When I think of pictures, I often think of lines – outlining the shape of an object, or adding up to shades of gray in a hatching. Michelangelo, however, thought that there were no lines in nature; there are only surfaces. And from a photographic point of view, he is spot-on: Photography gives us a unique chance to present surfaces with relatively little effort. Maybe that’s why I like photographing stone so much.
My contribution for this week’s photo challenge – culture – shows a statue by F. Schaper (dated 1904/05) representing Gustav Freytag, a German homme des lettres.
empire of lights 
I just read you have a training in Literature and Philosophy…Ok, now I understand…
Coincidence! I am presently exploring monuments with my camera, and I got fed up with all those war heroes. Hence I deliberately tried to ‘nail’ some writers – so far, I only found Goethe, Schiller, Dostoevsky, and Freytag.
Heraclitus said “Men who wish to know about the World must learn about it in its particular details”…I see you can abstract a whole life of a man in 3 details: a book, a fold of a coat…I love it!
Thanks for your insightful (and encouraging) comment!
I like these shots a lot. I’ve often taken shots of sculpture but with limited success. I agree with your point about the importance of surfaces – but don’t entirely agree with Michelangelo. What works for me is the interaction of line and surface – shape and texture. That’s what I see in these compositions.
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Graham!
#1 captures the essence.
There speaks the writer first.
Thank you, Judith – I was wandering how you would respond to the first picture when you posted it (I actually thought you might like it).
I discovered your blog today and admire your work – the combination of representation, abstraction and minimalism. A few years ago I took an interest in photography as a hobby, and I look at accomplished photographers’ work for inspiration and education. Your work is far ahead of anything I can produce now, or perhaps ever, but I look and learn, and I attempt creativity in my own little way. I will visit your site again. Kind regards.
Thank you very much, Patricia. I frankly do not know what to say … Photography is my hobby, too, and I think I am far from accomplished. And by no means “ahead of you”, as a quick look at your blog already taught me!
Thank you, tms, for visiting my blog. It was very kind of you to take the time to do so. I truly find your images unique, artful, and inspirational. Best Wishes.
The set of photographs and the subject matter work very well for the theme, personal opinion. I like this.
Thank you!
i do like these.
Thank you!