Sunday, November 27, 2011

Slices of Space and Time







Deciding what the best photo I’ve ever taken for this week's Red Room's Creative Challenge was a medium-stature order because, for one, my lists of favorites are always fluid and, two, I’m a fairly competent amateur with a camera. So picking the best—or more fairly, my favorite—took some cogitation. The one above is currently first with me (but check back tomorrow).

The magnificent metal creature above—maybe 20 feet tall, maybe defending us from Godzilla—was captured in pixels in October 2008, during my wife’s and my fifth anniversary vacation. It was marching across the autumn hills of the magnificent Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, New York, west of the Hudson River, near West Point. Storm King is a stunning open-air museum featuring landscape sculptures from around the world. The camera was 35mm Canon digital, which I should really learn to use someday.

The sculptor’s name, unfortunately escapes (though I suspect it may be one Mark di Suvero; corrections encouraged). 

 

Another highlight—and initial draw--of Storm King was Andy Goldsworthy’s “Wall.” Goldsworthy is perhaps my favorite living artist.


A couple more follow, strictly for your entertainment:

 

Strictly from Artiness: taken on the same trip, Museum of Modern Art, New York.

 



I love cemeteries. James Whale would smile. Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland, California. June 2009.



(Copyright 2001, photos by author)



Thomas Burchfield has recently completed his 1920s gangster thriller Butchertown. He can be friended on Facebook, followed on Twitter, and read at Goodreads. You can also join his e-mail list via tbdeluxe [at] sbcglobal [dot] net. He lives in Northern California with his wife, Elizabeth.





2 comments:

Julie Schauer said...

Thomas,
The Mark di Suvero is really cool. I'm thrilled that 3 of these photos came from when I was with you (or
right after I was with you). Dali at MoMA is classic, great. I was
taking a photography class at the same time and doing B & W at MoMa.

The Oakland Cemetary photo is really amazing, also, Yes you are a great amateur photographer! Julie

Thomas Burchfield said...

Thanks, Julie! Again, I'm not at all certain it's di Suvero. It's only a guess because he has several large scale metal sculptures that that site. I e-mailed Storm King and asked them, but haven't heard back yet.