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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty Three: Using light and color to define and contrast textures > Cascade, Lower Emerald Pool, Zion National Park, Utah, 2006
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07-FEB-2006

Cascade, Lower Emerald Pool, Zion National Park, Utah, 2006

I built this image around three contrasting textures, each providing a separate layer of meaning. A tangled mass of branches in the foreground separates the viewer from the waterfall, and gives it a sense of isolation. The forceful textures of the backlit water itself provide the focal point of the image in the second layer. The brown rock underside of an overhanging cliff offers a background layer. Its texture is rough, yet warm in color and dappled with light. Water pours from a crevice in this rock as well. The entire image is literally awash with textures that demand our attention and etch the character of this natural setting into our consciousness.

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Phil Douglis18-Jul-2006 04:14
Yes, it is almost feels like a natural teepee -- a triangular shelter, made of entirely out of nature itself. Can that account for the intense Native American flavor you taste here? Thanks, Ceci, for your vivid verbal animation.
Guest 18-Jul-2006 04:07
Air, water, light, earth, plants, all intermingled, the spray like a ray of sun standing from the clouds, with a fabulous abstraction on the upper right, where you almost can't see what you're looking at. Lovely contast between the white of the falls and the rich brown of the stone that is so soft it almost seems like a tanned animal hide. This has an intensely Native American flavor.
Phil Douglis18-Feb-2006 20:38
Azlin -- the whole point of stressing texture is to activate tactile thoughts and sensations in the viewer. This is a sensuous image, intended to be touched and felt. Mo -- I am glad you did a double take here. I tried to make an ordinary subject (a waterfall ) become an extraordinary experience by stressing these contrasting textures.
monique jansen18-Feb-2006 15:16
At first sight I thought I was looking at hair and wood or maybe part of a horse. It took a good second look to see what you are showing here.
Azlin Ahmad18-Feb-2006 09:31
Wonderful textures, Phil, I can almost feel the water on my skin! The light makes the water seem alive - I get the feeling that the branches will rejuvenate with fresh life as a result.
Phil Douglis18-Feb-2006 01:14
Thanks, Carol -- trees, rock, and water all are full of texture. It is up to us to find the light and the vantage points to get the most out of that texture.
Carol E Sandgren17-Feb-2006 22:40
Texture indeed! And trees, rock and water, three strong forces working together in this image, yet separate. Completely effective for this gallery.
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