Rain on Old Window 1
We have often heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is usually taken to mean that the sense of beauty is utterly subjective; there is no accounting for taste because each person's taste is different. The statement has another, more subtle meaning: if our style of looking becomes beautiful, then beauty will become visible and shine forth for us. We will be surprised to discover beauty in unexpected places where the ungraceful eye would never linger. The graced eye can glimpse beauty anywhere, for beauty does not reserve itself for special elite moments or instances; it does not wait for perfection but is present already secretly in everything. When we beautify our gaze, the grace of hidden beauty becomes our joy and our sanctuary.
John O'Donohue
Beauty: Rediscovering The
True Sources of Compassion, Serenity, and Hope
Rain on Old Window 2
There is such beauty in the old and decaying ... these images are wonderful. I love traipsing around abandoned buildings and finding the details that still sing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Teresa. I agree. Sorry about the late post of this comment. For some reason, your email/comment got caught in my spam folder and I just discovered it this morning.
DeleteThose photographs say so much about our weather over here at the moment George. There is beauty in the wettest day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pat. Hope you dry out soon.
DeleteLove the colours in these photos. The beauty I see at this moment is the tragedy of bare branches against the darkening sky which will bring rain before long I suspect.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rowan. Glad you liked the photos.
DeleteYour post moved me to go hunting a Gustav Mahler quote. He said something to the effect that one of his symphonies (I'm not sure which) made one feel how one felt when one was suddenly aware of what one was. He put it better than that. I did find and he did say: "But it's peculiar, as soon as I am in the midst of nature and by myself, everything that is base and trivial vanishes without trace. On such days nothing scares me; and this helps me again and again.”
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dominic. I love the Mahler quote. To have the "the base and trivial" vanish "without trace" is to be devoutly desired on most days. I also find it interesting to hear Mahler state that solitude and nature makes him less fearful. I can relate to that.
DeleteYou do the best abstracts George. I think that quote is so full of truth. You're on a roll with posts - keep it up!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barb. You're very kind, and I know from your own site that you can relate to the quote.
DeleteHello George, I just popped over from Tammie's at Spirithelpers, I like the feel of things here and think I'll be back! Lovely abstracts of rain on the colourful old windows.
ReplyDeleteSandra
Thanks for your lovely comment, Sandra. Glad you stopped by and found something to your liking. I just checked out your site and will be visiting there as well. I think I saw something there about "photographing simplicity," which is something I relate to, and, if fact, is the essence of this post.
DeleteWould you please publish a book of nothing but rain on an old window? These photographs are simply stunning. There is so much freshness in the colors, they feel like spring. Even I am a little wistful for spring at the moment.
ReplyDelete"... if our style of looking becomes beautiful ..." that is just how it should be said, similar to what Anne Michaels said: "Find a way to make beauty necessary; find a way to make necessity beautiful.”
I so appreciate your eye for beauty, George.
Thanks so much, Ruth. Given the amount of rain we've had here lately, your suggestion is a good one. For what it's worth, I took these photos on a rainy day from the inside of a domed area at the National Botanical Gardens in D.C. Most were looking at the plants, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of what the rain was doing to the old, rusting windows. Love the Anne Michaels quote
DeleteHave just been rereading these comments - I did mine on my Kindle which often writes words that I didn't intend - it should have said 'tracery of bare branches' not tragedy!! :):)
ReplyDeleteIt works either way, Rowan, but I suppose "tracery" is more optimistic that "tragedy."
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning photographs. You have a gift and I am so glad you share it. Take Care.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the generous comment, Gwen. Here's hoping that you are having a good new year, and that you have found a comfortable refuge from the polar vortex.
DeleteJ'aime beaucoup ces photos ....
ReplyDeleteles vitres embuées nous offrent parfois de belles images..
Merci beaucoup pour the la belle commentaire, et je suis absolument d'accord. J'ai rendu la pareille en prenant un coup d'oeil a votre site, et vos propres images sont exquis. S'il vous plait arreter par de nouveau.
ReplyDelete