Vertical Landscape (For Nikolais) by Chipka
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Description
You learn things on Renderosity: if you’re engaged and not just looking at pretty pictures for the sake of looking at pretty pictures. I learn quite a lot from browsing the various galleries. I get ideas, I’m inspired to seek out new subjects. I’m driven to experiment. There are countless artists here—mostly photographers—who drive these impulses, and because of one in particular, I’ve been thinking of walls; of bricks, of ordered, vertical landscapes as compelling as anything raw, disordered, and natural; I’ve come to see walls differently, not as barriers or supports, but as strange, protean things.
I’d seen walls my entire life; in the part of the United States where I was born and lived for a large part of my life, walls were (and still are) important—they’re what keep things ordered, what keep people in their places; they’re what protect you from weirdos at night. Such walls are boring and ultimately useless, but as I wandered—at least meataphorically—through Nikolai’s gallery, I saw walls and bricks, more bricks and hand-carved stones. I saw things that were recognizable as walls, but they didn’t serve as barriers or as supports…they were things in and of themselves and their only purpose was something left cryptic, mysterious, and un-named. Since my first exposures to what I now recognize as “Nikolai’s Walls” I’ve begun to see things in Chicago differently. Oh, I still long to return to live overseas (and I will, sooner rather than later, I hope) but while I’m here, I’m happy to see things that most Chicagoan’s miss, ignore, or just fail to recognize. The walls (both physical and metaphorical) in this city aren’t as interesting, detailed, or ruggedly beautiful as Nikolai’s Walls…but they’re interesting in their own ways; they’re made of the same hard stuff, and well…at times I look at bricks and wonder if I should frame them, crop them, or shift their color just to the left of normal. I learned this from looking at Nikolai’s Walls…and hopefully this shot is as interesting as the ones he so regularly produces. Funny how somebody way over on the other side of the planet can teach you how to look at bricks!
For anyone interested in some really engaging, good stuff, you should definitely pop over to Nikolai’s gallery HERE.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and hopefully everyone is having a great Sunday.
Comments (24)
jocko500
you learn too if the wall was put up by a master or by someone just learning or just do not care. i wonder about the mortar and it mixes. i learn there is diff motar mix even lol. I no expert but just learning stuff like that too. I wonder if this was done someone just started for it is not a clean cut mortar job here. But then it maybe the type to use on this type of brick too. make me wonder. Lot to learn in this world even from people around the world. Maybe there is a master bricklayer that can tell us here on this site. wonderful shot the way you put the two photos together for reference
blinkings
Nice DOF mate. Yes I like Nikolai's work too.
auntietk
Mmmmmm ... such texture and subtle coloring! I like this very much. Nikolai does superb work, and you've chosen the best for your inspiration! Well done, my friend.
ToniDunlap
Yes Chipka, you do seem always ready to explore. And you are certainly right about browsing galleries. They do become all inspiring. Love this brick texture. Could it be that the RMP is ready for some of the brick textures you find along the way?? Mmmmm? Great to see this.......
yons
Wow! Love the 3D effect the offset wall piece on right does to the depth of field.
watapki66
Wonderful shot!
wysiwig
I love the contrast between the smooth regular and unfocused brick wall and the colorful, coarse and visually superior wall section on the right. Excellent composition and imagination.
bmac62
First Chip, I applaud your choice of Nikolay as an inspiration...I try not to miss any of his work although I fail to get to every one. But I've been following his walls and his other very unique offerings for almost a year and a half now. Today's wall by you is very cool...I can't wait to see what you follow this up with since you are now "looking"! Jocko makes a good point about the skill level of the mason...twenty years ago there was a rush here in Leavenworth to find all of the long forgotten brick cisterns in backyards of the old homes that at one time had outhouses. Each outhouse brick cistern was closed off with a large round flat concrete slab...probably 3 feet in diameter and about 4-5 inches thick. Indoor plumbing came in anytime between 1900 and 1920. All a person had to do to find these things 15-20 years ago was to take a steel rod and probe the grass until going "thunk" onto the concrete cap. Once found, the "lucky" finder would then remove the cap and dig 10-12 feet down through the rich loam under the cap finding all sorts of 100 year old things that had been discarded there...bottles, silverware, plates, combs, etc., you name it. But in line with your topic today...the brickwork would be exposed...mostly quite rough. The apprendice mason usually got to lay the brick for the s___house. The journeyman or his boss got to do the walls of the house that showed. So, see the thoughts you and indirectly Nilolay's walls have inspired in me? I'll have to look around here and see what I can find. Excellent piece...excellent dedi
Alex_Antonov
Wow!
beachzz
Bill made me think of when I first moved up here to northern California. One day some people knocked on the door and asked if they could dig in my backyard. I said sure, and couldn't believe what they found--all the same kinds of things Bill mentioned. I still have a lot of those pieces. But I digress terribly--this is wonderful, a tiny piece of a wall--who would have thought it could be so beautiful. Nikolai does find beauty in the simplest things; you have caught that same fine detail here.
Faery_Light
The way you captured the shot really shows that texture in a wonderful way!
EBSPhotographic
That texture in the foreground is very cool. Nice DOF too.
helanker
You got a very exiting result here Chip and I understand what you mean. We learn to see things with other peoples eyes and I think that is wonderful. :-)
Meisiekind
Oh yes - Nikolay is an inspiration to us all on this site... but so are you Chip! Excellent image and perfect dedi to a great artist from another!
durleybeachbum
Nikolai is one of my most favourite 'favourite artists'. You have produced a great result.
faroutsider
A perfect fractal - infinite levels of detail. Thanks for the link to Nikolai's work, too.
kgb224
Outstanding capture my friend.
jac204
Thanks for helping us see how others see pictures, and for the link to Nikolai’s gallery. Nice work.
alanwilliams
I think Nikolai has captured a lot of peoples imaginations, i know he has mine, inspiration must follow, how could it not, nice to come accross your gallery also
flavia49
great play of DOF and of the different textures of the walls. Here those walls are definitely difficult to see: one has to look for ancient ruins, abandoned farmhouses or industrial archaeology. In fact our walls are always plastered and painted or covered with tiles or are made of marble. They are statements of status, artistic expressions as well as canvasses for political writers, love sufferers, and graffiti. Flavia & Sandra
MrsRatbag
Well spotted and associated; It's a wonderful abstract!
Asmoday
Excellent texture, so intense pic.
romanceworks
Wonderful textures and colors in this. CC
nikolais
Wonderful textures, patters and depth, Chip! An eye opener. Yeah, I mean a human eye opener who can easily open your eyes that have been opened for ages but unseeing. This is what casme on my mind first after I had read Chipka’s words about walls in general and the walls I have posted here at RR… I thought to myself, “Why so many walls? Why I am so attracted to them?” And finally, why did I stop to think it over? The answer is: because Chipka’s words came right handy, i.e. they came “here and now”. As we know, we may walk the path hundred thousand times and only one fine morning notice that it zigzags in a funnies way or that it leads to a lonely tree where there once was a swing I used to ride with my first girlfriend. I am digressing… Looking back I must admit that for me walls never serve as protection but rather as flat surfaces to form up volumes big and small, to shape up small townscapes. Chipka, how right you are that walls to protect are really boring and you would hardly stop and contemplate unless you’re planning on climbing over for trespassing. Never they are separated from the contexts they inhabit. Where I live, walls will rarely be called masterpieces (except for a few vintage ruins by the river) as we do not care much about what blocks our view from within and without. A funny thing is that being monotonous and boring, they offer a wonderful background to some irregularities they may have: cracks, textures, open bricks and reinforcement bars. They also work as canvases for the falling light and shades from the trees planted along. What Easter present would be more welcomed than the news that my works may inspire someone else! Thank you so much Chip for this wodnerful dedication! I follow almost all your postings, even though I do not comment as often as you deserve. Thank you for being a great part of RR and my eye opener. Nikolay