Light's effect on an ominous tree

As part of this blog, I make an effort to see things in nature which light is affecting in an unusual way. This intriguing tree outside Weller first captured my interest months ago because it looks like it has an eye and evil grin. I snapped a photo thinking I'd wait and see if light changed this tree very much.

Marxhausen called seeing an aggressive act, and taught his students about how light can change things dramatically.

Two weeks ago, I saw an optical illusion created by light which dramatically changed this tree. There were storms east of Seward, so while the ca

mpus was full of sunlight that day, the sky to the east was dark blue and gloomy.

During the Spring Weekend celebration, as I walked home from Weller, I glanced the tree and it appeared someone had spray painted the back of it fluorescent orange. Could it be a prank, or some event? As I turned the corner however, I discovered the illusion was being created by a secondary light source, orange artificial light.

I had walked by this tree often, but this was the only night where the illusion was created. My theory is that because it was a stormy day, and the sky was dark blue, the orange looked more intense compared to everything else, which was lit by natural light with a blue hue.

Risen!

1:10

I usually think of Ash Wednesday and lent as more somber occasions, remembering Christ's sacrifice, but some anonymous person came from chapel and wrote this very joyous message in the snow. Even in the time period we remember Christ's last days on earth before the crucifixion, don't forget about the joy of the resurrection.

Also, the sun is out, which means it'll be easier for me to find objects that change dramatically during the day. Look at the shadows created by the snow drift and the trees, contrasting starkly with the glaring snow!

4:00

- Duncan

Light on a Bible Notebook - 2

By 5:00, the sun had moved and created new shadows on the basket.

-Duncan

This comment was posted on the original site for the blog:

I do think this is a most incredible website for proclaiming great wonders of Our God!

March 1, 2010 | sosemeeta

Light on a Bible Notebook

I try not to arrange the things. I try not to touch them and make some compositions. I have to find the things just the way they are…because people will say, 'Well, you’re an artist. You can make all these nice arrangements so they look good,' and I’m trying to say, 'No, I’m not going to touch them, and you can find the same things that I’m finding.' - Marxhausen in an interview for Time Lines

As I continue to put the lessons I've learned from Marxhausen into practice, I am trying to find compositions which change during the course of the day. I found this little notebook set on a basket of Bible study materials against a brightly colored backdrop. I didn't touch these objects, but rather photographed them as I found them. This was shot at 1:40, with the sun high in the sky on a partially cloudy day.

- Duncan

Learning how to See

Marxhausen taught that seeing is an aggressive act. When a group of art students watched the documentaries about his art, many were surprised to see that he taught art classes outside whenever the weather permitted. His way of seeing seems alien to less experienced artists.

I've decided to practice looking for the kinds of things in nature Marxy taught his students to look for: I'm going to explore how light at different times of day affects certain objects, and I'm going to look for seemingly uninteresting or ugly objects which strike me as aesthetic.

This caught my eye while doing laundry. I saw subtle streaks creating texture around a drain, and the red-orange color of the rusty chair leg complements the red-violet of the drain.

- Duncan

My friend Amber left this comment on the original blog site:

Keep at it! I think you'll find what Marxy is talking about the more you just keep at it. :) How fun!

February 14, 2010 | Amber