String of Pearls Photo

Photographer’s Note

This is the second in a short series I'll be posting from the Italian Street Painting Festival in San Rafael, California.

If I understand the basic concept of the festival, sponsors pay for portions of the street on which an artist will work. Judging from the outstanding quality of work produced by many artists, I'm guessing that there are many pros here. I don't doubt that some are paid by the organizers, perhaps from fees paid by sponsors.

The day before the festival begins the city closes the streets before cleaning the surface and then applying a thin coat of asphalt mixed with sand to create as smooth a surface as possible for the artists.

Here the artist is doing the delicate work of rendering in chalk a string of pearls lying around this woman's neck. One of the artists wore a tee shirt from another festival where she'd worked with the following text on the back...

1. Yes, if it rains, the paintings get wet.
2. No, this isn't a competition.
3. Yes, some of the chalk is handmade.
4. Well, it takes... as long as it takes.
5. Yes, the paintings last until they fade away.
6. Yes, my body hurts... a lot.
7. Why? The joy of sharing the creative process.

Enjoy the artist's work.

Rinie_Hoff, JasPahal, PJE, Isabelle, wilkinsonsg, peter1892, dom_inik_m, banyanman, JonteW has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

verswe (4425) 2006-06-13 0:22

Excellent crop and colours!

Rinie_Hoff (9332) 2006-06-13 1:37

what, did you shoot her in the back, Curtis? Or is your memory that good that you recall all that was o her T-shirt?
I've been wondering why it's an Italian Street painting festival? Only open to Italian participants? You can only talk Italian? The chalk is especially mad in a small mountain village somewhere in the Appenins?
Nice capturee, Curtis, I like the way you composed it, with all the tools, and the artist himself so nicely on the left.
That Arts and WINE festival sounds like something for me too, BTW.

JasPahal (336) 2006-06-13 3:20

Hey Curtis,

I love how sharp and clear this image is. Thanks for the informative note as well! Man, is this guy a great artist or what. It looks like he's enjoying what he's doing, and that's what counts. Thanks for sharing!

Jas

dom_inik_m (1707) 2006-06-13 5:23

How surprising to read in your note that the pavement undergoes some kind of special preparation for such an event, since street painting is usually done "anywhere", as long as the surface is appropriate (think of the walls of the caves of Lascaux!) and - ideally - you get people to look at your work. Welle, I guess this is how streets painters work in the wild, while you clearly depict a much more domesticated approach to their practice. ;-)
As smooth a surface as possible... It reminds me of the wet plaster coating required by the great Italian fresco masters, who had to deal with their sponsors, too. Unfortunately, even if their techniques and talents may be compared to Piero della Francesca, Michelangelo or Raphael, I fear their fame will never match the renown of their celebrated predecessors, because their art is only ephemeral, to be washed away by the first rain (or the sprinklers of the city cleaning machines?). Unless photography comes to the rescue, right?
And this is how you step in and your camera come in handy, Curtis, to capture the tools of the trade, the concentrated gaze of the artist shielded from the sun by a Yahoo! cap, the precise gesture (is that a pencil he's holding, to highlight each pearl of the necklace, the slanted two-dimensional smile, the rough-shape of the rest of the drawing in its unfinished state, the bright blue and yellow of the out of focus work in the background...
I realize now what's been missing on TrekEarth for many months (even if I've been mostly away, too): your ability to stay in touch with your surroundings, Curtis, and the sensibility to convey your feelings.
More to come, I hope...

PJE (19401) 2006-06-13 5:57

Curtis this a very fine catch showing the artist at work. His hand is filled with chalk, but the pavement shows a masterpiece surfacing. Very good framing showing the artist, the chalk, and the results together. You said it all very well in your 7 points...I like it!!!!

Isabelle (9014) 2006-06-13 9:36

working working working one month before my trip, then 4 absolutely fantastic weeks with Rinie and the TE crew, then working working working again, sometimes I think I´ll pass out, just to sleep :) but of course, I HAD to stop by to say hello and that i am really glad you´re back, Curtis!
Again, useful note (hilarious the tshirt!) and a lovely composition. My eyes wander from the yellows to the red on his cap then to the woman´s face then to the details and back to the yellows.
Oh, dear, street art is not my cup of tea: first I cannot draw a full moon. besides, I would need an ortopedit to put me stanting still again ;)
Lovely you´re back.
You were greatly missed in Rotterdam. By now you have already received the image made for you...

erdna (5348) 2006-06-13 11:55

This is beautiful Curtis! What a feast for the eyes and the artistic lovers. Your composition of a diagonal connection between the artist ant the artwork is terrific.

Andre'

wilkinsonsg (8646) 2006-06-13 14:21

Well seen and captured - crisp too :)

peter1892 (3201) 2006-06-13 18:42

Hi Curtis, composition, framing, DOF & colours are excellent here. I like the way it's focused on both the artist at work, and also the piece he is creating. Another excellent contribution!

P.S. - I will be on one of my travels next week - a few days in Paris :)

banyanman (7716) 2006-08-01 11:13

Excellent composition, Colin, perfect sharpness and DOF is very well judged (I would have thought that f/2.8 would have been too shallow for this, but you have proved me wrong). I like the very natural colours in this - you have resisted the temptation to over-saturate. Cheers . . . David