same roll as "just 'cause" image below, coffee toned

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This was printed and coffee stained about 12 years ago. Part of "Body as Landscape" theorum... t



-- tom meyer (twm@mindspring.com), June 19, 2000

Answers

Like the other one, beautiful light. This one works better for me, however, there seems to be a lot more intimacy coming from the woman (and yes, this time, I can tell.) The other one strikes me as slightly awkward.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), June 19, 2000.

ok for once in my life I'm gonna say something (sorta) critical, but still just a personal opinion, mainly because I really like this image and it would be perfect IF...if I couldn't tell that she was so close to the ground: I wanna see nothing but feathery sky in the background, nody dody trees!!! clouds please...

otherwise it's perfect. I'm jealous.

-- shawn (seeinsideforever@yahoo.com), June 20, 2000.


"nody dody trees"? what the hell is that?... "nody dody"? hmmm

That's a photograph of my life at the time, she was my girlfriend, that was my bedroom, those were the trees outside my window. And in Atlanta in the summer, it's hard to tell the clouds from the rest of the sky (photographically). Even red filters don't help (this shot is unfiltered, except for the coffee). Thanks Shawn, maybe I'll make more interesting pictures (like this) some day soon. Right now I'm shooting leotards on a plastic girl body and man is that boring in a perverse kinda way. It's wierd dressing and undressing "womanly" mannequins. (and so far away from making pictures like the above, I can't believe their both called "photography"). So don't be too jealous... t

-- tom meyer (twm@mindspring.com), June 20, 2000.


There are many awesome aspects to these pictures, Tom.... One impressive one to a photo-geek is that there are trees in the windows.... that they're exposed just right to show up without a fight..(i presume) they deliver a great mood.... The human form is a beautiful thing...

-- Chris Yeager (cyeager@ix.netcom.com), June 20, 2000.

Response to Just 'cause

I like this one, but...... the windows suggest a voyueristic mood, the opportunity to look into a private and thoughtful moment, the right clear window invites the viewer to look while the framing of the tree in the left hand window creates a busy mental image and creates a nice balance. the slight twist in the upper torso gives the image a softer outline and the shapely hip ( very nice hip) becomes the centre point. The graduation from top to bottem is very pleasing and maintains the attention to the classic body shape centrally situated in the bottem third.

Sir, I can accept being called a cad, bounder or blaggard but felon, No Sir. Not me, Sir.

Very nice young lady to whom the photograph pays a nice compliment.

But those b***** socks.

Regards

Jack.

-- Jack McVicker (Jack.m@virgin.net), June 20, 2000.



I used to live in the evening shadow of Mt. Tamalpais in Northern California. The translation of that name is said to be "The Sleeping Lady" and the mountain is shaped somewhat (in profile only) similarly to my friend here. My personal respect for this image (after all these years) is based on the metaphor or analogy of her body for the hillsides. It continues the exterior landscape seen outside one window, in an interior, personal way, to the other window with faint sister hills, thus bridging the connection between ourselves and the earth, which can then be personalized by anyone with an imagination and the time to contemplate.

Anyone ever read "Venus and Adonis" by Wm. Shakespeare? Venus speaks to Adonis:

"Fondling she saith, since I have hemmed thee here within the circle of this ivory pale, I'll be a park, and thou shall be my deer: feed where thou wilt, on mountain or in dale, graze on my lips and if those hills be dry, stray lower, where the pleasant fountains lie

Within this limit is relief enough, sweet bottom grass, and high delightful plain, round rising hillocks, brakes obscure and rough, to shelter thee from rain...

Then be my deer, since I am such a park, and no dog shall rouse thee, though a thousand bark"

... t

-- tom meyer (twm@mindspring.com), June 20, 2000.


May I respond with Sonnet XXIV ;

Mine eye hath play'd the painter and hath stell'd Thy beauty's form in table of my heart; My body is the frame wherein 'tis held, And perspective it is the painter's art. For through the painter must you see his skill, To find where your true image pictured lies; Which in my bosom's shop is hanging still, That hath his windows glazed with thine eyes. Now see what good turns eyes for eyes have done: Mine eyes have drawn thy shape, and thine for me Are windows to my breast, where-through the sun Delights to peep, to gaze therein on thee; Yet eyes this cunning want to grace their art; They draw but what they see, know not the heart.

-- fw (finneganswake@altavista.net), June 20, 2000.


I like the fact that she's not facing the camera. Retains an anonymity which I think is essential for this shot. I like it!

One question though, Tom. You've gotta tell us, how in the world do you use coffee to stain your prints? Just a big bath of decaf? :)

-- Edward Kang (ekang@cse.nd.edu), June 23, 2000.


Nope... high test. I drink it pretty strong, too...

Yeah figurative work is best that way for me. Sensual images of people done with a face makes it less available for a veiwer to build their own vicarious subtext. It turns into a portrait of a specific person, at least these would be that way... t

-- tom meyer (twm@mindspring.com), June 25, 2000.


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