Yearly Archives: 2013

Katka Pruskova’s feeling for flowers

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Katka Pruskova is a Czech-born computer scientist and photographer. On her quest to show us the amazing colorful world we live in, Katka has made an absolutely spellbinding video of blooming Amaryllis, Lilies, Zygocactus, Rose, Gladiolus, Tulip and Gardenia. I wish my countryman Carl Linnaeus could have watched this masterpiece with us. He would have been supercalifragilisticexpialidocious excited. Sit back, enjoy.

To make this masterpiece, Katka has used a technique called “time-lapse photography.” In a homemade studio (a cabinet, black cloth and two LED lamps), Katka placed her flowers (carefully picked in her mother’s garden) in front of a Canon 5D Mark II and shot 7,100 photos over 730 hours. Once converted into a video, played back at 30 frames (photos) per second, time appears to be moving faster. This is not an exercise for the wilting weeds of the photography world! It takes serious planning and after the hours of shooting there are days of post-production. Bravo!

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French dramatist Jean Giraudoux once said: “The flower is the poetry of reproduction. It is an example of the eternal seductiveness of life.” I’m sure Katka would not disagree but with her time-lapse photography, she makes the flower luscious and sexy as well. Thank you, Katka!

Take a minute in Scourie

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The village of Scourie is just about as far north as one can go in Scotland. It is set in an area of majestic natural beauty. It is best known for the Scourie Hotel that, for decades, has been a fisherman’s mecca. An aerial view gives an idea of just how small the village is.

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Photo thanks to the Sutherland Partnership

So what is there of interest to Talking Beautiful Stuff? Inevitability and sadly, it is the war memorial. Fifteen men from Scourie died in World War I and nine in World War II. It is difficult to imagine the grief felt by this tiny community.

As I try to find the best angle to photograph the beautiful, poignant sculpture, a German couple in a campervan stop to consult a map; a Land Rover full of determined tweed roars off for a day on the Dionard River; the BT engineer drives past and waves a cheery hello. This is Scourie nearly one hundred years later. Nevertheless, the memorial has an abiding and tranquil presence in the village.

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I find myself drawn to this memorial statue more than others for the words that it evokes. Calm. Dignity. Respect. The authenticity of the Lee Enfield rifle pleases me as does the way it is held. I look closely at the marble face; it is almost alive. There are other words. Youth. Innocence. Family. Loss.

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I look around for the name of the master sculptor who can capture all this in marble. There is neither inscription nor discrete little plaque. Later, an internet search reveals nothing more. This exquisite and delicate work is anonymous.

Like Garth, our guest blogger, who visited the Memorial to the Confederate Soldier in New Orleans, I feel moved by the humanity and sensitivity of such enduring tributes to the dead of conflicts that have changed the world. If ever you are in Scourie, find this memorial. Let the soldier’s face take a minute of your day. Be moved.

The memorial is set back from the road, opposite the Greenhill B&B.

Chayan Khoi: A cyber photographer extraordinaire

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Based in Paris, Iranian born Chayan Khoi is an artist known for his mysterious, futuristic, sometimes apocalyptic, images. He is an avid traveller fascinated by everything he encounters. This 50-year-old “cyber photographer” seeks to picture the beauty, diversity and unknown of the world. Below is “Return to the Jungle”, one of his most famous pieces and one of my favorites.

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Two recent works, unveiled at yesterday’s vernissage of Chayan’s latest exhibition in Geneva, remind me of Mad Max, Fallout and Mutant Chronicles. The submarine is docked to what appears to be a hidden, arctic research station. The mechanical sharks zooming around the l’arc de triomphe are bizarre and frightening. How intriguing!

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While I’m not sure what Chayan wants to communicate with these steampunkish pieces of beautiful stuff, I’m absolutely fascinated by how the frames, resembling some sort of command centres, leaves us with (at least) a remote feeling of being in control. Perhaps it’s a warning sign of what’s to come? Thank you for the heads-up, Chayan.

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And, what in the world is the silver bullet pictured above? Made out of what appears to be a surfboard, metal and electronics, this is the first thing that caught my eye when stepping into Le New Garage. I’m a sucker for science fiction. Chayan’s spaceship (or perhaps it’s the submarine?), blinking in sync with the rest of the room, makes me feel at home.

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I love scrapbooks. But I have never seen any like the ones pictured above. Reflecting his life as a nomad, traveling nine months each year, these piles of memories tell us the history of our friend and his sources of inspiration. In the days of social media, it makes me happy when someone goes beyond Instagram and 140 characters to tell their story.

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Chayan Khoi is a cyber photographer extraordinaire. A man of many talents, working with images, frames and installations. His out-of-this-world beautiful stuff gives us insight into the limits of our own imagination. If you happen to be in Geneva this weekend, you don’t want to miss this opportunity. Le New Garage is open 14:00-20:00 and located here: