Gods and Godesses of the Everyday: The sculpture of Carole Feuerman

Feuerman’s sculpture walks the fine line between reality and deception, inviting us to explore our emotional response to this nexus. The syncretic link is the artist’s realization of the intense physicality, passion and sensuality found in her figures’ otherwise mundane poses. “My work is about relationships,” Feuerman explains, “exploring the secret interiority of the individual and a woman’s relationship to herself. I hope to touch an emotional level that might otherwise be inaccessible. My objective is to do more than breathe life into my sculptures, but to explore the inner life of the character, much like a novel might.” Is it autobiographical? “Perhaps, but, I like to think of my works as larger than life—gods and goddesses of the Everyday.”





Lollipop Seats

Across the Harbour

This morning I took a short boat ride for 5HKD (40 pence UK) across the harbour to buy a loaf of bread.  Here are just a few of things I found on the way.  Its amazing what you can see when you buy bread in any place. The lovely dog the monk and the well dressed super dog who seems to be ready for a role as an action hero in a Marvel comic.


The missing lady poster? Not to mention the singing Dwarf.  Now I was a bit concerned about this at first and morally I was concerned about my feelings for taking the photograph in the first place.  However, it does open up a number of questions firstly if they have a right to stand there and sing in public then they must expect to be photographed particularly in this year 2012 when everyone has a camera or phone. So what are my rights (and yours too) when photographing on the street am I (we) committing an illegal act? Well you may be relieved to know that the answer is NO! Here is what Andrew Flusche has to say:

Public photography is wide open 

That’s the general rule. When you’re on public property (a street, sidewalk, city park, etc) you can take pictures of what you see. This means that you can also photograph private property as long as you’re not trespassing to get the shot.

Unfortunately, life is never that simple. There are a couple exceptions to the rule and other details you need to know.

Does the photo subject expect privacy?

Even on public property, you can’t photograph somebody who has a “reasonable expectation of privacy.” Basically, that means you can’t snap shots of people in the bathroom, a dressing room, or similar places. Ask yourself: “Would the average person expect privacy?” If so, don’t take a photo.

Along the same lines, don’t sneak photographs of people from bizarre angles. In essence, you can’t go around taking “up skirt” photographs. Even if you’re on the public sidewalk.

Is it a question of national security?

It was news to me, but military bases and nuclear facilities can restrict photographs – even from the outside area. Even if you’re not trespassing onto government land, taking pictures of these installations could be illegal.

Don’t even try. We’re not talking misdemeanor illegal. You might be shipped off and never seen again. Yep, crazy illegal!

Stand your ground, politely

If your public photo opp passed these three stages, you’re probably safe to shoot some pictures. Since there are millions of scenarios in which you could be photographing, there’s no way anyone can tell you for sure, ahead of time.

But if someone does confront you about your photography, you can probably win by standing your ground.Bert P. Krages II has some great questions for you to ask, if confronted. Remember to be polite!

1. What is the person’s name?
2. Who is their employer?
3. Are you free to leave? If not, how do they intend to stop you if you decide to leave? What legal basis do they assert for the detention?
4. Likewise, if they demand your film, what legal basis do they assert for the confiscation?

I’m not encouraging you to break the law, but I also hate seeing people cower when someone confiscates their camera. Private parties cannot take your personal property without a court order. And unless a police officer is arresting you, he cannot take your property either.

Fireworks Hong Kong 2012

This New Year in Hong Kong saw some amazing fireworks over Victoria Harbour. Happy New healthy and prosperous Year! 

Revisiting the past

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Why take Photographs?

Humankind lingers unregenerately in Plato's cave, still reveling, its age-old habit, in mere images of the truth. But being educated by photographs is not like being educated by older, more artisanal images. For one thing, there are a great many more images around, claiming our attention. The inventory started in 1839 and since then just about everything has been photographed, or so it seems. This very insatiability of the photographing eye changes the terms of confinement in the cave, our world. In teaching us a new visual code, photographs alter and enlarge our notions of what is worth looking at and what we have a right to observe. They are a grammar and, even more importantly, an ethics of seeing. Finally, the most grandiose result of the photographic enterprise is to give us the sense that we can hold the whole world in our heads -- as an anthology of images.