Monday, February 6, 2012

"La vie n'est qu'un passage"*


Les structures d'une ville nous dictent comment on l'utilise. On marche là où il y a des trottoirs. On conduit là où il y a des routes. En essayant de capturer ce qui disparaît, j'ai réfléchit aux passages - les vieux, et les nouveaux qui couvrent les anciens. J'ai pensé à toutes les maisons et les magasins qu'on ne voit plus parce qu'il y a un nouveau trajet d'aller là où on veut. J'ai pensé à la disparition de la terre et des constructions du passé. Les photos que j'ai décidé de montrer sont des passages - pour les véhicules, pour les piétons, pour des transports du passé. Elles montrent toutes une disparition de quelque chose, et une réinvention de l'espace et de l'utilisation urbaine.

Sugar House, Salt Lake City, 2012
Ces rails servaient le Sugar House Streetcar, construits en 1900.  Ils attendent les fonds pour réinstaller le Streetcar.

St. George, Utah, 2012
Je restais à un hôtel près d'ici, un peu plus haut. J'ai vu la descente et cru qu'il y avait des rochers rouges, mais non, hélas, une rue.


Alpine, Utah, 2012
En essayant de prendre une photo d'un bâtiment en plein construction, je suis montée sur des murs pour un meilleur angle; j'ai trouvé ce chemin neuf. 

Alpine, Utah, 2012
Une extension du bâtiment Adobe: tunnel pour les voitures.

Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, 2012
Un architecte a construit une oeuvre interactive au centre ville.  Les grands bâtons ondoient dans le vent, et ressemblent à l'herbe très longue.   


*le titre du post est une citation de Montaigne: "Si la vie n'est qu'un passage, sur ce passage au moins semons les fleurs."

7 comments:

  1. The picture of the bike/running trail really got me. The angle that it was taken from almost makes me feel as if I'm in motion along the trail, and I like that.

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  2. These photos are compositionally awesome because of their strong diagonal lines contrasted with opposing vertical ones. Each photo makes me think of something different, even though they are all linked and flow together because of the theme and the lines. For example, the second photo is somewhat minimalist while the third reminds me of romanticism (I could practically picture Chateaubriand tramping along that road and sighing.) It's gorgeous.

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  3. This might be my favorite essay. I love the concept and the pictures are beautiful. I love the first and third photos in particular. The lines of the tracks and the telephone poles do a great job of leading the eye and I like the idea that the new is crossing over and covering the old tracks. I also love that the third picture was a happy accident. Sometimes the best photos are the ones we never planned for. All of the lines work together (the fence, the grass, the road, the dotted lines) and bring the eye to land on the arch in the background. Its a great use of space within the frame and works well with your overall concept. Awesome job!

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  4. My favorite aspect of this essay was the feeling of openness, especially in the first three photos. What particularly intrigued me was the contrast between open space and a man-made element, namely, paved roads and then later vertical structures in the last two photos; it is as if humans have no more room to build out, so they begin to build up. To me, these man-made additions are like humanity's footprint on nature, a not-so-subtle reminder that, if there is space, we'll likely use it and fashion it to our needs.

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  5. My favorite photo is the third one. I love the contrast between the path and the mountains in the back and the field on the left. I also really like how the railroad is paved over in the first photo, as well as the parallel lines between the tracks and the power lines. As we discussed in class, the last photo is really strong because of the way the path cuts the image on the left third of the picture.

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  6. Along with everyone else I really enjoyed this essay. I think the theme is fantastic. Paths are not only great for the lines of an image but also serve as a great metaphor for life as you clearly understood as indicated by the title of the essay. To me images one and three are the strongest. I may have switched their respective positions, however. To me the third image clearly establishes the theme of the essay and the first one acts as a wild card in that it is a path being blocked and is a little different from the others. I really appreciate the quotes and locations attached to each image. It adds another dynamic to the project. Not much critique here, I thought this was an excellent essay.

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  7. That third photo really is amazing, and the way it’s situated makes me feel like I can step out onto the path right away. I like how it almost seems to lead to the mountain. I like the contrasting lines of the path and the horizon. I also liked having a geographic location for each picture, which allowed for a greater intimacy with the photos.

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