Worlds within Walls

 

 

 

Worlds within Walls

On Tuesday, I took a walk down different streets on my way home. The light was perfect.  It was bright, but overall a rather soft pearlescent gray, with no direct sun. This is a rarity in Florence midday in July! I made my way past the wonderful patina on the buildings looking for interesting walls to take digital images.  As usual, it is somewhat of a dance vying for position in front of what I’m trying to shoot. I try to find a balance between being mindful of other pedestrians and standing in the street for a few seconds to capture some photographs before the next tiny car or vespa comes flying by.

Then, as I kept walking, I had one of those moments of heightened exhilaration in this ongoing quest for images. It was truly spectacular. What a treasure trove of layers!

I cannot fathom how the delicate peeling  paint and papers even still exist with sun, wind, rain, etc.  built up over months or years of palimpsested space. This particular wall instantly illuminated an idea that I have been thinking about this summer while in Florence.  There appears, at times, to be entire miniature worlds contained within these walls. There is a mysterious history of man made signs, cryptic marks, blatant graffiti, random textures, gorgeous color, degraded areas, and the perhaps less the tangible signs of shifting weather elements all at play at once.  These walls become a vestige of accrued gestures quietly holding the passage of time. The fact that this occurs on buildings potentially hundreds of years old only adds to the poignancy of its present state. Granted, some of this patina is unfortunate damage  but much of it is very beautiful and all of it unique.

It is really fascinating to see what appears to be pages of text or poems pasted on a wall. In most cases the full text is gone.  Although my understanding of Italian is limited, at best, I loved picking out a few words including a phrase ‘chuidi gli occhi’ that I used for a title of one of these photographs called “Close your Eyes.’  One can only wonder when and why these pages and why there? What is the significance of what remains?

I am seeking to find compelling compositions that explore the rich arena of ideas found in abstract paintings.  I am realizing more and more the value of this process in creating ‘digital sketches’ for future works.  This is rather intuitive as I often take a dozen or more shots within minutes.   I look forward to synthesizing the kaleidoscope of the ideas and images I’m gathering and am curious about its ultimate influence on my paintings when I return to the studio in the fall.

Here are some image I took on that special walk Tuesday and a few from the Sunday before by the Duomo.

(click on the image for a larger size)