Not sure I want to title these two!

I was going to explain what these images were, but then I wondered whether that might diminish whatever impact they may have. I thought that there was something vaguely apocalyptic about them, or at least the first one, which makes you wonder what exactly you are seeing. Then again maybe they just make you want to move on!

If anyone is interested I will explain where I took them after I have given them a chance to speak for themselves. The versions I have posted are fairly large so I'm afraid you may have trouble getting the whole thing on screen, but the smaller versions were pretty unintelligible!

As always your comments are much appreciated. Thanks for looking.

matt

http://mattgcp.smugmug.com/photos/12087697-L.jpg



http://mattgcp.smugmug.com/photos/12087699-L.jpg

Hi Matt,
I like the idea of Pic 1. The foreground resembles windows. What are the white lines in the pic? Seem like reflection. I think the composition of the photo would be better if the upper part is not left open.
yoyo

Very interesting shot. It appears to be a mirrored ceiling so I tried to spot which person is you but couldn't tell in this resolution. I find the idea of not titling pics does indeed make them more interesting when the subject is not immediately apparent. My piqued curiosity IS hoping for an explanation for all those people lying on the floor.

The first one is awesome. I too will await the verdict on what the heck is going on :) Love the people lying down, it truly makes for a compelling image.

I was about to write the second one off until I saw the person racing ahead with what looks like his leg bent, as if in running. That makes the whole image to me, that sense of having frozen action. In fact, now that I look at it I'd say to crop this thing waay down and focus on that person running. There's your photograph.

The first is very compelling and titilating.

Rick

First shot is great in that it definetely holds ones curiosity and framed and composed well. Second shot I'm not too crazy about but but it does have some appeal. . .like a mad rush is going on. Looking forward to the story behind the shot.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mattp

I was going to explain what these images were, but then I wondered whether that might diminish whatever impact they may have. I thought that there was something vaguely apocalyptic about them, or at least the first one, which makes you wonder what exactly you are seeing. Then again maybe they just make you want to move on!

If anyone is interested I will explain where I took them after I have given them a chance to speak for themselves. The versions I have posted are fairly large so I'm afraid you may have trouble getting the whole thing on screen, but the smaller versions were pretty unintelligible!

As always your comments are much appreciated. Thanks for looking.

matt

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I think they are both very interesting, though I don't really feel wonderment as to what they are. If I had to bet money I would say the first one is disaster relief training. The second one looks like a terminal of some sort.
Both are quite nice.

almo

Thanks for the comments.

Both shots were taken at the Tate Gallery of modern art on London's South Bank. The gallery is housed in a converted power station, and the main entrance of the building takes you into an enormous cathedral like space where the turbines used to be housed.

This amazing space is often used to exhibit large pieces of art, or more unusual installations. One of the recent installations was called Weather Experience. The ceiling of the turbine hall was covered in reflective foil tiles. At one end of the room was an enormous semi circular mono-frequency yellow light, which, when placed under the mirrored tiles looked like a setting sun. The whole room was bathed in an eerie but quite warming light, and a slight mist was occasionally pumped into the room high up, like drifting clouds.

The whole scene had this strange effect on sun starved Londoners, who would either sit or lie down on the floor seeemingly hypnotized by the light, and their own reflections high above them.

In colour all this would make sense, but it seemed to me that in black and white, and without the context of the fake 'sun' that people are looking at, the scene would be read quite differently. I am lying on my back roughly in the centre of the image, taking a picture of the mirrored ceiling (I'm almost at the intersection of two tiles, and I was cross legged if you can make me out!). The shot is cut off at the top, as any more would have included too much of the lamp. The darker space at the bottom is a raised level which people are standing on and looking down at the 'sunbathers'.

The second shot was taken standing underneath this raised level, looking towards the light at the end of the turbine hall. I liked the starburst effect in the middle of all that black, and the figures reminded me slightly of aliens emerging from some close encounters scenario!

Again, thanks for the comments.

Regards

matt

Both make me think of something by Fritz Lang. Good work Matt.

aaron - that's a really interesting thought, I love Lang's work and it would be great to have a fraction of his visual flair! In the first shot I think the tiny figures diminished in a vast industrial backdrop could echo something of the drone like workers in Metropolis, and the second has the contrast if nothing else to give it a little of the German expressionist look!

Thank you.