Moss and peeling paint on old boat, Kodiak Harbor, Alaska
Questions. Thousands and thousands of questions. Ever since I can remember, this has been one constant in my life. Could this be why I was drawn to math and science? After all, a constant craving for answers cannot go completely unfulfilled. Sometimes there is one, single answer. Perhaps it is inevitable to be drawn to nature as there are so many more questions than answers. And yet, there are answers, whether we know them or not.
Being an engineer inherently makes you wonder what makes something tick. The artist side of me simply embraces the question itself. These two do not always make for good bedfellows. Often they are at odds with each other. One asking “why?” and the other sometimes saying “who cares?” At the same time, both fuel a continuous state of staying curious. Why is that leaf that shape? How did that line in that rock come to be? How long ago was it?
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
I see art in patterns of rocks and leaves. But it is not that the object itself is a work of art, as there is biology, evolution, physical properties of elements that make things look the way they do. There are answers. Yet, I may not know them, or ever know them. Maybe I will discover them, forget and wonder again. My lack of capacity to retain a lot of information acts as a perpetual question machine. 🙂
Sahara Jasper Stonescape (from the Sahara Desert, Africa)
The rock, the leaf, the mountain, the planet, the galaxy – all of these things don’t acknowledge the concept of “art.” The purest explanation I have ever been able to rely on is that it is our own perceptions and thoughts of what we see, hear, feel that make something art. I can see why someone would “see art” in a tree, in a sidewalk, or in a donut. It has everything to do on how something is internalized and put forth into creation. Whether it is relatable to you personally is an entirely different story. Of course, I am sure we have all uttered those four classic, art critic words “I don’t get it.”
Part of the draw of photography for me is that it attempts to satisfy these two impulses. It is a record of what I saw, wondered, questioned. It is not aways successful at satisfying both, but usually it satisfies one of them. Many teachings of photography will instruct you to think of the story you want to tell with an image. While many stories have conclusions, I tend to linger more on photographs that prompt more questions, that invoke that sense of wonder.
I can think of no better way to conclude this post than with a quote by David Bowie: “Once you lose that sense of wonder at being alive, you’re pretty much on the way out…” Stay curious folks.
Love this quote, it sums up how I feel most of the time ? “One asking “why?” and the other sometimes saying “who cares?” At the same time, both fuel a continuous state of staying curious.” great thought provoking post as always Mark.
Thank you for your comments Suzy!
Good post, Mark! I tend to like images which leave open the opportunity for questions for which there may not be an answer or at least may have many individual answers.
Wonderful images…the second is my favorite…I see a world within a world.
Yes, still trying to maintain that “sense of wonder at being alive.” But, it’s harder to do that these days. 😉
Yep, we are on the same page my friend.
I do like questions too. And I’m ok if I don’t always get the answers, it just leaves me filled with wonder and that beats being filled with boredom or scepticism or anger or whatever else.
I very much like the accompanying photos. The one of the stone fooled me for a bit. I thought it was a type of sumi e ink drawing of a tree but it is part of the stone is it not? Like you, I will linger far longer on images that leave me questioning, wondering, contemplating. In any case, that image looks wonderful.
Great post Mark.
Thanks Cedric. Yes, that photo is of a rather unique stone, from a particular spot in the Sahara Desert. Quite the story behind those that obtained it. One that sparks a lot of questions in my mind, even knowing what it is and where it came from.
Wonderful thoughts. Wonderful images. Made me think of CSNY:
“Oh, the questions of a thousand dreams
What you do with what you see”
As you were. Carry on ?
Thanks Howard. CSNY?
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. The song Carry On ?
Not sure why I keep accidentally putting ? Instead of periods. Big fingers on phone .
haha! LOL. I guess I am not enough of a fan to recognize it! Will have to check it out.
It’s a great one. Deja Vu album if I remember correctly. I think you’ll like it!