Fidelity

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Fidelity. Havana, Cuba. July 2019.

Fidelity. Havana, Cuba. July 2019.

La Guarida, Havana, Cuba.

The stories of Fidel Castro and Camilo Cienfuegos (the man depicted on the wall) are legendary in modern Cuban history. Tales of victory and loyalty, but also of foul play and jealousy.

Cienfuegos was a loyal compatriot of Castro’s, however many speculate that after the revolution, Castro was responsible for Cienfuegos’ untimely disappearance in 1959. Since his death at 27, Cienfuegos has been an everlasting martyr of the Cuban Revolution. So why does the speculation of Castro’s involvement linger on? It is said that Cienfuegos gained more popularity than Castro post-revolution, which threatened Castro’s position in leadership. If true, it proves once again that politics is about a lot more than just pledging fidelity.

When you ask Cubans or read about their relationship, you will get plenty of opinions supporting one theory or the other. Whether they parted as allies or adversaries remains a mystery, however one thing is certain, Cienfuegos, the charismatic, adventure loving, "Hero of Yaguajay” lives on everywhere in the country.

Finding Rivendell

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Finding Rivendell. September 2018. Plivitce, Croatia.

Finding Rivendell. September 2018. Plivitce, Croatia.

Plivitce Lakes National Park, Croatia.

If you enjoy The Lord of the Rings as much as I do, then you may see a bit of JRR Tolkien’s Imladris aka “Rivendell,” the refuge for the Elves, in Plivitce.

Plivitce Lakes National Park is a group of 16 lakes situated on different elevations; twelve upper lakes and four lower ones. Upper lakes cascade down into the lower lakes, creating countless spectacular waterfalls. The water that feeds Plivitce is runoff from nearby mountains and moves over the limestone formations surrounding the lakes. As it flows, the water dissolves the rock and becomes saturated with calcium carbonate which creates a travertine coating on the bottom and sides of the lake. Essentially, the water calcifies everything it touches and that is why the lakes are so clear — no mud or algae ever accumulates. This also means that the water has stunning and distinctive shades that range from crystal clear, to aqua, blue, green, and grey. Colors change between lakes and also alter depending on the sunlight and the minerals in the water.

Plivitce is a stunning gem of a UNESCO site and perhaps the only one that would be adequate for Lord Elrond.

 
Finding Rivendell. September 2018. Plivitce, Croatia.

Finding Rivendell. September 2018. Plivitce, Croatia.

Alone, Together

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Alone, Together. Berlin, Germany. December 2018.

Alone, Together. Berlin, Germany. December 2018.

Ganzfeld “Aural” by James Turrell.

In my in opinion, the most fascinating part of experiencing Turrell’s works is that you can be surrounded by people, but still feel completely alone with it. Often, his pieces are about the solo, mental experience. Ganzfeld “Aural” is a prime example. While there may be several individuals in this same shared space, the perceptual experience is completely individual and internal.

In Ganzfeld, a visitor walks into an empty room and is bathed in light. When you first step into the piece and approach the central point, the combination of the light and the decline is completely disorienting; it is intended to be this way. You feel as though you are walking through a thick colorful fog before your eyes can adjust. As the lights slowly change, so does your depth perception; you think you are walking towards the end of a tunnel, when in fact you are walking precariously towards a 2 meter drop.

Ganzfeld is actually a German word that describes the phenomenon of “perceptual deprivation” and this is what this work challenges you with. Once you are immersed, you cannot trust your eyes or your senses, but you are forced to grapple with it alone.

 
Alone, Together. Berlin, Germany. December 2018.

Alone, Together. Berlin, Germany. December 2018.

Curves in All the Right Places

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Curves in All the Right Places. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. May 2019.

Curves in All the Right Places. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. May 2019.

Curves in All the Right Places II. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. May 2019.

Curves in All the Right Places II. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. May 2019.

Frank Gehry designed staircase at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

I visited the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) specifically to see this Frank Gehry creation. I went with my friend Matthew (an incredibly talented painter, http://www.matthewcarver.net/home) and he told me that Gehry actually grew up a stones throw away from the gallery. Gehry and Partners renovated the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2008 and one signature piece of the restoration was this beautiful wooden staircase. The spiral bursts up from the first floor, breaks through the glass covered courtyard, and into the other contemporary gallery floors of the museum. This section connecting the second and third floor is my favorite perspective. From this particular point of view, you can see that the railing keeps curving up higher as someone walks up and instead of becoming parallel with the floor. In this way, if you look over the railing as you ascend or descend, your view of the courtyard disappears in some steps and then returns in others. It is meant to mimic your peekaboo line of sight as if you were riding a wave.

From the view below, the staircase, to me, looks like a piece of ribbon being spun off to one side, tilting off kilter, and adding a bit of movement to the wooden structure.

Eye Spy

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JR at Maison Europeenne de la Photographie (MEP). Paris, France.

In November, I was fortunate enough to be in Paris when artist JR did a “takeover” of the city, installing his large scale photographs in various metro stations across the city. The campaign was to promote the artist’s first major show in Paris aptly named “MOMENTUM”.

While I was unable to go to the exhibit, the MEP smartly put some of his work on the exterior of their building as well. MOMENTUM included some of JR’s early photographs and showcased several new installations. JR’s work is politically charged and often controversial, but that’s why I enjoy it. He has a point of view and is unafraid to double down on it. The past few years, he has focused his work on immigration and victims of wars and conflicts. The most talked about piece inside the exhibit was his recent mural about guns in America that landed on the cover of TIME’s November 5th cover. For the mural, JR filmed and photographed 245 people from across the gun debate spectrum: hunters, activists, teachers, parents, police officers, and children.

This particular photo here used on the exterior of MEP is from his series: Portrait of a Generation, an illegal pasting exhibition of portraits all captured with a 28 mm lens.

Jali

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Jali. Delhi, India. June 2018.

Jali. Delhi, India. June 2018.

Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, India. June 2018.

Visiting India was a beautifully noisy experience. There are scores of people at every corner feeding the city its bustling energy. Humayun’s Tomb is one of the most visited sites in Delhi so when I saw this woman sitting alone with her son in one of the exterior niches, I had to capture it.

In June, when it is an average of 98-100°F/37-38°C each day, any shade and breeze is key. Lattice work known as jali, as seen in this window, is not only beautiful, but also serves a functional purpose. Jali helps moderate temperature and air flow, by serving as a natural air conditioner. As air flows through the openings it is compressed and released, when this happens, air becomes cooler. Jali also helps with ventilation as it filters sunlight and increases the movement of air, creating a cross breeze. Without direct sunlight you also get a beautiful soft light indoors.

Not to be a complete creeper, but jali also has privacy benefits. Due to the difference in light, you can see from the inside out and it is difficult to see from the outside in. This meant I could take this shot without disturbing the mother and son outside.

She's Out of This World

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She’s Out of This World. Tokyo, Japan. January 2019.

She’s Out of This World. Tokyo, Japan. January 2019.

teamLab Planets immersive digital art museum. Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan. January 2019.

When I first heard of teamLab’s digital art museum, I was skeptical. I’ve seen a lot of these “museums” pop up (ehem Museum of Ice Cream) that are created just for that “Instagram moment” and completely without any artistic meaning or value. I’m happy to report back, I was proven wrong with this museum.

teamLab Planets is a beautiful experience. There are five vignettes (some are better than others), however overall it is a very immersive and impressive experience. This was my favorite room, aptly named “The Infinite Crystal Universe”. The lights and music were so well coordinated and there was not an angle or reflection that did not look other worldly.

Here is my friend Hiroko walking through one of the corridors of the exhibit. To me, she looks like she’s amongst the stars and in a galaxy far far away.

If you find yourself in Tokyo, I highly recommend stopping by teamLab Planets and their other museum teamLab Borderless. You’ll get more than just an Instagram.