Title
Scorched by the Wake of Sunrise
Artist
Terrance DePietro
Medium
Digital Art - Digital
Description
Most often our eyes, in search of the first crest of the sun breaking the horizon, fix on that wondrous occurrence. And we linger in that amazing feat of nature for longer than we are aware of or until something disturbs the bliss and the magic evaporates, like a candle puffed-out, only remembered in the smoke rising off the wick. After which, what next might take our fancy?
On one such day, I turned quickly from the stage of sunrise; because I know from experience more magic was yet present - and it was! All that was behind me was aglow, the golden hour was washed over an entire escarpment and all else that was between it and the sun itself. And yet the glow was as well absent in many places that were in shadow, for one or other reason.
A marvelous mammoth specimen of tree was directly nearest to me; its bark sparkling like lit amber and ruby; but most unexpected was the deep contrast that the shadows, across its breast, were resembling. So deep and penetrating the shadow was that it appeared to be charred, scorched and resembling the blackest pieces of charcoal that an artist might wish to press to toothed paper.
How eerie a sight it made! And even more so because there was this forked piece of branch, suspended, mostly in the shadow as well; and it too was resembling charred timber, even that its bark was much less pronounced - yet it seemed too to be peeling up from the shape.
I took the pictures and made nothing more of the event for many a years; even passing over the image time and again, for one or other reason. But with other things in mind this winter; with new perspective and inquiry nudging my fancy, I came to that stack of December moments - only this time I gave that singular image more of my attention.
And as I did give it more time, it too whispered back to me. How might I not give it full attention when it was kind enough to reveal other forms, and even symmetry, that speak to me more than mere whisper now. And I wonder now: How is it that in the cold of winter, in the coldest of shadows, might a mighty tree be scorched to coal; if only by way of an abstract appearance, in the wake of a sunrise that warmed all else that day?
I leave it to you, the viewer, to 'how'; even that I can feel 'why' and will continue to develop by it and all else that nature makes curio.
4feb19 tdp
Landscape photograph taken in Palenville, in the Hudson valley, county of Greene, NY; for educational and artistic usage by Terrance DePietro; original date 2008, re-mastered 2019
Uploaded
February 4th, 2019
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Comments (1)
VIVA Anderson
Well, Terrance, straight off the top of my head, because this stunned me, moved me, and then!! I read your description,only to realize, I did not have to read its marvelous marvel at the wonders before you, the ones that prompted you to return to this to give it its' due, now, when you knew you were ready to present your most inner response, finally, to what you knew spoke to you,again,and stunned you,too. Congratulations. I am with you throughout this whole experience, as you well know,and have understood, for me, just recently,when I , too, marveled - beyond words. This is an eternal image, Terrance....speaking of aeons of sunrises. It is primeval. Kudos, Sir...........f.v.........VIVA
Terrance DePietro replied:
It is a luxury this winter - to experience once again so many markers from 2008-09. They collect into galleries (here) and even into books (mostly archive); they seem to prompt words to the surface; but more, they hint at every occasion meaningful coincidence. I write to them mostly in a seeming dream state; only after making heads or tails of of it all - and never worrying my conclusions. How can that be? I, who worry the most mundane of things, and glide past the rhetoric that darkens our time. But to this craft of 'finding' (in every crease and shadow) makes all the sense in the world: where are the artists, on mass, to take up the query? They are here - I am certain! They lurk in the corners but they are here; and I think (hope) they might soon joint the other side of their creativity that brings to the surface more than we know, more of what has been forgotten and all that still lines the cold shadows of winter... that burn so ever intensely in their whispers...Thank you once more dear VIVA for falling into my pages of questions. tdp
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