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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty Nine: Juxtaposition – compare and contrast for meaning > Madison Square Park, New York City, 2006
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02-AUG-2006

Madison Square Park, New York City, 2006

Using foreground and background layers, I juxtapose the work of nature against the work of man in this image. The trees offer an oasis of green in a city known for its population density. One of the most historically important squares in New York City, Madison Square was designed as a public space in 1847. Over the last hundred and fifty years, it has been bordered by residences, then shops, the original Madison Square Garden sporting arenas, and numerous office buildings, among them the headquarters of great insurance companies. Yet its sun splashed trees, seen here in early morning back light, have remained the one constant – a reminder that man is here as nature’s guest.

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Phil Douglis01-Jan-2007 20:28
Good to have you back in my galleries, Sonia. And thanks for the nice thought on this image -- luminosity is a universal symbol of hope.
Guest 22-Dec-2006 03:06
I love how you use the luminated leaves to frame the building. I can relate this image to two verses in an ancient Chinese poem. It goes "There seems no exit out of the everlasting mountains and waters, yet beyond lays another village decorated with shadowy willows and luminated flowers." Nowadays we quote these lines to encourage a person not to loose hope.
Phil Douglis18-Aug-2006 19:56
Thanks, Augustinus -- glad you can reflect for a moment in the beauty of this scene. It is a long way from Afghanistan where you are right now. Yes, the image is entirely based on juxtaposing layers and light. Without either, it just a picture of a tree in a park.
Phil Douglis16-Aug-2006 20:33
Thanks, Ai Li, for seeing on the free form of nature juxtaposed against the rigid container of man. And for seeing this image as a metaphor for coexistence. And thank you, Ceci, for viewing those trees a metaphor for the ultimate power of nature, so strong that they would in time consume the building if allowed to do so. There is tension then in this juxtaposition, isn't there? It's about the delicate balance between mans needs and nature's overwhelming and enduring strength.
Guest 16-Aug-2006 07:27
This luminous photograph suggests to me how Nature, left to her own devices, could eventually take over and disassemble even a great city like New York, given enough time. This muscular limb has a feeling of tremendous strength and perseverence, that could grow to gigantic dimensions if man didn't interfere, and move imperceptibly against glass, rock and steel until, with the help of rain, ice, frost, heat and light. Remember the grass, that grows through the cracks, gradually widening them until all is returned to earth. This is such a powerful image, with the faint man-made structure in the background.
AL16-Aug-2006 06:51
Besides the lighting and texture, I see the contrast in form. The trees are free to grow in all direction, always extending and reaching out to the light, interacting with its surrounding. While the man-made buildings are "dead" and contained in many ways. But what would happen if we're only left with nature? Perhaps it's about co-existence. Nature and Man are complementary. They're both "shelters" to the human beings.
Phil Douglis15-Aug-2006 23:49
Thanks, Celia, for letting yourself become so involved in the light and texture in this image. That was what drew me to it. I did not go to the park looking for "things" to photograph. I was looking for juxtapositions, particularly those involving translucent backlight and shadow. As I walked around the park, the presence of man in and around nature's domain was palpable. I shot this particular branch, with the building just above it, at least seven or eight times, moving slightly each time, up and down and side to side. When comparing the images, this was the one that most eloquently expressed the concept of man as nature's guest.
Cecilia Lim15-Aug-2006 22:26
I love how you used the quality of light to express meaning here. The backlight seems to breathe life into the trees, creating a very 3-dimensional and tactile feel with light and shadow. Whilst the building in the background is bathed in soft light, looking very much like a mirage. This difference in light betwen the two subjects convey different meanings, and by juxtaposing them you create a comparison between the two - there is a feeling of impermanence in man, while the trees, which dominate most of the image, are firmly anchored here in strong dark tones- suggesting that they will be around for a much longer time. I do indeed get a sense that man is here as nature's guest.
Phil Douglis13-Aug-2006 22:12
That is what attracted me to this juxtaposition, Tim -- the color of the light brings beauty to all it touches, be it the work of man or of nature.
Tim May13-Aug-2006 19:35
Natures guest and rude ones at that - I do love the play of green and architecture - I also love the light which makes both the trees and the building, with its lit windows - beautiful.
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