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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty Three: Using light and color to define and contrast textures > Façade, Colorado River Valley, Moab, Utah, 2006
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21-SEP-2006

Façade, Colorado River Valley, Moab, Utah, 2006

The corner of a massive cliff overlooking the Colorado River provides a vivid example of the power of flowing water to alter the face of the earth over hundreds of thousands of years. The façade of this cliff is a study in variegation – the textures of the different colors, patterns, and shapes are defined by warm evening light as well as soft shadows. Note the difference made by the play of light and shadow – the shadowed textures appear strikingly different from the illuminated textures.

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Phil Douglis31-Jan-2007 04:16
Coming from pbase's resident master of the lightscape (http://www.pbase.com/alibenn/lightscapes ) this is high praise indeed. Thank you, Alister, for leading off with two of my favorite quotes -- I have been using both of them for the last 35 years in my workshops to focus the minds of my students on the role of abstraction and detail in photographic expression. And what a lead in you offer here -- finding God in the details of this cliff is quite a leap, but I am glad you made it. I have certainly tried to bring the earth to life here, very much as you do in your own lightscapes. And it is the light that defines the texture that creates that metaphorical vitality you speak of. This image triggers a marvelous stream of ideas from your wonderful imagination -- veins in the rock, an infusion of energy, a torturous creation echoing violent force vs. a smoothing, talking of gentle persuasion. Taken together, your word-pictures make their own work of art. I am delighted that my image had a hand in creating it, Alister.
alibenn31-Jan-2007 03:33
Ooh La La!!! This is great....Talk about bearing the Earths Soul!! The architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe coined two great quotes in my mind, "Less is more", and "God is in the details"

Taking the latter metaphorically, I adore this primal dig into the Earth and its beauty. Without sounding mad!! It is so organic!

Obviously the light allows for this greatly enhanced contrast; as Galen said, "It's always about the Light." The bare tree branches climbing into the bottom of the frame are so indistinct and so abstract, that they can be almost seen as veins in the rock. Pumping vitamins and energy into this cliff, adding to its presence and colour. Compositionally it works great too. Classic line, enough demarcation of zones to allow a good walk around. The texture of that centre section is like that of prehistoric flint tools, yet on a huge scale. The force of the Colorado river has sculpted the rock, some areas smooth, others, due to the relative densities and composition, become more jagged, others more rounded..

The unweathered sections show their torturous creation, telling tales of heat and force and violence, but even though the floods also create violence, the smoothness of some areas talk of caress and love, gentle persuasion!!

Great stuff Phil..
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