A different tale

Tags

blur, elementary, haze, historic, inconspicious, inside, photography

The day of December two thousand and twenty, started with haze and drizzle, that kept some sort of lock over the day.

Still, face covered with mask in the train, we went to the city of Amsterdam, to visit the museum of photography ‘Foam’. Rarely do I make photos of photos. But there are other elements. My photos taken in the museum are given below, together with a few from the journey back home.

stubborn element (detail)

stubborn element (whole)

Now more than in earlier times, there is the need for refreshment of air within buildings.

grate for air vent (one)

Grate for air vent (two)

The artist Jan Schoonhoven might have found inspiration.

Grate for air vent (detail of one, B&W)

Somewhat hidden, there is a call for connectivity, dating from more than half a century ago.

electric wire and plugs

A crack in the window captures the focus.

crack in the window, museum Foam

Outside is different, but the view is still influenced. And strong light placed near historic facades of homes deviates the focus.

two lights near historic facade

While looking outside through the train windows, images are mirrors of movement.

speeds blurs the view outside (one)

There was no storm, just a train passing.

speed blurs the view outside (two)

• abstract
• archeology
• art
• Art competition
• assemblage
• creation
• Dada
• death
• Decay
• defense
• demography
• destruction
• development
• Figurative art
• France
• graphics
• Greece
• History
• inconspicious
• inside
• installation
• internet
• kunst
• landscape
• Le Pays
• mental health
• mushrooms
• nature
• natuur
• outdoor
• painting
• philosophy
• photography
• poem
• poetry
• poezie
• retirement
• rocks
• society
• street photography
• structure
• Uncategorized
• Urban nature

Bahnbetriebswerk Bayerischer Bahnhof

Tags

abandoned, Bahnhof, Bayerischer, fotografie, Grafitti, History, photography, railway, urban

With railways becoming the most important means of transport over land in the 19th century, repair units also had to be established.

Already in 1842, a repair unit for trains was established south of Leipzig (Germany) as the “Bahnbetriebswerk Bayerischer Bahnhof”.
Build in a half-circle, the repair unit allowed several locks to be examined and repaired.
During the second world-war, heavy damage was suffered, with some units repaired after the war, untill around 2000 it was no longer was kept functioning.

Now, kids can play with skates, and grafitti artists take the opportunity to decorate the abandoned place.

Turning circle allowing trains to enter different sections of the repair unit.

 

“Hush, perfection has no name”.

 

The inner state

 

Broken windows (the cat’s view)

 

The circle and the pitts

 

A laugh at a time brings mircacles

 

The crane to lift

 

Heating

 

Transport of paint tubes

 

At the turning point

 

“Hola”

 

Unit to steer currents

Judges Report Final Round Figurative Art in Three Dimensions

Tags

3-D, abstract, Dada, decision, fotografie, installation, instruction, jury, kunst, nothingness, photography, ready-made, report, Spain, subversive, three-dimensional, wall

XXth Competion at Art Center VIMOMUX, year 2019

After thorough deliberation, trying to reach consensus and equal imput of the members of the jury, a final decision was reached on the three submitted art-peaces created by Drager Meurtant (NL, 1951)

During the process, the five members from the jury weighed the pros and cons of artistic protuberances, by applying the elementary principles prescribed for separation of figurative versus abstract (Instruction Report #A12B-567, 1983).

“Sorry Jean”

Art-peace One: “Sorry Jean” (2018)

Comments: the raw, primitive nature of the semi-figurative concrete relief, associates firmly with the wall and hence, the placement creates an actuality in addressing contemporary trauma. The integrative character expressed by the circumstantial placement on pre-existing background, makes the art an holistic event. The wholeness further enhances the pertinent relation with contemporary queries into the genesis of soul as sole force feeding eternality.

Decision: accept.

“Solitary Traveller”

Art-peace Two: “Solitary Traveller” (2018)

Comments: this ready-made, sculptural figuration really transpires the solitude, as the title implicates. By referring to the multiple miniature quadrants, the depth of research is enhanced, for the validity of use of objects – that in their history served a different role – in art practice, as this was first employed by Marcel Duchamp (Bicycle Wheel, 1913) or even earlier by the DaDa artist Elsa, the Baroness of Freytag-Loringhoven, with her Enduring Ornament (1913).

The blackish color reflects the loss of relevance of this art-medium for many art-historians. The use of one-sided lighting anguishes the perception by the viewer, in it’s ineluctable blow of the flow of time towards the end, without escape. In this way, the figure announces death, as already can be derived from the two title words.

Decision: accept.

“The Triangle”

Art-peace three: “The triangle” (2019)

Comments: the narrow margin lifting this work from two- into three dimensions serves a function as to elude from fixed barriers, frames and borders. The material applied, and the colors that follow at (superb) lighting are enchanting the spectator. With experience, however, the true meaning comes into vision: a play with prejudice, superstition and ordinary judgement. The host – when placed oppositive this well-crafted work, becomes a graft not able to suppress the primary reaction of being placed in a hostile environment. This conflict deepens the experience, since doubt opens the mind.

Decision: accept (special honor).

Members of the Jury:

Jacques de Santo Torres (chair)

Anna Viltan Navon (secretary)

Karl Hütting Wltack (member)

Vladimir Brosvokic (member)

Faith Runungongo (member)

The directorate of dreams

Tags

abstract, assemblage, dreams, dromen, gedicht, grafiek, graphics, kunst, lino-cut, monoprint, philosophy, photography, poem, poetry, street-view

When dreams arrive, the content is not indicated on the envelope

(Jacques de Santo Torres (1888-1972)

A first dream:

Sitting in the backseat of a car, with increasing speed going down a steep slope and then, the gradual discovery that the driver is asleep, or dead?

Next, a second dream:

Walking through corridors that resemble my former school, realizing that preparations for exams at the end of this year have been poor, that time and perseverance is lacking, always being too late for class and ill-focused…

Then, a third dream :

People are waiting for me, to take charge. To deal and treat conditions of defect, of suffering. Yet, I don’t know the password and I’m not dressed to the occasion. I’m simply not instrumental…

These are dreams that threaten with defeat, that reflect one’s inner perception to be doomed to failure. I do not have a subscription to such dreams. But, once in a while, ill-managed delivery makes these land on my doorstep.

« – »

Can a dream be a memory?

Dreaming Cubistic, Drager Meurtant, August 17, 2017

Can a dream

be a memory

and if so

depends the format

on the shape of the display?

« – »

From dreams I turn to the real world. That is, if the creation of art is part of the real world, and not (more so) placed at the border of the dream-world and the dreadful daily circumstances of life. Some time ago I recited a poem standing opposite of a statue which I had made, and surrounded by spectators and listeners. That time I chose the position of the creator, and the statue was obliged to listen.

« – »

Poem for a statue

Rudimentary, Drager Meurtant (2016)

Statue, you look at me

with your fool’s eyes,

that are no eyes.

Statue, your mouth swears

my imperfection

to tell the truth.

You suck me empty

you drown my power

you feed yourself

with my imagination

and leave me hollow.

« – »

Streaks on the window

Streaks on the window (Drager Meurtant, December 4, 2017)

The streaks on the windows

don’t say nothing,

such as “when do

I see you again?”

at the exit

of the supermarket.

« – »

Bridges are encountered in several forms of dreams. As stated by an expert in dreams: “The bridge often has the significance of crossing or moving from one phase of life, activity or emphasis to another” (reference: Tony Crisp, http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/bridge-2/).

What if a bridge?

What if a bridge?, Drager Meurtant, lino-cut, 2017 (ed. 1/3)

What if

a bridge exists

only in your dream?

And the abyss

before you

is real?

« – »

Passage

Untitled (Pyrenean landscape 1983, monoprint, Drager Meurtant, 2017

The other night

I ran down a gentle slope

my feet not touching ground

just kicking air

holding my breath from expiring

to continue this state of floating

as long as could be…

 

Moment

Tags

abstract, condition humaine, coping, Dada, essential, fotografie, gedicht, kunst, philosophy, photography, poem, poetry

When emotions no longer

are stirred by elements

that pass.

When anger is frozen

by lack of a proper

target.

Then comes the moment

to turn the page.

Wanneer emoties niet langer

worden opgeroepen door elementen

die langs komen,

Als woede is bevroren

bij gebrek aan een geschikt

doel,

Dan komt het moment

de bladzij om te slaan.

(c) Drager Meurtant, text & photo, March 1, 2018

Doubt – Twijfel

Tags

Dada, Decay, direction, found-object, gedicht, installation, instruction, nothingness, poem, poezie, temporary, verval

Doubt

‘Don’t follow me’
the guide said, and
disappeared around the corner.

An instruction needs
critical examination
full of doubt
before being left
behind,
unused.

Twijfel

‘Volg mij niet’

zei de gids, en

verdween om de hoek.

Een aanwijzing dient

steeds kritisch en

met twijfel onderzocht

te worden,

vooraleer deze

ongebruikt achter te laten.

 

<Image and text (c) Drager Meurtant, 2017>

An easy path? / Een makkelijk pad?

Tags

Dada, emptiness, fotografie, gedicht, kunst, painting, photography, poetry, poezie, schilderij

Obstacle

Wandering in the forest / the frst impression was / to be confronted by obstacles. //

However, at close inspection / the elements had been constructed /

to bridge a gap.

Obstakel

Dwalend door het bos / was de eerste indruk / te stuiten op obstakels. //

Maar, bij nadere inspectie / bleken de elementen te zijn ontworpen /

om een kloof te dichten.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Do not enter

The medium is clear / that of mixed-media. //

The intention, no … /

the aim is to provide / an easy path through the delta /

of my inner meandering.

Ga niet binnen

Het medium is helder / dat van gemengde techniek. //

De bedoeling, nee … /

het doel is het verschaffen / van een makkelijk pad door de delta /

van mijn innerlijke kronkels.

 

(text and photographs (c) Drager Meurtant, 2017)

One-hunderd-thousand miles away from nothingness

Tags

emptiness, nothingness, philosophy

On some occasions, one comes at a particular place or view, that appears empty, or even dull. Yet, at longer inspection, and at closer look, elements arise, that have ‘content’, or background. At further consideration, connections and interplay become visible, that demonstrate that the place (or view) is far from being empty, and its image fits within the theme “one-hundred-thousand miles away from nothingness.”

Road to emptiness

I looked around the corner / and you can accept my word for it / this road leads nowhere / or atmost, it leads to emptiness.

(images 1, 2 & 3 made during walk in February 2015)

“100,000 miles away from nothingness”. if you type that phrase, and search for it on the world-wide-web, a band by the name of ‘cult to follow’ appears. with a song this is nicely written, but the opposite from what I want to express.

That is, to imagine – by light-writing or photography – the state of nothingness, that was around before. Before we were, before our ancestors were. A state that lasted eons longer than the minutes of our life.
Concrete: can you from time to time make a photograph that has so little noice, sound, surface, that terms like ’emptiness, idleness, nothingness are approximated. If so, keep still…

Black heap and no more

(could talk more than one hour about what’s more)

 

Shattered

Whether these are memories / or reflections, /  that does not matter. // When frames crumble /  or even pillars tall / then both memories and reflections / will rumble and fall.

 

Imagination helps. Thus, when arriving at a spot where not much is happening, figures may appear, that start talking….

Forgotten

P: “You forgot something.”

Q: “What are you saying?”

P: “You forgot something.”

Q: “That’s what you think.”

passing a demolition site, April 2015

The Appearance of Structure

Tags

fotografie, found-object, gedicht, kunst, photography, poetry, poezie

Structure

In the street you may find / light and dark,

the first often seen as clear / the second as obscure.

 

My words point to the opposite,

My words are in vain,

The listener just went around the corner.

 

 

Now on the issue “appearance”, the following image and poem:

Demonstration

 

This is an illusion / not an appearance of live being / nor demon.

Unexpected meetings and illusions / have much in common.