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Saturday, July 14, 2012

Weekend Break From Politics

"Go Speed Racer," this evocative photo taken by the Duck, brings back happy memories of my own childhood – such a carefree time:

(used with permission)

See more of the Duck's photography work HERE.

27 comments:

  1. The Duck obviously has some well hidden talents. ;)

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  2. Thersites,
    As most know, I am blunt and post only what I wish to post.

    Hence, if I find something that I consider worthwhile, I will post that something -- even if the author of that something is someone with whom I have disagreed numerous times and/or on the whole.

    The little girl in the photo reminds me of myself at that age. Oh, when the carnivals or the pony rides came to town back in the day! My father always took me; Mom couldn't after I was 8 years old because of her heart condition. When I went to those events, I rode every ride there and wearing a sun bonnet all the while.

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  3. I really like his "Portal" photo.

    Black and white just speaks more; it makes you look at the detail of the photo more so than a color pic; the everyday becomes really fascinating.

    Here is a website that might interest some folks.

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  4. I've always enjoyed black and white photography.

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  5. Hey! When you're good, you're good. Politics and religion really don't matter all that much when genuine Art appears on the scene.

    These pictures are good.

    Congratulations to Ducky for taking them, and to AOW for presenting them.

    ~ FreeThinke (another great fan of B&W imagery)

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  6. I wonder if the more interesting question is why amusement parks make AOW nostalgic.

    But maybe they make us all nostalgic.

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  7. Although in light of your perception of me as pessimistic, FT, I might say it's more existential.

    AOW picked one photo that is very direct and unambiguous.
    In most of the other street shots the relationship between people is ambiguous, there are sometimes apparent pecking orders and often very strong verticals and horizontals(thank you Degas's The Absinthe Drinker) which separate the viewer from the subject or separate the subject from the space in the frame.

    Community is desirable but elusive.

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  8. Duck,
    I wonder if the more interesting question is why amusement parks make AOW nostalgic.

    I've thought about that ever since I became enamored of this photo.

    The reasons are simple:

    1. I had the best dad in the world. He was nearly 41 when I, his only child (by choice, that is). He was absolutely ready for fatherhood as he had "practiced" as an uncle to one of his nephews, in particular.

    Yes, I miss my father, who died in 1998. We really got to know each other after Mom died unexpectedly in 1987.

    Mom liked carnivals when she was young, but as her heart condition worsened, she lost her affinity for amusement parks and the like.

    2. Simpler and safer times back then.

    Dad used to win every single one of those hit-the-bottles-with-the-baseball games at the carnivals. As I may have said elsewhere, Dad was offered by the New York Yankess to be a control pitcher after a scout spotted him in a sandlot game. Dad refused the offer: "I like to sleep in my own bed."

    3. Makes me think of cotton candy!

    4. The novel Something Wicked This Way Comes also plays in here in a way -- although I can't exactly explain that aspect. I was impressed by this particular work of fiction the first time that I read it many years ago.

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  9. BTW, HERE is another thing that I'm nostalgic about. I've been sleeping with the windows open most nights -- never mind the elevated pollen levels. I have a stand of oaks on my wooded lot.

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  10. I was SO fortunate to grow up in a time that was actually fun, innocent and so free.

    BZ

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  11. More iconoclastic than pessimistic, Ducky.

    However, the things that appear to give you hope tend to scare the pee out of me.

    Your studies of once-elegant-now-sadly-deteriorated examples of domestic and commercial architecture and architectural fragments are compelling, but tend to bring out the dedicated restorationist and preservationist in me more than any semblance of the social reformer you might possibly prefer to inspire.

    Anyway, I've always seen more romance, intrigue and nostalgia in ruins than anything that inspires anger and sadness. In the long run all any of us leaves behind is a trail of ruins -- except for the few significant bits wisdom, wit, knowledge, beauty an fascination preserved in the written word -- and in the great musical scores from c. 800 A.D. on.

    As absurd as it was I can see why rich aristocrats had "follies" -- often artfully crafted imitation or evocation of the ruins of antiquity -- placed in their gardens.

    I liked one of your more prosaic-but-still-very beautiful pictures in color. I think it was called Environmental Concerns or something like that. Lovely shot of a flowering dogwood juxtaposed with other trees just coming into leaf.

    Glad to see you are able to do "pretty." There's always a great need for it.

    Very glad to see this side of you exposed and exhibited.

    ~ FreeThinke

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  12. Glad to see you are able to do "pretty." There's always a great need for it.

    -------
    Especially in the mundane.

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  13. Duck,
    AOW picked one photo that is very direct and unambiguous.

    Yes, I did. "Go Speed Racer" called to me! I have explained why in a comment above.

    However, I do like what you refer to as "ambiguous" art/photography as well.

    BTW, I love the work of Degas.

    I also love a lot of traditional art.

    The visual medium is not one that I have great experience with. Music is another story.

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  14. AOW, did you have a funky sun hat that might have been a little large?

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  15. That's a great picture. Reminds me some of my blog friend Jenny. She takes fabulous pictures. Here are some of her latest:

    http://www.jennyweber.com/imhavingathoughthere/2012/7/14/runway-rascals.html

    Be sure to check our her main page here:

    http://www.jennyweber.com/

    I would love to take great photos, but I don't have the artistic eye for it. I'm jealous!

    Debbie
    Right Truth
    http://www.righttruth.typepad.com

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  16. Duck,
    I had sun bonnets, which were starched. Sunscreen lotions weren't available way back when.

    Of course, the humidity made those sunhats wilt.

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  17. Debbie,
    Jenny has a great web site!

    Thanks for the link. I've bookmarked it.

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  18. Infestations of cicada? As per your link. A sound of summer I would not want to miss.

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  19. Brooke,
    I LOVE the song of the cicadas! Like Duck's photo, the sound of the cicadas' song makes me nostalgic -- and happy.

    Sometimes, we bloggers forget that there are so many pleasures to enjoy.

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  20. Ducky should shut up and only talk through his photography. He'd be much less repellent...

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  21. Well, I say, thank you to "The Duck" great work!

    See, we can agree on something's Ducky. You are talented.

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  22. Ducky, as you know, it can't get more mundane for me to love a photograph and you've captured the mundane with texture and contrast that only a B&W photo can truly capture, which really makes it even more special.
    The little girl with the hat might evoke all sorts of emotions but what it did for me as a photo was show me a hundred blacks, whites and grays...excellent. Textures, too...and stripe, zigzag, spokes...
    nice, Ducky. this is my favorite.

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  23. I think this picture is very charming. I love the sense of play and anonymity. Very strong composition.

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