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Exploiting the grand Metaphor, Life as a Journey!

Nigel Allan

Nigel Allan

Member
I sometimes try and see interesting pictures in things that others just pass by. The graphical nature of therailings for this footpath leading down to the Thames struck me as interesting for how they framed it and also their undulation.

It struck me that Sigmund Freud would have had some comments to make about this photograph and its potential symbolism. Comments in a discreet brown manila envelope please


DSC_3199-1.jpg


Nigel Allan. From Richmond Hill​


Here is another way of looking at it:

DSC_3202-2.jpg

Nigel Allan. From Richmond Hill - 2​
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
The quick reaction to this picture, the erect, phallus, is in fact overlaid on something just as archetypical: the path we travel in our lives. This is, perhaps, the master metaphor*, for our language, "life as a journey".

Here, the path is guarded or blocked perhaps by a large iron post with a bulbous end. Likely as not, the architects has no open intent to create philosophical challenges. Still, this picture assembled the components of the road to be travelled and the person, stranger or task on the way. Perhaps it's a helper, a warning or of no consequence.

Asher

*beyond such fundamental building blocks of language as "up", "down" and the like.
 
Nigel Allan

Nigel Allan

Member
Here is the original shot unchanged apart from a little sharpening. For me, the visual metaphor is about sex quite simply with the post representing a phallus and the undulating handrails representing labia, the path itself representing the actual vagina, and the short grass leading to the 'bushy' trees representing something akin to a Brazilian wax! What does that say about my mind ??? LOL

You can also see why it was cropped like it was since the sky is completely blown due to exposing for the post and grass.

DSC_3202-2-1.jpg


Nigel Allen: original shot unchanged apart from a little sharpening
​


Asher Kelman said:
The quick reaction to this picture, the erect, phallus, is in fact overlaid on something just as archetypical: the path we travel in our lives. This is, perhaps, the master metaphor*, for our language, "life as a journey".

Here, the path is guarded or blocked perhaps by a large iron post with a bulbous end. Likely as not, the architects has no open intent to create philosophical challenges. Still, this picture assembled the components of the road to be travelled and the person, stranger or task on the way. Perhaps it's a helper, a warning or of no consequence.

Asher

*beyond such fundamental building blocks of language as "up", "down" and the like.
Click to expand...
 
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Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Nigel,

It looks like we have two of the most powerful mental forces buttressing what should be a neutral image of the countryside.

Shakespeare would have parsed that very well!

Asher
 
Nigel Allan

Nigel Allan

Member
Aah, but it is not neutral. That would imply that it was shot at random with no intent. It was spotted and captured. Unless we are monkeys just firing off randomly most of us exercise some intent when taking our pictures. All photographs, even the ones which are poorly executed, display some intent. As such they all have value and mean something to someone, whether they appeal to our particular aesthetic sensibilities or the arbitrary rules of composition or not.



Asher Kelman said:
Nigel,

It looks like we have two of the most powerful mental forces buttressing what should be a neutral image of the countryside.

Shakespeare would have parsed that very well!

Asher
Click to expand...
 
R

Rachel Foster

New member
Oh, yes, Siggy would have plenty to say about this. I must ponder it a while.

My immediate reaction is that the symbol for the masculine is dwarfed by what reads (although not traditionally Freudian) by the symbol for the feminine. Wonder what Freud would have made of that? His relationships with women were terribly complex. Delightful image.
 
Nigel Allan

Nigel Allan

Member
Rachel Foster said:
Oh, yes, Siggy would have plenty to say about this. I must ponder it a while.

My immediate reaction is that the symbol for the masculine is dwarfed by what reads (although not traditionally Freudian) by the symbol for the feminine. Wonder what Freud would have made of that? His relationships with women were terribly complex. Delightful image.
Click to expand...


Giggle :) LOL

By the way, I have to ask, When you say delightful image, should I take that literally or ironically?
 
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Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
This thread is about the symbols that boost an image. Here t seems that procreation has been fused with our path in life. Do you have other pictures that have symbols built in or accidental but now important?

Asher
 
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