House on a Hill, Rome

There’s something about this photo that reminds me of Arbus’s similarly titled photo – A House on a Hill, Hollywood. It’s one of my two favorite photos of hers (the other being the Disneyland castle), and the dialogue generally surrounding these photos is how atypical it is for her to have taken more of a landscape photograph, as she normally works in portraiture. Thus, there’s a lot of discussion on what this means – photographing a house on a hill, photographing a castle at a theme park. Most often, the thought is she is photographing what is not there – i.e. the content of the house is missing in Hollywood; it’s just a shell (read what you will into that). Things aren’t always what they seem.

A House on a Hill, Hollywood, by Diane Arbus

The mood of the two photos feel the same to me. Somewhat gray (though in Arbus’s work this is achieved via B&W), clouds in the sky, perspective, and what’s not there. It’s obvious in Rome what is left is a piece of magnificent architecture, and what’s left hints at what once was, but is no longer. Whether that be as simple as part of the house is missing, or a great society that has come and gone… well, I’ll leave that to you to read into.

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Italy, My Art, Others Art, Rome by Courtney

Ponte Vecchio, Florence

I had one of the most wonderful, most eye-opening experiences about a week ago. As many of you know I sell my work on Etsy – a great place to find handmade work by artists & crafters (if you didn’t know that, you should pop on over to my shop and check it out). CBDImagination – another Etsy shop owner – messaged me to tell me how much she loved the picture posted above, that it brought back many memories for her.

I do love this photo, the way the light pours out of the windows and reflects on the rainy streets. The life that is portrayed down the street, the person in the red jacket who pulls your eye down there.

But as much life as I see in my pictures, I sometimes can’t shake the art school feeling. “It’s just a pretty picture,” they would say, “… it has no meaning, no depth, no insight into something greater.” Like everything you have to make as an artist has to make that big, political statement. It has to generate some controversy. And, somehow, any work that doesn’t do that, isn’t as good.

So, CBD, she made me realize that a pretty picture can be more than a pretty picture. Photographs, just like music, just like a scent, can bring back waves of memories for a person. That’s how I feel every time I look at one of my photos – and often how I feel when I look at the work I own from other artists. Photography is documentation of a moment, a particular point in time. And just because something is beautiful, mainstream, doesn’t make it any less worthy of the term “art” for some people.

To each their own – their own feelings, their own memories, their own opinions.

Filed under:
Life Changing Moments, My Art, not just a picture, Observances by Courtney

Santa Francesca Romana

Gray is a color that comforts me. The moment I slip into a gray t-shirt, sweatshirt, or sweater, I’m just so damn comfortable and I get the warm and fuzzies.

I’m slowly learning it’s not just being wrapped in gray – just the color cues my mind to fall into this feeling. My breathing gets a little deeper, my mind stops racing quite so much. I’m comfortable and chill.

Filed under:
Observances by Courtney

It’s Monday – a new day, a new week. I feel like having a new outlook today.

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just a picture by Courtney

“Yeah, we lack that sort of precision.”
“Heh – yeah. ‘We’ll just do our own thing – we’re blonde.'”
😛

Before the Chinese junks are being projected on the floor, there was a beautiful performance leading into that – men in a green and yellow dip-dye costume, with a woman above them, dancing (maybe on the scroll that was later on the floor? unsure – I was too captivated by the costumes). The commentator (more on him later) said it was Indian influenced, but I think more Thai – Raju weighs in with Burmese. Anyway, the costumes throughout most of the opening ceremonies are absolutely beautiful – but these were my favorite.

This really led off with the best portion of the performance I think. I love Chinese junks, I loved the scroll on the floor and the idea of using dance to draw – the display, the LED – it was all so well choreographed. The costumes that lit up and the people forming the chinese coin (I know these probably have a term, but I never studied Chinese art history – so I don’t know what they’re called). They ran as fast as they could at each other but all the while they maintained what appeared to be a perfect circle (which, is where the precision comment above came in). Amazing….

And really, what the hell with the commentator? If I had kept up with the put downs coming out of this f*cking moron… “Let me remind you – this country has never won an Olympic medal – and these people here – they have no dream of getting a medal. And really – why are you even here??!! You [insert small country here] – you SUCK!!!” I was dumb-founded, truly, by the commentator. How could any network put someone on the air that is such a moron?

But back to the performance – the word takonauts makes me laugh – octopus in space is what I’m thinking.

And we just got a crotch shot of Bush – checking his watch because apparently all of this is so damn boring. Thank god his wife has slightly more manners (brains?) and at least appears to be enjoying herself. God, we pray for November to be a turning point, and come January to be rid of this idiocy.

And talking about the heat – if this were in America, during the parade of nations, some Nelly would be playing, and there would be some wardrobe malfunctions for sure…

I have to say – never watching the parade of nations before – I can’t believe I’ve missed this. Since a child, I’ve loved the flags alone. But to see the people of the nations, to hear the music… ahhhh – I love this. Seeing the different costumes/uniforms, hearing the Chinese pronounciation – Ja-ma-i-ca.

And again with the scroll – amazing the thought that was put into it and its use throughout from performance to parade. It was beautiful to begin with, but as a constant… I love the use in parade of nations – people walking through the pigment, transferring to the scroll, for a piece of art that will live for a period of time.

What were they thinking when they created the suits for the Hungarian women? For once, even though the commentator was an ass, I couldn’t argue. Bleh.

Iraq was in the house. How did Bush react? Well, at least he’s aware enough not to be scratching his balls or checking his watch this time. I guess he’s on high alert considering the enemies with weapons of mass destruction are in front of him (yes… that was alert on his face).

And I forget which country this was, but again with the commentator being an ass: “The only two women on the team… The daughters of prime ministers… but I’m *sure* that’s *just a coincidence*.”

I love Poland’s clothing choice – one of the few that didn’t even try to make the men and women look the same. The men look dapper, the women nice in their red dresses.

USA comes into the parade. Bush stands up, looks alert. His wife has the same smile plastered on her face as she has the entire time. I might re-think the earlier comment about brains.

“My what a nice pole you have, Mr. America,” is the look plastered across the Chinese girl’s face who escorts the team in.

And then the American ladies — Woooooooo! We’re just boobies away from Girls Gone Wild here!

And somewhere after this point, I konked out for the night, missing the amazing torch lighting. But luckily, I have the internet, and can catch it the next morning.

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Stream of Consciousness by Courtney