Proof of life
Yesterday in film class someone mentioned the saying “God is in the detail”.We were having a long complex discussion about photography and cinema, and relating that statement to the particular film we had just watched, which had presented the life of an elderly man in great detail. Not in a painful way, but in a beautiful way. The way where you realise that it is the every day that matters, that it is the details, the everyday routines, contact with individuals, the concrete and the material in the everyday that makes up who you are, and in which you can see God’s existence, His love, His creativity.
This is the same beauty I reckon is evident in Gus Van Sant’s films, especially Elephant (anyone seen that will hopefully understand what i mean!)
Its in the detail. The small things in life.
I guess that might be why I love photography so much. Its ability to capture those details. Before they are taken and forever dissolved into the past.
We spoke about the photograph as an indexical image of time and place; a moment of time as passed; a proof of life. The photograph as an object and all it encompasses certifies our existence in time.
No wonder we like to see photos of our family and friends!
Anyway, its so good doing a subject that combines film and photography! hehe
Capturing the everyday...
I dont know if any of that made sense....so to an unrelated note, wednesday I headed to The Basement in the city for some live jazz by Steve Morrison and his gang. And man was it good value - not only a quality performance but also a copy of the dude's cd - all for $15! I was impressed! (I'm listening to the cd now - its definately good!)Aside from the quality of performance, it was a good night catching up with friends and meeting new ones (one of those "surreal but nice" experiences). Overall, a top night!
Someone asked me the other day what would be my perfect day. I'd have to say a night like that would quite easily be a part of it!
But for now its back to reality and the pile of readings sitting next to me....
5 Comments:
To what extent do you think my experience of life at this moment my proof of life, versus a moment of my life captured yesterday? Or to what extent will our life to come prove that what I'm experiencing at this moment is not really real life at all?
Of course, moments captured yesterday prove that I have a life, whereas what i'm doing today doesn't really add much to that argument!
hehe yeah its weird ey....its about proof of existance, not necessarily the life lived. And (apparently) its to do with the fact that we are temporal beings, adn so the photograph proves we exist in time and space so to speak, and is therefore also proof that one day we will be no longer...
i dont know if thats explained very well though hehe...
we spent like an hr talking about this i our tut yesterday so i wont go into all the details ;)
I love that the photo has a life of itself too. A frozen moment. It will take a thousand people to a thousand different places.
Anyway, I just thought I should pull my finger out & comment back on such a consciencious commenter of mine!
someone's been to Santez, or orange, or whatever?
Thanks for dropping by again tim! long time no see! :)
And i love that point - thats so true - how photos remind people of a million different things!
which brings me to my next point...craig, only you would be able to pick it! But i love that about you! haha
Sadly this was taken back when i took those shots for you, which means no, i have not returned since...something that needs to change methinks!
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