Tuesday, June 20, 2006
city makeover
I visited Liverpool last in 1980 before my most recent trip in April. To be honest it is not a city I know well but we went this last time to see Anthony Gormley's 'Another Place' on the beach at Blundellsands a mile or two north of the docks. Superficially, it is still an area that has suffered from high unemployment (particularly evident if one accidentally loses one's way in the various housing estates) but, equally superficially, it is clear that the city is working hard towards being European City of Culture 2008. This is the first British city since Glasgow in 1990 to be selected. Glasgow got a huge boost from that enterprise, in addition to hosting a year of real buzz. This photo is of a sculpture/installation about 1/4 mile north of Albert Docks, right by a major roundabout. One wonders how many will walk by it as opposed to drive by but the whole ensemble does do what cultural events are supposed to do for cities: give them a sense of pride. This is a deliberately rather abstract showing.
Permalink / posted by and copyright of John Ellis : 11:43 AM
Comments:
I am really uncertain about this image.
It has the characteristics that normally excite me, abstract blocks of colour, texture, echoed curves, but the green bit jars with that abstract concept.
I've looked at it umpteen times and I'm still uncertain.
Bring on the other comments, perhaps that will help me nail the uncertainty.
I'm fairly uncertain about it as well, but, coming from the other direction......
It has the characteristics that normally leave me cold - abstract blocks of colour, pattern without subject, texture without the thought that this is something that I could touch. The green bit (despite reservations about the shade) pulls it back into reality, as do the four silver bolts/rivets.
I remain unconvinced.
On my screen the highlights in the background and on the right don't hold detail. For me, this is the major weakness of the image. The deep blue and rust red colors are strong, but I need those highlights to keep things in balance.
Auspicious and Rex - I can see where both of you are coming from even if that requires some stringent triangulation! My wife likes it, I sort of like it as an abstraction of the scene without wishing to please either the texture touchers or the subject wishers. For me it is about what we do both consciously and unconsciously to cities. I'll give you a link at the end to see a wider scene. Bear in mind that the blue wall is the base of a high rise hotel.
Matt - to a certain extent you're right. The original had all the detail you are looking for but I blended two layers to exaggerate the abstraction. The relative lack of detail doesn't fuss me given the abstract nature.
Maybe it is an unsettling photo, which may be my fault. On the other hand standing by a roundabout (on a cold morning) trying to make something of a sculpture tucked between high rise buildings may have fed into the execution!
There are two links: one to a colour set and one to a single b/w.
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/list.php?exhibition=42&pass=public&lang=eng
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/list.php?exhibition=43&pass=public&lang=eng
John, "threshold to the ends of the earth" is my favorite of those linked to. The contrast between the rusty brown metal and the green of the plant life works well.
This image has grown on me over the past few days, even the green which I previously didn'tlike very much. The rust and the almost suede blue work well together I think and the green serves to prevent everything falling out through the bottom.
Everything takes me up through the photograph but nothing stops me from leaving. I really need something at the top of the blue to bounce me back in and around the shapes and textures contained therein.
as a lover of abstract architecture I like this. OK the whites didn't show much detail and for sure I would like to see some (a matter of processing) but as an abstract it works. love the foreground curves. did u try a b/w? could imagine would also look good.
clever pov after I've seen the others... well done.
Matt - I think I would agree with you; having spent a hurried 10 minutes on the side where I took the picture above, it came as something of a surprise to go the other side (chasing my wife who wanted to see something else she had spotted further down the road!).
Guy - your point may well be the reason for some of the uncertainty. An interesting view to complement John-Jo's.
Michael - I almost tossed a coin to decide which version to put up but the colour won. The b/w is interesting but the colour seemed to be saying more about the subject.
Apologies for my absence over the past week - the BT engineer arrived today to mend the break in the underground telephone cable that my neighbour had dug up with a JCB!
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It has the characteristics that normally excite me, abstract blocks of colour, texture, echoed curves, but the green bit jars with that abstract concept.
I've looked at it umpteen times and I'm still uncertain.
Bring on the other comments, perhaps that will help me nail the uncertainty.
It has the characteristics that normally leave me cold - abstract blocks of colour, pattern without subject, texture without the thought that this is something that I could touch. The green bit (despite reservations about the shade) pulls it back into reality, as do the four silver bolts/rivets.
I remain unconvinced.
Matt - to a certain extent you're right. The original had all the detail you are looking for but I blended two layers to exaggerate the abstraction. The relative lack of detail doesn't fuss me given the abstract nature.
Maybe it is an unsettling photo, which may be my fault. On the other hand standing by a roundabout (on a cold morning) trying to make something of a sculpture tucked between high rise buildings may have fed into the execution!
There are two links: one to a colour set and one to a single b/w.
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/list.php?exhibition=42&pass=public&lang=eng
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/list.php?exhibition=43&pass=public&lang=eng
clever pov after I've seen the others... well done.
Guy - your point may well be the reason for some of the uncertainty. An interesting view to complement John-Jo's.
Michael - I almost tossed a coin to decide which version to put up but the colour won. The b/w is interesting but the colour seemed to be saying more about the subject.
Apologies for my absence over the past week - the BT engineer arrived today to mend the break in the underground telephone cable that my neighbour had dug up with a JCB!