Evolutionary Teething

Excerpt from: Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut

I will be very interested in peoples critique of this image. I find myself personally liking the visuals that are more abstract in thought and less literal in interpretation. This one follows the camp of abstract but I will defend it as being a very successful visual interpretations of the submitted passage. So here is "Evolutionary Teething", Chapter Nine of the Book Passages Series. Enjoy, digest and comment. Thanks.

Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut:
Speaking of teeth: there have never been dentists on Santa Rosalia or any other human colonies on the Galapagos Islands. As would have been the case a million years ago, a typical colonist can expect to be edentate by the time he or she is thirty years old, having suffered many skull-cracking toothaches on the way. And this is more than a blow to mere vanity, surely since teeth set in living gums are now people's only tools.

Really, Except for their teeth, people now have no tools at all.

Spotlight on Book Passages Series

Hey folks if you haven't already, please check out this great article at CricketToes that Mary Dally-Muenzmaier wrote about my Book Passage visual journey.

If you are new to the blog the series begins with the post "What have you read lately" from February of this year.

Still looking for book passages so feel free to provide one in the comment section below or email me at wmzuback@backtothezu.com

Thanks and I hope you continue to enjoy the journey as much as I have.

W.S. Merwin, in The Language of Life by Bill Moyers

This image which is posted below combines three images into a visual dialog. This dialog flows like the rhythm of a haiku and that is why it is titled "Visual Haiku". Thanks once again for all of the kind words and continued interest in this visual journey I have titled my Book Passages Series. I'm still looking for more submissions from you the readers so if you have come across an interesting passage from your current read, please pass it on and I will add it to my journey. I always enjoy your comments, observations and critique so please add to the experience for all to enjoy by sharing your thoughts. And now, here is the book excerpt from W. S. Merwin, in The Language of Life, by Bill Moyers.

Poetry, like all the arts, is an expression of faith in the integrity of the senses and of the imagination; these are what we have in common with the natural world. The animals have no doubt about the integrity of their senses - they're essential to them - and whatever the animal imagination may be, we can imagine it as being connected with their senses. Our remaining connections with what we call the natural world are our dreams, some of our erotic life, if we are lucky, and any sensual experience that we can still believe in.

We go into a supermarket and we have artificial light, canned music, everything's deodorized - we can't touch or taste or smell anything, and we hear only what they want us to hear. No wonder everybody wanders around like zombies! Because our senses have been taken away from us for awhile. A supermarket brings the whole thing into focus. The things that are there don't belong there, they didn't grow there. They have a shelf life, which being rented, so that we can buy them. It's only about selling things. This is a very strange kind of situation, but it's typical of our lives.

Poetry, like all the arts, not only reconnects us to the world, it emanates from the connection with the world of the senses and the imagination that remains. When that connection is no longer there, there will be no arts, and we won't even know what we missed - we really will be zombies walking around, if we can walk at all, in sort of eternal supermarket.

Visual Haiku

The State of Desire

Welcome to the seventh chapter of the Book Passages Series. This visual interpretation is based on an excerpt from Tom Robbins, "Another Roadside Attraction". Before I get to the passage that I created my visual from I absolutely must praise the talent that was SO generous with their time and talent.

Like most artists, I create because I have to. It's who I am and how I move through this life. Also like most artists I rarely get any monetary reward from my creations. I rely on talent that understands the creative process and I often trade for prints, and portraits. The group of talent that surrounded me on this creative endeavor was simply amazing. From make-up to the final capture, these talented and generous individuals dedicated eight hours of their Saturday for this project. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for each and every person involved. Thanks to Ashley for her assistance on this project. Thanks Tracy, Nate, Niko and David for their visual and expressive talent. Thanks Daniel for your make-up artistry. Thanks to Mary for allowing total strangers to invade her private property for ten hours and thanks to my wife who has the patience to put up with an artist. She said she would never marry an artist yet she constantly provides me the space and time to create.

Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins

"There are three mental states that interest me," said Amanda, turning the lizard doorknob. "These are: one, amnesia; two, euphoria; three, ecstasy."
She reached into the cabinet and removed a small green bottle of water-lily pollen. "Amnesia is not knowing who one is and wanting desperately to find out. Euphoria is not knowing who one is and not caring. Ecstasy is knowing exactly who one is - and still not caring."

As always I appreciate your comments. I always learn from others insight and viewpoint.

Jack in the Boxes

Well, I should finally have a new Book Passages image ready to post by Sunday or Monday? It has been a long process of finding models, scheduling models and finding locations. I started to work on two passages at a time so that maybe with luck the laps between new images will be less. The Jack in the Boxes are for my shoot I have planned for Saturday. This involves three human Jack in the Boxes and a vixen ring leader. Hope I've peaked your interest to return for another look soon.

Until then, I'm running as fast as I can. Need to remember to slow down occasionally to smell the coffee instead of just relying on it's wonderful super human attributes.