Uploads from egold., tagged soe

Torre del Oro through jacaranda...

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:33:47 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

Thinking about Carmen I’ve been in a hurry to get in Seville but was stopped by purple explosions of jacaranda. These trees almost without leafs and scattered with tender-purple flowers were everywhere... It was a wonder I never seen before. Even the embankment of Guadalquivir river with world known Tore del Oro (Gold Tower) was slightly visible through the tangles of jacaranda. They say that jacaranda was found primarily in southeastern Brazil including the Paraná River valley, now spreads to different places of the world... but I saw this magic first time here in Seville...

The octagonal Moorish "Gold-Tower" was originally part of the town-walls along Guadalquivir river. Its name comes from the golden ceramic tiles which originally covered its front. The Torre del Oro was built by the Almohad dynasty as watchtower and defensive barrier on the river. A chain was strung through the water from the base of the tower to prevent boats from traveling into the river port.In the Christian epoch the tower served as seat of the marine's administration. Today Torre de Oro is real symbol of Seville and used as Museum of Navigation.

Seville certainly is one of the most beautiful places in Spain, it’s more than 2,000 years old. The passage of the various civilizations, instrumental in its growth, has left the city a distinct personality. Although today Moorish influence is architectonically most evident - Andalusia was occupied by Moors for about 800 years - it has been a cultural center long before. Phoenicians and Carthaginians settled here. Later came Romans, like almost to any place in Europe, and two of their emperors, Trajan and Hadrian, in fact were born here. After successive conquests of the Roman province of Hispania Baetica by the Vandals and the Visigoths during the 5th and 6th centuries, the city was taken by the Moors in 712 and renamed Isbiliya, derived from Hispalis, from which the present name "Sevilla" is derived.

Seville was the home of famous and infamous figures of history and literature, the legendary Don Juan started from here to conquer the hearts of women across all Europe, while Columbus started from a port close to Seville to discover a New World - America, and of course Prosper Merimée's Carmen was a worker in Seville's old tobacco factory. By the way, this factory serves today as University... so education system is growing up...

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Real Carmen... from Tablao Albyzin.

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:44:08 -0700

egold. posted a photo:

I said already that flamenco is a rivalry of some women for love of the man performed in singing and dance. May be somebody will be disagree with me but it’s exactly what I felt during that performance and especially during it’s dancing part...

Many people know the story of Carmen, a Spanish gypsy girl from the opera by French composer Georges Bizet. Since the 1880s it has been one of the world's most performed operas and a staple of the operatic repertoire. Carmen appears as number four on Opera America's list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America... Someone red the novel by Prosper Mérimée who originally wrote this story, told him before by the Countess of Montijo during his visit to Spain in 1830. I’m not going to tell here that novel and only want to say that Merimee described Carmen as a gorgeous gypsy girl full of love and passion, loving freedom in all and never lost her pride even in front of death. He also described Carmen as a great dancer...

When I’ve been on Flamenco show in Tablao Albyzin, I payed attention on beautiful woman who was at that time among “clappers”. I had no idea, what’s her name... Later I saw her personal dance and it was the best among others. Finally she was the “winner” in love-rivalry and performed her dance with a man as her prize... When she performed her last dance I saw explosion of passion and... I saw Carmen, real Carmen...

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Mask... or between good and evil.

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:07:53 -0700

egold. posted a photo:

Mask (noun).
1. Covering for all or part of the face as a disguise or for protection.
2. Some kind of behaviour for pretension to be, passing oneself of as, impersonating, simulating or posing as.

As long time Japanese antique collector I took masks of old Japanese theatre Noh and Kyogen for definition of this word...

The date of man's invention of masks is unknown, their use is certainly several thousands years old. It's a fact that masks in one form or another have made their appearance in every culture shows how important role they have played in a human life.

With the development of dance and true drama, masks became less primitive and more artistic. Immobility of a mask, which seems such a disadvantage when compared with the living human face, makes about it a certain air of the supernatural and fantastic, that's why masks are widely used up to the present day.

Among the people of the world who still actively use masks, the Japanese are in many ways outstanding. Let's go back to 14th century when theatre No and Kyogen begins his history and the masks of this show became one of the finest dramatic masks the world has ever seen. I try briefly summarize the characteristics of the Noh and Kyogen masks. Mask of Noh is a mask of tragedy, mask of the Kyogen is the mask of comedy. A typical present-day No performance consists of five Noh plays, divided of three comic interludes of Kyogen, both the tragic and the comic elements being heightened in effect for the best contrasting result. Good and evil in Noh drama reflects these both sides of real life...

In real life you also making choice between good and evil. Many people wearing masks covering their real personality, as a artists playing roles not really belonging to them and as final result ruining the life of themselves or others. Make a right choice between good and evil, take a right mask or even take it off, throw it away and be yourself.

All masks and pictures used for this image are from my collection.

Created for The Dictionary of Image

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Behind the Madison Square Garden...

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 09:59:12 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

This image is from my new set "My vintage walk through Manhattan".

Nothing special, but walking at the evening through my beloved City, my Gotham, sniffing it's smell, listening it's sounds, looking at it's people, you're becoming steeped in all of this and only then understand this Wonder of the World - New Babylon...

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Explore #133, 01/25/09

Around the clock... 5th Avenue...

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:45:53 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

Along the 8th Avenue...

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 08:09:56 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

In Art Nouveau style...

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:49:40 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

Other image from the "Smokers" series.
This time in Art Nouveau style. I love that epoch...
Art Nouveau, also known as Jugendstil , is an international movement and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that peaked in popularity at the turn of the 20th century (1890–1905). A reaction to academic art of the 19th century, it is characterized by organic, especially floral and other plant-inspired motifs, as well as highly-stylized, flowing curvilinear forms. Art Nouveau is an approach to design according to which artists should work on everything from architecture to furniture, making art part of everyday life... Japanese wood-block prints, with their curved lines, patterned surfaces, contrasting voids, and flatness of visual plane, also inspired Art Nouveau. Some line and curve patterns became graphic clichés that were later found in works of artists from all parts of the world...

Thanks to my friend Alexander Golant ( algont ) www.flickr.com/photos/26114279@N06/ for the original shot. And again I spent a lot of time for damaging his photo: active retouching, sometimes redrawing, texturizing and so ...

Much better view in large.

Explore front page, #24, 12/06/08

In Wild West style...

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:13:31 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

First of all, the only truth here is that's me...
Untruth... I stopped to smoke many years ago, it's not a Wild West ( just Canada ) and finally, I broke my glasses, that's why I have so suspicious look...
This image was created for The Temple Of Aphrodite group www.flickr.com/groups/thetempleofaphrodite/discuss/721576... Contest: Self portrait / fantasy world on sepia door panel.

Thanks to Paul Grand www.flickr.com/photos/63263430@N00/sets/72157609706897928/ for donating the texture for this contest.

Thanks to my friend Alexander Golant ( algont ) www.flickr.com/photos/26114279@N06/ for the original shot of me. I spent a lot of time for damaging his photo: active retouching, sometimes redrawing, texturizing and so - I call these horrible things by absolutely strange word "processing"

Explore #85, 12/02/08

Narcissus Mirror

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 05:12:56 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

From the series "Secret life of the trees".
Created after very last 5 days in Canada...

Who were the Druids? Popular folklore tells us they were ancient Celtic wise men. They wore long robes and had long, flowing beards. Merlin, the famous magician of King Arthur's court, was reputedly a Druid. They are credited with having built Stonehenge and other megalithic monuments throughout Great Britain and Europe.

Other sources tell us Druids were men and women who were really into trees. Their ceremonies were conducted in the open air, often in oak groves. The word Druid is apparently derived from the ancient Celtic words for oak and truth--dru and druidh. Other trees were also very important to them, including yew, hazel, walnut, willow, rowan, ash and birch. Tree symbolism was used in their religious and philosophical teachings, and in their calendar and system of writing, called Ogham.
Druids also believed that trees are like a humans. They deliver a babies, they grow, sometimes they get an illness, they fight, and they die...

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Explore front page, 11/24/08

Flexible tangle 2

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:58:30 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

Walking in the sky

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:34:20 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

For some hikers it's only one way up to the summit - walking in the sky... and all country is as a map below...

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Explore front page, #13 (lucky number), 11/09/08

Closer and closer... up to the heaven

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:28:34 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

Almost there... near the Mount Pilatus...

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Explore, front page, #24, 11/03/08

Twilight before Halloween

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:06:06 -0700

egold. posted a photo:

Very strange people are meeting here near Jekyll & Hyde bar in this misty twilight before Halloween... Something gonna happen...

3 + 3

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:24:54 -0700

egold. posted a photo:

Barcelona is a place for meeting friends. The people find each other in this city especially or by lucky chance. You don’t need to look for somebody to get an answer to your question. Everyone is ready to help even without knowledge of any English... So... if you a human you always find a reason for contact... Human? Not only... Our “younger brothers and sisters” also finding each other here...

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Explore front page, #77, 07/20/09

World... or old legend modified

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:30:58 -0700

egold. posted a photo:

World (noun)
1. the universe or all that exists; everything.
2. the earth, or a planetary body like it.
3. secular interests and affairs.
4. the earth, it's countries and their inhabitants, all people.
5. the earth as known or in some political respect.

Some ancient beliefs that the world is born through the universe on the back of one or more enormous animals (such as a turtle in Native American creation myth), though these myths do not necessarily include an infinity aspect or multiple/endless layers of animals.

In Asian religious mythology, the Earth was born by three elephants
which stood on the back of a giant turtle, symbol of the primitive oceans. In Hindu myth, the tortoise Chukwa supports the elephant Maha-pudma, which in its turn supports the world. In Chinese myth the tortoise also supports the world, its four feet being the four corners of the earth.

Here is my modification of that old legends. World is all around us, around me. It's my country and my beloved city.
So... it's my world.

Thanks for:
Original of tortoise by Shoofly-Stock from devianart.com
Old postcard nude by Lorivintage55stock from devianart.com

Created for The Dictionary of Image

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Santa 2008 or Year of the Ox

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:59:29 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

Yes... Santa is here in New York...
Not so happy as always, looking a little frustrated as we all... But he came here and brought some gifts for us, one of them is hope, hope on the best...
Not so far from Wall Street Santa met the bull, ironically he is the symbol of the next year in eastern calendar. What he's going to bring in new year? Who knows...
A little of history... Charging Bull (sometimes called the Wall Street Bull or the Bowling Green Bull) is a 3,200 kg (7,000 pound) bronze sculpture by Arturo Di Modica that sits in Bowling Green park near Wall Street in New York City. The sculpture depicts a bull, the symbol of aggressive financial optimism and prosperity, leaning back on its haunches and with its head lowered as if ready to charge.
Di Modica spent some US$ 360,000 to create, cast, and install the sculpture following the 1987 stock market crash as a symbol of the "strength and power of the American people." The sculpture was the artist's idea, not the city's. In an act of "guerrilla art", he trucked it to Lower Manhattan and on December 15, 1989, installed it in front of the New York Stock Exchange as a Christmas gift to the people of New York.
The police seized the sculpture and placed it into an impound lot. The ensuing public outcry led the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to install it two blocks south of the Exchange in the plaza at Bowling Green...
I wish to all my Flickr friends Happy Holidays and wonderful New Year.
Hope on the best...

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Explore #3 (my highest position), 12/22/08

Fallen

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:24:32 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

Together

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:19:40 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

Pilatus... up close and personal

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:32:35 -0800

egold. posted a photo:

The giant mountain looming above Lucerne to the southwest is Mount Pilatus (2132m), an odd name supposedly deriving from the myth that the corpse of Pontius Pilate was flung into a small lake on the mountain, his spirit for ever after haunting the summit and bound to bring tempest and damnation down onto Lucerne if disturbed. More prosaically, the name is probably derived from the Latin word pileatus, meaning “capped” (ie with clouds).
There is also some legends about the Dragon of Mount Pilatus...

Much better view in large.

Explore #94, 11/06/08

Out and Up... or The Bad Hair Day.

nobody@flickr.com (egold.) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:06:44 -0700

egold. posted a photo:

... back to my travel diary... Now going out of beautiful Stein up to The Mount Pilatus.
All the day it's rainy...

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