Monday 1 June 2009

to breathe between earth and sky


















J’ai envie de partager la beauté. Il me semble anormal et inquiétant que l’on ne s’interroge pas sur la qualité de l’espace et du temps. Respirer entre ciel et terre et en être conscient est une chose absolument stupéfiante. C’est une chance inouïe et nous la gaspillons. Je repère immédiatement les personnes conscientes de cela. C’est facile à voir. C’est dans les yeux.

Claude Margat


I wish to share beauty. It seems strange and worrisome to me that one doesn't ask questions about the quality of space and time. To breathe between earth and sky and to be aware of that is something totally stupefying. It is an incredible stroke of luck and we waste it. I immediately spot the persons who are conscious of this. It's easy to see. It's in the eyes.



upon reading this in an interview with the French poet and painter Claude Margat, i thought that this was exactly what i had in vain sought to write for the profile/presentation of my 'floating bridge of dreams'... (and of all my photography odyssey, if such a presentation were to be required some day). now i am happy about that failure, the overwhelming wonder of such an encounter is more than i could have ever wished for. for those of you who read French - or learn to read French - go here for the whole interview, it is superflous to say that i highly recommend it. ah and what he says about calligraphy as well...

31 comments:

  1. I never heard of this artist, thanks for introducing me to his world...

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  2. J’ai lu pour ma part c’est assez superficiel tout cela et très réducteur, je suis d’accords prendre conscience dans son espace comme elle dit, ou son environnement, elle dit ''Je repère immédiatement les personnes conscientes de cela. C’est facile à voir. C’est dans les yeux'' oh ! Elle à quelque chose à vendre… Dans la langue courante, on qualifie de vrais ou de faux aussi bien des énoncés que des choses, des événements, situation, etc.
    Quand nous voyons, dans les phénomènes naturels, l’enchaînement qui existe de telle façon que les choses semblent faites dans des buts de prévision, comme l’œil , l’estomac, etc., nous ne pouvons nous empêcher de supposer que ces choses sont faites intentionnellement , dans un but déterminé, nous disons que nous les faisons avec intention et nous ne pourrions admettre que c’est le hasard qui a tout fait. Eh bien , il y a beaucoup à redit je n’ai pas assez le temps pour exposer tout , mais je me méfie toujours des donneurs de leçons, je refuse a prendre pour argent comptant toute doctrine d'ou quelle vienne ... L'être humain possède son libre arbitre. Désolé Roxana d’avoir été trop long.Allan

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  3. 'overwhelming wonder' indeed, when something so meaningful to us finds expression - i'm glad you did! and glad to share in it a little.

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  4. that quote I am going to steal ;)
    (although he might have mixed it up with astigmatism)

    it is summer, btw - when are you getting your new camera?

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  5. Eneles, i was just ordering, right now, that is really perfect timing, thanks for the question :-)

    could you please tell me what else i should buy beside the D90 body? what type of battery plus charger? i am a little confused, because here:
    http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-EN-EL3e-Rechargeable-Battery-Digital/dp/B000BYCKU8/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

    they don't mention D90. and what memory card?

    or should i get this kit?
    http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-D90-Digital-EN-EL3e-Accessory/dp/B001HW1ATK

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  6. D90 uses en-el3e, no problem with that - en-el3e was designed for d300 and d90 wasn't around that time.
    Yes, you should get the kit - having a bag will discipline you (mine is usually in free-fall). It is not specified how fast the card is, and anyway you should get 1-2 more. I use transcend cards. probably would have bought this. it is essential to have few cards - models are scarce and unstable ;)

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  7. the carpathians have always seemed exotic and mysical to me. lovely quote, I can see why it suits you perfectly.

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  8. thanks Eneles for your (always valuable and quick) technical help. but you forgot to tell me about the charger, i don't think it's in the kit. if the only reason to buy the kit is the bag, it's not a good enough one for me, i take care of my camera :-) better than of other things, anyway. i see that you have to pay an extra 20 dollars for the shipping of the kit, while other products are eligible for free shipping.

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  9. hi, roxana.. I'm back with the definite consciousness. I really like the cool violet in the twilight.

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  10. what is a cloud but a dream made visible? and what is a dream but a portal to the real? how many light-years pass in a woman's glance, or between words in this endless poem? then pass through the Rose Nebula: watch Earth rise inside these rooms of chance, like mountains, like crowns of verse.

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  11. The second book I published - 25 years ago! - was called Between Earth and Sky. These are really striking and beautiful photographs. Thank you.

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  12. Mary-Laure, i have just found about him myself, also thanks to the amazing meetings inside the 'web world' :-)

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  13. Allan, merci de me faire part de tes pensees, tu prends toujours le temps de reflechir sur mes postes, c'est quelque chose qui me touche profondement.
    cette fois-ci pourtant je ne peux pas etre d'accord avec toi. je pense que si tu mettais un peu plus de temps a decouvrir son oeuvre, tu en viendrais a aimer ce qu'il fait (c'est 'il', pas 'elle'). je suis sure que son art parlera a ta sensibilite qui n'est pas du tout etrangere a celle de la Chine et a une maniere contemplative d'etre au monde...
    (d'ailleurs il y a un autre poete francais fascine par la Chine, et que j'adore, Victor Segalen, tu connais?)

    voila une presentation d'un de ses livres qui pourrait t'interesser (Michael, merci pour cette decouverte, si tu lis ca):

    http://www.livres-et-lectures.net/margat_guangxi.htm

    j'ai choisi ce paragraphe parce qu'il reflete mes propres pensees avec beaucoup de clarte, je ne crois pas qu'il s'agisse d'arrogance quand il dit: ''Je repère immédiatement les personnes conscientes de cela. C’est facile à voir. C’est dans les yeux''. c'est quelque chose dont moi-aussi je peux temoigner, j'appelle ca 'etre vivant' - des gens qui sont 'vivants', dans leur coeur et leur esprit, se posent des questions sur soi-meme et le monde, cherchent a comprendre et a se comprendre, au lieu d'accepter une vie d'automatisme et routine ou seules les valeurs materielles ont de l'importance... on voit immediatement si cette flamme de l'esprit brille dans les yeux de quelqu'un, et ca n'a rien a voir avec la culture ou l'education, mais avec, justement, une maniere d'etre 'vivant' au monde, d'avoir pleinement conscience de la fragilite et de la beaute de l'existence...

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  14. thank you, Manuela, there is so much joy in sharing, isn't it? when i take a picture that i like, my first thoughts are always: oh i have to show this to... you, and you, and you... and then the joy gets deeper and becomes meaningful in a different way...

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  15. Eneles,
    thank you for not forgetting about my questions, that was very sweet of you. i haven't posted your answer anymore because i think the technical details won't interest anybody else :-)

    now we still have to wait until August, when i finally get to have the camera - but tell me why so much interest that i should get it, are you so bored with my film pictures? :-)

    and of course, i grant you my permission to steal that quote :-)

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  16. Sorlil, you are the second person telling me that this quote is something i could have said myself, i am happy about it, it means that, first, i was right in choosing and sharing it and second, what i do here on my blog doesn't give a very wrong impression about myself :-)

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  17. Peter!!! welcome back :-)
    i don't know what 'definite consciousness' means, but i am certainly glad to hear from you...

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  18. oh sutton

    "what is a cloud but a dream made visible? and what is a dream but a portal to the real?"

    i need more images of clouds to do justice to these questions for which i am so grateful to you...

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  19. Neil, i know you have a soft spot for my clouds and mountains :-) and i am happy about it!
    what kind of book is it?

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  20. Roxana - it was an anthology about the harsh life of nineteenth century farm laborers - the poetic title was not ironic but meant to sting. And yes, I do love your clouds and mountains - but your flowers and your turned-away girls too.

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  21. "turned-away girls', how beautifully you put it, Neil :-) given the fact that you spend all your time immersed into those fabulous etchings with so many breathtaking women portraits that i would give anything to be able to capture myself - i am more than honoured by your words...

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  22. august, what a shame, my curiousity will be dissatisfied for two more months. the reason for it is of course the eternal argument if it is medium or content that matters, and scientific way of finding out would be of course change medium (instead of long pointless discussions, like the one I had with some young middle-format adepts recently - who spent few hours singing praise to 6x6 but couldn't show a any good picture)(and wern't cute ;)). Therefore I am curious of what that will do to you - I did try observing that change in myself - but here I am biased. we shall see ;)

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  23. Eneles, you did try some self-analysis, this is indeed worth celebrating news :-)
    and what was the outcome, though biased as you say?

    (of course i am flattered to be the object of such a scientific curiosity :-)

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  24. that wasn't analysis of myself, it was purely artistic study (self-analysis leads to re-evaluation, re-evaluation leads to doubt, doubt leads to changes, changes lead to chaos, chaos leads to destruction)
    the outcome was that more possibilities lead to more variety and less harmony
    if it is good or bad - time will tell, as now most of my film-era pictures look pretty boring to me

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  25. Eneles, your resistance to changes has always amused me, the one who abhors solidity :-) but then, why even try to talk to unknown people, this might lead to a change, and change leads to chaos and and and :-) oh i forget about your optimism that reason is powerful enough to 'contain' changes and direct them onto the 'right', desirable path. but i think even Voltaire's poor Candide has learned better :-)

    now coming to the really serious stuff, my question is: if your film-era pictures seem boring to you now, how on earth could my pictures retain your interest? verrry curious indeed.

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  26. my optimism is long gone. and I do not talk to unknown people anymore. apparently the only thing without majors and minors is lightroom - even though it crashes from time to time - it comes back next moment anew.

    now to serious stuff, of course there were some good pictures, but now I somehow make more (interesting to me) pictures that it is totally different feeling, and ensemble vs. solo - and currently I am in a symphony mood. Of course none of these considerations apply to other people. and I am aware that after some time I may or may not refer to temps present as "lame foggy weeds period" ;) (and genre will be all the rage. or not)

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  27. i won't discuss your symphonic moods, Eneles, since i couldn't go even 20 kisses deep into the Seas, let alone a thousand :-)

    i can't.

    but my humble guess is that you are the kind of person (here it comes :-) tending to treasure what he has/does in the present, so i am not surprised that you value your recent pictures higher than the old ones.

    i still think that when it comes to colour, digital is so much more limited and monotonous than film - not even Lightroom can be of help there.

    but, let's wait and see what it will do to me, as you put it :-) if anything!

    and now i have to get back to work, reading student papers, that's a good incentive for chatting, though, it's boring :-(

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