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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Six: Vantage Point makes the difference > Urn, Forbidden City, Beijing, China, 2004
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16-JUN-2004

Urn, Forbidden City, Beijing, China, 2004

Huge brass urns still stand outside of the palaces within the Forbidden City. They once held water used to fight fires. I moved in as close as I could to the fierce head holding the ring on the urn. Over the last 500 years, this urn has acquired a gleam from where fingers have stroked the brass head, as well as thousands of scratches, which testify to the durability and longevity of this once pragmatic piece of fire equipment. The closeup vantage point stresses both.

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Phil Douglis10-Sep-2006 01:03
I don't agree with you on this, Andrea. I do not consider my image to be "better" than yours. Rather, I simply take a different approach than you did. You work with a pair of brass heads holding one brass handle in their mouths. You use the scratches and the rim of the urn to embrace them (http://www.pbase.com/lacandonna/image/52187291 ). I use only one head in my image and take a much closer vantage point to stress the rubbed-to-a-shine head. I think both our images abstract the urn effectively. Your image offers complete rings coming out of each head, connected by a handle, which looks like giant eyes and a smiling mouth. My image does not have that dimension. Instead if confronts the viewer with one ferocious head at a very close distance. We each express different ideas here, simply by taking different vantage points. Thanks, Andrea, for your comment. You are helping me to teach, and helping yourself and others to learn.
Guest 09-Sep-2006 23:26
much better than mine
Phil Douglis10-Mar-2006 21:25
It's fascinating, Xin, how this urn takes on an entirely different meaning as you change vantage point. My image confronts the viewer, quite frighteningly, while your image puts the viewer in a more passive role. Where we stand determines what we say.
Sheena Xin Liu10-Mar-2006 14:54
Yes, Phil. I noticed your version a long time ago. We may even shoot the same object, but from different angles...http://www.pbase.com/image/57033708
Phil Douglis24-Jun-2005 19:51
Sam, I pointed the camera down to pick up that reflection. If I had aimed it straight on at the subject, I would have lost it. I wanted to stress the spot where people have rubbed the urn for good luck -- and it was that shiny forehead.
Guest 12-Jun-2005 11:25
Hi Phil,

For me, I just see a metal mask. I notice you positioned your camera slightly upwards, tilting down. Was that intentional? Would the effect be better if you positioned your camera directly in front of the urn (a straight-on shot) - placing the viewer at the level of the mask.

Thanks

sam
Phil Douglis27-Feb-2005 06:11
Very amusing, Zandra. I never saw the tongue. You did and the picture says something entirely different than I intended. Or the Chinese urn artist intended, as well! Go ahead and giggle. I can't be responsible for the stuff that goes on inside of my viewer's heads. If you insist on seeing a tongue you will see a tongue. At least it's an old tongue, right?
Guest 21-Feb-2005 18:48
Not sure if you had this in mind Phil but one of the first thing that came to my mind looking at this was...wow...it is sticking his tougne out at us. It does not only look fierce, it is mocking (how on earth is that spelled)as as well...or, is it mocking the forbidden city, or maybe those saying we can/could not enter it. To me, it does not really look very fierce...more liek something/someone who tries the best to be intimidating. The angry fierce look is only a mask that is easily torn away. There is absolutly nothing to be afraid of here. It is only a litle thing/man trying to be bigger in the eyes of the world.

Patr from that, your vantage point gives away the aging of this object and it displayed some lovely details. But my analysis wont be much more concreet on that side as to tell youthe truth...this picture makes me gigle, cause of that tounge hihi
Phil Douglis14-Nov-2004 05:51
This closeup detail on this old urn has certainly stimulated you imagination, Nut. i would think that it is no longer used to fight fires, but it displayed in Beijing's Forbidden City as a historical relic. If they had a fire there today, they would bring regular fire trucks to fight the fire. You are right, the fierce face is probably on the urn to scare away fires, and the scratches bear testimony to the urn's long years of service.
nut 14-Nov-2004 04:50
Closeup to give in detail for the utility, basic instruction (how to use "Urn"), durability and
longevity of this "Urn".

Do you think this "Urn" still work well? Too bad that I can only see it, but never know how to
use and how is working. This is something to transfer to new generation. It's good to know.
At least I learn the flow of water by this. But if I have no chance to learn or to see. Soon, I will
forget.
nut 13-Nov-2004 07:29
This photo give me of the one, who used to fight fires, it's because of his fierce head.
So I know who is the one can against fires. A thousands of scratches told me the number of
fires here too.
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