With Christmas approaching, I remembered this extraordinary Nativity Scene (Presepe), in the Duomo dei San Filippo e Giacomo, the Cathedral in Sorrento, Italy. Part of the Nativity scene inside the main doors of the cathedral is on display all year.
Something about Paris makes it so easy to relax…
Jardin du Palais Royal, Paris.
The Seine River, Paris.
Champs de Mars, Paris.
Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris.
Playing boules on a quiet street of Paris.
A couple of doors from the Munich Residenz, former royal palace of the Bavarian monarchs in Germany. The little girl dressed in typical bavarian clothes was too cute not to photograph. But it was difficult to get a perfect shot, as she zoomed through the gilded doors.
“Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and by people of Mexican ancestry living in other places, especially the United States. The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves. Dia de Los Muertos was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.” (Wikipedia)
In Los Angeles, where about half of the population are Mexican or of Mexican descent, Dia de Los Muertos is a huge thing, with festivals happening in several areas of the city. I had never been to one, although I was fascinated by the concept, the rituals, the make up and costumes people wear, the vibrant colors and the spirit of the day. This year I found out that Santa Monica holds a celebration at its beautiful Woodlawn Cemetery, so I went. It’s a wonderful tradition and I loved everything about it. No wonder Mexicans are so proud of this tradition. Next year I hope to attend the festival at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which is a mega event, with over 50,000 people attending.
Swiss Guard at the Papal Residence Door. Vatican City. For Norm’s Thursday Doors.
I saw an exhibition of the work of American concept photographer Cindy Sherman the other day. Her outstanding body of work consists of series of shots where she photographs herself in different costumes and situations. Sherman shoots alone in her studio, assuming multiple roles as author, director, make-up artist, hairstylist, wardrobe mistress, and model. Here is a small sample of the exhibition at the Broad Museum, in Los Angeles, which featured forty years of Sherman’s work. She’s in every one of these photos, younger in some, older in others. Recognizable in some, unrecognizable in others. Outstanding artist!
If you love architecture and Art Deco, you’ll LOVE the Chrysler Building, on the East Side of Midtown Manhattan, in New York City. The Chrysler was designed by architect William Van Alen and completed in1930. The Art Deco ornamentation at the crown of the Chrysler is considered a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture. It is based on features used on Chrysler automobiles. On the 31st floor, the corner ornamentations are replicas of the 1929 Chrysler radiator caps. The corners of the 61st floor are graced with eagles, replicas of the 1929 Chrysler hood ornaments.
Another outstanding feature of the Chrysler building is its terraced crown, composed of seven radiating terraced arches. The entire crown is clad with stainless steel. The flush windows, the stainless steel crown, the spire, and the eagles were all fabricated from sheet metal shops on the 65th and 67th floor. Unlike other buildings, the Chrysler was virtually sculpted by hand. A true work of art. I think it is the most beautiful building in New York and perhaps the world, although I haven’t seen all the buildings in the world…
So, given my strong admiration for The Chrysler, when I was in New York this past summer I decided to photograph it up close, which proved to be VERY difficult. The massive structure is squeezed between other buildings and so tall that standing across the street from it won’t allow you to shoot its whole extension. You can get the building but not its beautiful crown. And when you get the crown, you cut half of the building. That’s why I decided to photograph it in parts. I also didn’t have my 300mm lens with me on that trip so I wasn’t able to get some of the details as I would have liked. C’est la vie! I still owe it to myself a decent set of pics of The Chrysler, which shall happen the next time I’m in the Big Apple.
Madrid doors.
Last week I took advantage of the fact that I had to be downtown to also visit and photograph a few of LA’s landmarks. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels was one of them.
In 1996, renowned Spanish architect José Rafael Moneo was commissioned to design a new cathedral for Los Angeles to replace the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, severely damaged during the 1994 earthquake. The fact that the 5.6 acre site overlooked the Hollywood Freeway did not deter Moneo. Just as many European Cathedrals are built near rivers, Moneo considered the freeway as Los Angeles’ river of transportation, the connection of people to each other.
Using elements of postmodern architecture, the church and the Cathedral Center feature a series of acute and obtuse angles while avoiding right angles. The tapestries that adorn the cathedral walls were created by artist John Nava. This is the largest collection hanging in a Catholic place of worship in the United States. The “Communion of Saints” consists of females and males of all ages, races, occupations and vocations the world over. Saints from the Renaissance period are intermingled with people from the 1st century and the 20th century.
The cathedral was almost empty and very quiet when I visited. I wonder what it’s like to be there for mass when it’s filled to capacity, on Christmas, Easter, and other holidays.
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Jy is wat jy dink - nie wat jy dink jy is nie. Dit help soms om hardop te lag vir wat jy dink of dink jy is.
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