This work was my favorite by far. Although the gallery was supposed to be devoted to the use of different, more archaic forms of light retention, I found this piece magnificent for little reason other than its sheer brilliance. I have deliberately eliminated all thought in my mind of how it’s been made, because the material should never distract from the subject, only enhance its magnificence.
Here you see a man, he’s not necessarily attractive, nor is he of wealth or power. Look at him, and look closely. Then look at what surrounds him. Part of what makes this format palpable is the appreciation thereof. Retaining the light around the body of a man, on a reflecting lake or river, surrounded by foliage on a mostly cloudy day, with a human form just barely edging perhaps, perhaps foliage.
His ascent right above the surface of the water is what draws this piece so close to my heart. I can see the reflection, a shadow, just beneath his upper torso is a shadow.
I myself cannot identify his race if I tried. All I see is an old and (perhaps I assume) wise-looking man. His shadow representing his figure reminds me of the allegory of the cave.
Perhaps it is because this picture is most attainable in the methods I use that I most associate with it. Regardless, it is by far the least physically abstract yet most emotionally distant and that’s what appeals to me most.
