as one hates to indulge in tourism one must experience a bit of it just to get the details of the visual culture as it manifests across segments. This humor I spoke of earlier when I was highlighting Jára I also found in other places, such as a hanging statue of a man riding on an upside down horse which apparently is making fun of aristocracy and the need to venerate important figures on horses. I also found other manifestations of this type of irreverent humor in pubs, on signs and in public bathrooms. Hidden treasures that aren’t hidden are still treasures.