July 10, 2012

After 30+ successful and creative years at Vidal Sassoon NYC, I am proud to share that I have moved with my colleagues to the new, beautiful and pristine Salon SCK. See us at www.salonsck.com

What I learned from Michelle Rick's Photograph "Giant"

                                                                             August 6, 2012
 "Giant" by Michelle Rick     

    By Arlene Sulkis

I like this photograph titled, “Giant” by Michelle Rick and I think it is beautiful. In, his 15 questions; “Is Beauty The Making One Of Opposites?" 

Eli Siegel describes Light And Dark

“Does all art present the world as visible, luminous, going forth?-Does art, too, present the world as dark, hidden, having a meaning which seems to be beyond ordinary perception?-And is the technical problem of light and dark in painting related to the reality question of the luminous and the hidden?”

          I think Siegel's description is dead on. We are struck by the dark mysterious silhouette, the outline of a building and the cylindrical shape of a water tower. This formidable black structure against that luminous sky with brilliant ominous clouds do present the world as visible, luminous, going forth. At the same time it also presents the world as dark, hidden, mysterious, making both clouds and structure even more formidable. What we see are black vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines. Geometry, with its specificity, meets glowing clouds.

      There is a lightsome quality too. Look at the smaller poles, to the right of the tower, they almost look like two couples talking, looking out in awe, taking in the view. They seem to be walking towards the ladder propped up against the water tower.

       Mr. Siegel asks, “-And is the technical problem of light and dark in painting” or in this instance, a photograph, “related to the reality question of the luminous and the hidden?” I think it is. Notice the the clouds, they seem to have more than one mood; warm and inviting, the other forboding and a little threatening. In fact, these clouds are like most people. A person can be cheerful and bright one moment and suddenly become sad and brooding the next.

     The way light and dark are in this photograph has one feel dramatically, the mystery and wonder of the world. I thought I would be more mysterious by being illusive, especially with men. They never knew where they stood with me. I thought that would make me seem more appealing. Instead, I was filled with emptiness and self doubt, especially when everything seemed to be going so brilliantly. I remember being in the arms of a man who I thought I cared for, perplexed by a sudden nagging feeling, “Is this all there is?” I didn’t know that the emptiness I felt was caused by contempt, described by Eli Siegel as "Seeing oneself as more by making something else less." I wasn't enough interest in other people and I had a huge desire to impress them. In my mind, I made myself luminous while everything else was in silhouette.

      I was longing to hear the kind, critical questions that I was fortunate to be asked in an Aesthetic Realism consultation. “Do you see other people as having the same reality you grant yourself or do you see them as shadows? And, "Do you like having a man dance at the end of a string?"   My consultants showed me that what I wanted more than to glorify myself was to use every person to like, see meaning in and be affected by the whole world. Questions like these illuminated my conceit, making it possible for me to change, to have a genuine, deep, fellow feeling for other people.

          The black structure and glowing sky are both glorious. They each have more meaning and grandeur through their relation to one another. The cylindrical tower is affected as it is bathed in golden light. You actually feel the suns energy and heat radiating out of that lovely graceful curve. Color seems to emanate from that place, in undertones of pink and blue, making you look up in resplendent wonder. The water tower is a strong, dark, opposing structure but it is surrounded by something much larger, the whole world. There is mystery as well as brilliant luminosity and it is beautiful.

          Michelle Rick captures this dramatic moment which she describes as the “Golden Hour.” This photograph has a heavenly quality. There is something  religious about it. It captivates us, makes us look up in reverence. It is an arresting moment that I am glad exists.

          I am more grateful than I can say and it means my life to me to try to know the feelings of other people including, my dear husband, family, friends and colleagues. It is a privilege to be learning about myself through them and the great art of the world, making me better able to know and express myself.