Son Of No Man

Son Of No Man, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

I have to admit that when I first read "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy," I was not particularly taken with it, but I am not one to condemn a book on one reading. I forced myself through it a second time and then it began to grow on me. Eventually, I joined the vast number of fans who delight in Douglas Adams' clever and often cheeky series, and in these last few years it has been my custom to reread them in honor of International Towel Day.

As for the photo, it is a nod not only to Hitchhikers everywhere, but also to René Magritte's painting, "The Son of Man." To me, the two themes go hand in hand, the Son filling the same metaphorical niche as does Arthur Dent. Dent is Everyman and no man, the last human. All the poor sap wants is a honest cup of tea. He is thrown into a surrealistic series of events through no fault of his own, yet manages to maintain his identity even while being forced to accept that he is no more than a flyspeck in the Universe. His dilemma is one which addresses us all as we each try to find some point of stability in the confusion of our lives. Magritte's Son is faceless but unique, his identity firm but obscure. He too is Everyman and no man, conflicted by his own vision and what others see of him.

Thus the logic of my composition. I am the Son of No Man because I am a woman. I stand on a boundary between two states of matter, faceless, with the Universe behind me, and I cannot see forward.

Happy International Towel Day! And Pangalactic Gargle Blasters all around!

Alas, Poor Onion

Alas, Poor Onion, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

Alas, poor Onion! I saw him, my Flickr friends; a fellow of infinite possibility, of most excellent taste; I have borne him in my kettle a thousand times; and now, how perfected in my imagination it is! My appetite growls at it. Here hang those layers that I have tasted I know not how oft. Where be your flavours now?

With apologies today to the Bard, Onion #1 has not yet outlived his photographic potential. Might be nice with a little ham...cough!...Hamlet on the side.

Odd Onion

Odd Onion, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that my favorite artist is Salvador Dali (an odd onion if ever there was one) and of course this shot was inspired by his unique vision. It also has its roots in the amazing photographic collage work of Ted Joans, colleague and friend of Jack Kerouac, and creator of "The Hipsters," published in 1961 as the Beat Era was reaching its end. Sadly, Joans' work is now out of print and I was unable to locate any examples of it on line.

Surrealism according to Webster is "the principles, ideals or practice of producing fantastic or incongruous imagery in art of literature by means of unnatural juxtapositions and combinations." That definition barely scratches the surface. I would add to it a large helping of metaphor and layered meaning, and a fair sprinkling of simply wanting to confuse the hell out of your viewers. Lemme know when you figure out why I'm wearing a silk jabot with hiking pants, will ya? I really need to know.

Root

Root, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

Riffe Lake is an enormous reservoir formed when a hydroelectric dam was placed in the Cowlitz River. As such, its level is subject to the whims of water managers who have to strike a balance between flood rains, power production, recreational use and several other factors. Currently, the height of the lake is at mid-range, exposing a few of the remnants of the forests which once lined the slopes of the river valley. At the new public boat launch, the shingle was exposed to a point that I could go exploring without having to fight tall grass and hidden masses of driftwood, and it was on that shingle that I spotted this strange creature, seemingly making its way down to the shore. Whether it was simply searching for a drink or pursuing some lemming-like urge to return to the environment of its forebears, I do not know, but its purposeful ignorance of my footfalls left me feeling that it had some specific design.