Look Up
Wednesday, 23. April 2008, 21:44:50
Have you ever watched people in the street? I mean, how everybody seems to be moving straight ahead, nothing for fun, busy, busy. Be there on time, catch the train in time, earn money. Be there. Be good. Make a career.
I wish I could tell them to slow down. To open their eyes. To look up.
To the average person in the street the world is made of pavement, concrete, asphalt and other busy people. But from 2 meters and up, there's nothing. At least nothing worth seeing. Everybody is looking either straight forward or down where he's going. It you see somebody with his eyes turned upwards, you should think he was either crazy or a tourist.
All this jabbering only to get a chance to show you what I saw in my own city yesterday. I played the role of a tourist in my hometown - or I just played plain crazy. Stood there with my sweet telephoto lens looking upwards.
And there it was. The thing that saved my day. It's been there all my days, but I never saw it before. I mean, I knew it was there, but I never really saw it!
It just sat there, copper-green and for the Hell of it.
Does anybody know what such a statue/character/figure is called when sitting on a building. A gargoyle, you might say. But I looked that word up and found out, that a gargoyle is such a thingy all right - only made from stone.
Is there a specific name used to describe this kind of, errr - embellishment? Made from copper.
I wish I could tell them to slow down. To open their eyes. To look up.
To the average person in the street the world is made of pavement, concrete, asphalt and other busy people. But from 2 meters and up, there's nothing. At least nothing worth seeing. Everybody is looking either straight forward or down where he's going. It you see somebody with his eyes turned upwards, you should think he was either crazy or a tourist.
All this jabbering only to get a chance to show you what I saw in my own city yesterday. I played the role of a tourist in my hometown - or I just played plain crazy. Stood there with my sweet telephoto lens looking upwards.
And there it was. The thing that saved my day. It's been there all my days, but I never saw it before. I mean, I knew it was there, but I never really saw it!
It just sat there, copper-green and for the Hell of it.
Does anybody know what such a statue/character/figure is called when sitting on a building. A gargoyle, you might say. But I looked that word up and found out, that a gargoyle is such a thingy all right - only made from stone.
Is there a specific name used to describe this kind of, errr - embellishment? Made from copper.
You are so right about slowing down and looking up. We miss so much.
By musickna, # 23. April 2008, 22:08:14
By nopanic, # 23. April 2008, 22:08:31
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargoyle
By cakkleberrylane, # 23. April 2008, 22:20:19
Sometimes I really want to go to a small town, just working in a small place, with a house made of wood... just walking to the job, walking to shop, to the post office and things like that.
No cars, just bicycles. No factories, just small offices. No cel phones...
Wish life could be easier. As old times.
By b_laudanum, # 23. April 2008, 23:50:10
We are most often busy people running stressed out in the streets.
I guess photography is my life saver, makes me get out, slow down and look at the world with new eyes...
but the point is, we should all do it more often.
By Duplo, # 24. April 2008, 01:23:55
By claudette.bb, # 24. April 2008, 01:31:36
When I was in school I did some research. I took a small cardboard box downtown to Riverside Park and placed it on a park bench. Then I located myself about sixty feet from the bench/box and observed the people going by. By the end of the observation, 5.88% stopped and investigated the box; 13.72% noticed the box but walked by it; and a whopping 80.39% didn't even noticed the box even though they walked right past it, usually at a distance of less than a dozen feet.
Point A to Point B mentality. So much for stopping to smell the roses in life. Or, to stop and observe the copper gargoyle.
(By the way, the percents don't add up to 100% on this due to conversio from integers to percents.)
By edwardpiercy, # 24. April 2008, 04:08:37
I think I'll just call it a gargoyle, then. I am a layman in these matters, and Wikipedia gives me the option of calling it a gargoyle in "layman's terms" - so, here we are.
About age and speed: I have the opposite experience. I have become increasingly slower with age. Probably because there isn't much more to prove career-wise. My mortgages are almost payed down and therefore I don't need that much money anymore. But I see some people putting on even more pace as they grow older. I just seem to be different.
Photography as a life saver in turmoiled times. That's a nice picture. Like it
I have pondered a bit since yesterday when I wrote the entry. I blamed capitalism for the hurry - but I'm not that sure after all. Maybe it's human psychology - just as Becky said when describing how age urged some to run when they still had the time. Hmmm - need to ponder some more.
I would like to be among the 5.88%
By ricewood, # 24. April 2008, 07:29:04
By claudette.bb, # 24. April 2008, 07:52:20
By RuneSB, # 24. April 2008, 08:28:36
It's a Gargoyle allrigth. As a RPG player I think I can say that. And it is kind of nice to see them outside Cyberspace, allthough good they are made of stone or copper ;-)
Then I don't have to whack them with my magic staff.
It is true, that most of us are too busy to notice, all the little details in life. All those little things and incidents that are and happens every day.
And it is funny, isn't, that when we do, they allways seems to make life richer in a way. To me it does. I found out some time ago. Dedicated the rest of my life to pursue all the good in life and all these small details.
Why don't we put gargoyles on buildings anymore ? They do exist you know. I've met a few in my life. They looked like real people, but I guarantee you they where gargoyles.
You don't have to be a photograher or painter or alike, to see things. No doubt that it helps you, but if you decide that you really WANT to see the world around you, and slow down a little, you will see things like never before.
Every kind of Art comes from observing life, things in life and believing in myths. And then moderate it, recreate it and/or tell about it.
But most of all, you need to LIVE your life.
Oh my god. I think too much today. Better go to work
By anonymous user, # 24. April 2008, 13:37:07
I prefer relax since now!
Yeah, people tend to run cos of capitalism. Cos of new stuff to buy, a new tv, an ipod, a new amazing cloth, etc. But, not for just desire to having things, but for pression by friends, people at work, etc.
We tend to listen more other people than us! And when we see others getting things, shopping... we feel frustrated if we dont.
There are people that can deal with it. Others not.
Anyway, we need to stay very calm and think a lot if it's really necessary living this way.
I think it's not!
By b_laudanum, # 24. April 2008, 15:09:42
By claudette.bb, # 24. April 2008, 20:55:45
i prefer walking, strolling even, to my bike and especially my car. the car is just for carrying things that are too heavy. the bike has a special place though because it enables me to easily cover more territory. i see so much more when i am walking. and that's the food.
By I_ArtMan, # 25. April 2008, 03:37:22
Walking is the natural speed for the eye and the soul, i think
By nopanic, # 25. April 2008, 04:11:21
I'm fortunate in a way, because never having owned a car, I'm always forced to walk or ride the bus or train. It hasn't really bothered me and I often wonder what kind of shape I'd be in if I drove everywhere. Fat and blinkered to the wonders of the world I think.
Nice photo and yes, gargoyle is what I would call it too.
By pjbatty, # 25. April 2008, 15:04:07
Let's agree, then, that we'll walk whenever and wherever we can. And in a moderate pace, too
By ricewood, # 25. April 2008, 15:48:42
By nopanic, # 25. April 2008, 17:27:27
hej Allan!
I would also call it a gargoyle.....and i don´t think it matters what material it is made of..it´s the figur and that it often is used on buildings..on the roof....at the end of a gutter...not only but frequently used on gothic style churches...it was ment as a protection against evil spirits and the gargoil would scare the evil by it´s grotesk creature.....very good and absolutely excellent picture of it...
By anonymous user, # 25. April 2008, 18:47:36
HI allan!
it must be the one on top of Århus theater..isn´t it ?
By anonymous user, # 25. April 2008, 18:52:34
By ricewood, # 25. April 2008, 19:33:04
By claudette.bb, # 26. April 2008, 03:09:58
I think a good photographer is capable of open people’s eyes to what is around them, you have that skill
By misund007, # 26. April 2008, 10:37:18
By BabyJay99, # 27. April 2008, 05:51:41
Handsome, Leazz? I'll take your word for it
By ricewood, # 27. April 2008, 12:27:56
Looks like a girl I used to date back in the 80's... I've often wondered what became of her. Reassuring to know, she's still on the top of things...
Sorry, Allan, it's the weather...
By anonymous user, # 29. April 2008, 10:36:29
By ricewood, # 29. April 2008, 11:19:03
I'm sorry, I can't help you... but her family used to live near a church called Nortre-something in Paris. Maybe the French embassy can help you.
By anonymous user, # 30. April 2008, 21:23:20