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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Eighty-five: On Tour – cruising the Mississippi from Memphis to the Gulf > Gravesite, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, 2012
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30-NOV-2012

Gravesite, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee, 2012

The tiny cupid resting on the edge of the Presley gravesite appears to drift between shadow and light. I moved in on it, my frame abstracting the bronze grave marker just below. Given the looming prospect of Graceland’s long range plan to make this entire section of Memphis into an international tourist destination hosting up to two million visitor a year, this tiny cupid slumbering on the edge of a tomb, becomes a stunningly incongruous symbol of innocence.

Panasonic LUMIX G5
1/1250s f/8.0 at 175.0mm iso160 full exif

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Phil Douglis04-Jan-2013 18:23
Yes, the grass in the upper right hand corner does seem to symbolize, if not a dream, a gradual ascent into consciousness.
Tim May04-Jan-2013 04:07
Only thing I can add to this set of comment is that the glowing grasses in the upper left seem to be the angel's dreams.
Phil Douglis03-Jan-2013 04:58
RIP, indeed. The symbolism could not be missed here, and the light takes the image the rest of the way.
Iris Maybloom (irislm)03-Jan-2013 03:54
Resting in peace!
Phil Douglis31-Dec-2012 20:21
Thanks, Rose. Yes, the cupid (cherub, putti, angel or whatever else you might call it) rests in the quiet shaft of light, but the darkness is already wrapped around its legs. Note that someone has placed a tiny wreath around its head. Nothing goes unnoticed at Graceland.
sunlightpix31-Dec-2012 19:58
Sleeping in the Light
Phil Douglis31-Dec-2012 03:07
Thanks, Carol. Most visitors will photograph the entire row of graves here, while some will shoot only the bronze plaque that covers the resting place of Elvis himself. I choose to ignore the plaques almost entirely. Only part of one of them is included here, for context. It is all about innocence and incongruity. My image also symbolizes the thin line separating life from death, and that is what the tiny cupid drifting between light and shadow implies here.
Carol E Sandgren31-Dec-2012 02:12
I find this image quite thoughtful and poignant as the tiny cherub sleeps near the face of the grave. I was unaware of Graceland's plans for Memphis though. Still, it does seem incongruous. Nicely seen image!
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