The Narrative Image

Fig. 1     (02-06-2011) color version, click to enlarge Fig. 2     (03-24-2013) Color version, click to enlarge Fig. 3   (01-05-2014) Color version, click to enlarge Fig. 4     (03-15-2014) Color version, click to enlarge Fig. 5     (03-15-2014) Color version, click to enlarge Fig. 6     (03-15-2014) Color version, click to enlarge Fig. 7     (03-15-2014) Color version, click to enlarge Fig. 8     (04-07-2014) Color version, click to enlarge Fig. 9    (10-03-2015) Fig. 10     (10-03-2015) Color version, click to enlarge Fig. 11     (12-03-2016)      Fig. 12     (12-03-2016) ...

Art is a big mystery to me. I had a drawing instructor once who complained that all of my drawings were narrative in nature – always telling a story – and he seemed to think that there was something else, something more important to strive for – something more elemental. But I could never ‘get’ it. I’d studied Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in art history class and I secretly began to wonder if I wasn’t being forced, metaphorically, to appreciate the emperor’s new clothes (surely Picasso was naked). Lately, I’ve fallen into the routine of taking hikes and shooting pictures of a mountain landscape or two and maybe a close-up of a flower. I think I’ve kind of adopted the conceit that I’m some kind of photo journalist or something. I want my pictures to convey a sense of the amazement or wonder I experience when I take them, and maybe also to reveal or instruct, but I’m not sure if any of it is very creative. This Saturday, I forced myself to look for possible photos in the ordi...

I should probably begin by telling you that about the only plant I’ve ever managed to successfully grow was a Chia Pet, so you can imagine that gardens and gardening are somewhat of an impenetrable mystery to me. On the left is an example of Mt. Hood National Wilderness (From the Ramona Falls trail. See http://thenarrativeimage.blogspot.com/2007/05/ramona-falls-trail-super-sized-part-two.html ). On the right is an example of Portland Oregon’s Japanese Garden. While I personally find both scenes beautiful, there are several aspects about the garden scene that show evidence of human tinkering. Some of the obvious signs are a human constructed concrete artifact, groomed bushes and trees, and a preponderance of plant varieties seemingly chosen for aesthetic purposes. Just for the purpose of comparison, this corn is an example of a garden designed for the efficient production of a food crop. Curiously, I find this scene aesthetically pleasing also, but did not find any growing at the Japan...