Thursday, July 16, 2009

What the?

Wow! This becomes the fun part of not knowing or researching the book before creating the visual interpretation from the excerpt provided. When I read the passage I certainly began to go on my own visual journey based on the words. The end of my visual journey is what you see below. After looking on-line to find some information and links to the author and to the book I am surprised to find what the book is about. That is the true joy of doing this project. ENJOY!

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer:
He said, "We exist because we exist." "What the?" "We could imagine all sorts of universes unlike this one, but this is the one that happened."
I understand what he meant, and I didn't disagree with him, but I didn't agree with him either. Just because you're an atheist, that doesn't mean you wouldn't love for things to have reasons for why they are.


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love getting the email that says you have a new image to check out! I agree--this is a great one--provocative and intriuging.

Holley

Mike Starling said...

What a strangely cool photo! Always something interesting to see and read on your blog. In fact, I put a link to it today on my Twitter page in an attempt to turn more people on to it. Keep up the great work!

Naomi said...

Bill, I love what you did with this. Great title, too. The excerpt evokes many different feelings for me — inspiration, awe, curiosity, sadness, longing — which is why I chose it. I think you captured all of those, with an emphasis on the longing.

I also like the balloons. I'll have to show you the book; you'll be surprised (or maybe not) by the parallels with the images that are at the end of the book. Nice work.

Jay said...

Once again, a great image! It gives me a feeling of serenity while at the same time foreboding, loneliness and
turmoil without fear. A Zen moment perhaps?

Frieda Babbley said...

I am speechless, Bill. I LOVE this photo. I love the textures, the shades, the wonderment, so full, yet so empty (?). It's like so many stories in one. The sky, the building, the balloons... The title is so perfect! I agree with Naomi about the balloons.

William Zuback said...

Thanks everyone. I have enjoyed the descriptive words used to explain your feelings/reaction to the piece. I did feel the image needed an element of innocence and wonder to help balance some of the more foreboding elements in this piece.

Jay- interesting word selection. One that makes my mind wander with great interest, "Turmoil without Fear". Is that possible?

Jane Konkel said...

This weekend at an art fair I saw a little girl being pushed in a stroller. She let go of her balloon and the woman pushing the stroller was unaware. The little girl didn't seem to be too bothered by losing her balloon, but it made me sad. Seeing the girl at the fair reminded me of your picture.
The vacant hotel, the pile of rubble, letting go of a balloon makes me sad, but then the billboard and the clown in the pile of rubble give your pic an undercurrrent of levity like carnival sarcasm or something. Abandonment issues anyone?

William Zuback said...

Thanks Jane for your thoughtful comment. Yes, I do think the image plays a lot with the issue of abandonment in all it's forms and/or perceptions.