Seen unsightly, Unseen made visible
“Each thing we see hides something else we want to see” Rene Magritte
“Colour is energy made visible” John Russell
Introduction
In this project I challenged my prejudices and sought to explore the beauty that is hidden from view in things regarded as unsightly. Prior to this project I wasn’t particularly motivated to create art inspired by where I once lived except in very limited and particular places and times. In early 2020 I developed a more open mind to discover what is hidden behind what is seen, with an enhanced artistic skill set while participating in online workshops run by Valda Bailey and Doug Chinnery ( https://www.baileychinnery.com)
Background
When I looked to the horizon or up to the sky where I used to live I wanted to see something else other than cables. What I wanted to see was hidden from view or interrupted my view. You see where ever you go in Japan one cannot avoid seeing overhead power lines. Black cables are strung between poles and laced between buildings. Many consider them unsightly and some surprisingly find them rather nostalgic or comforting since having grown up with them. Whether to bury them underground or maintain them above ground remains controversial.There are pros and cons to burying them underground both of which are compelling arguments. There are apparently 135 million electric utility poles in Japan and are increasing at a rate of 70,000 per year. Where I lived in Kobe, back in 1995 the year of the great Hanshin earthquake the city was devastated. 8,100 utility poles collapsed, blocking rescue and recovery efforts. Today around 2 percent of its power poles are underground.
Creative Approach
Recognising that the electric utility cables are conduits for unseen energy and that colour is important in my art it is not surprising colour is a key element of my artistic approach in this project. Of course colour is light and light is energy. In addition my creative approach includes abstraction and that also enables me to reveal what is unseen. That is to say I express what I create with my mind’s eye by utilising the photographic techniques of intentional camera movement and multiple exposure to render visible for others to see and interpret. Further I exploit the freedom of digital image processing to refine my vision.
Conclusion
It is my wish that the project portfolio of images evokes surprise and enjoyment. Perhaps it will offer encouragement to re-examine things we see as unsightly and to think about them differently. Certainly I found by thinking differently leads to seeing that which is not seen. To misquote Pablo Picasso, “ I photograph (paint) things as I think of them, not as I see them””
Malcolm Cross
May 2020