Category: Uncategorized

Only moments before the bag had held zucchini or scallions perhaps.  Now it lay crumpled on the table fodder for my imagination as sunlight filled its cavities.

At first I thought of folds of cloth and crinkled skirts like women wore so long ago.  But then as the rays of light shifted, I imagined glaciers and ice caves illuminated in rainbow colors throughout an arctic day.

The sun soon dipped behind a building and with it most of the light but just enough remained for one last shot that made me think of a cavern opening.

What you see is the culmination of one man’s work over the course of 15 years now named the Philadelphia Magic Gardens.
From their website:

“[Isaiah] Zagar started working on the Magic Gardens in 1994 in the vacant lot nearby his studio. He began by constructing a massive fence to protect the area from harm and then spent the next fourteen years excavating tunnels and grottos, sculpting multi-layered walls, and tiling and grouting the 3,000 square foot space. The installation pays tribute to Zagar’s many artistic influences, as well as the events and experiences of his life. Enveloped in visual anecdotes, the mosaicked walls refer to his wife Julia and sons Ezekiel and Jeremiah through playful images and words, but also reference important elements of the wider world. Las Pozas and Day of the Dead, the dance community of Philadelphia, and even the airplanes of the nationwide 9/11 tragedy.

A mountainous landscape in some far away place.  Stars shine in the dark waters flowing past rocky shores.  At least that’s what I see on screen.

But in reality?

In fact, the landscape is two pieces of paper juxtaposed.  I had been working with paper on the kitchen table when afternoon sunlight hit these two — a textured brown and a sheet of black — in such a way that I could not help but snap a photo.  Later, on the computer, I desaturated the color and then my imagination took over. 😉

A leaf found in a field on the way home.  I let it sit in the window a few days to dry.  I still have it, tucked safely away, so we’ll see how it continues to evolve.

A mountainous landscape in some far away place.  Stars shine in the dark waters flowing past rocky shores.  At least that’s what I see on screen.

But in reality?

In fact, the landscape is two pieces of paper juxtaposed.  I had been working with paper on the kitchen table when afternoon sunlight hit these two — a textured brown and a sheet of black — in such a way that I could not help but snap a photo.  Later, on the computer, I desaturated the color and then my imagination took over. 😉

I must admit that I felt almost like a voyeur snapping this photo in the woods.