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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twenty Six : Using reflections to transform reality > Reflection in water (2): Time Warp, Ghent, Belgium, 2005
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14-JUN-2005

Reflection in water (2): Time Warp, Ghent, Belgium, 2005

I use reflections to abstract this canal side building, altering its structure until it implies a time warp. I used the reflected underside of a canal bridge to envelope the entire left side in darkness, giving the building a foreboding context. The image becomes dream like, and prods the imagination to take it further.

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Phil Douglis31-Jul-2005 06:41
Thank you, Likyin, for this delightful comment. Words like "precious" and "tragic" applied to the same image speak to its value as expression. I agree with you about finding "fun in disorder," and also on your final point -- no matter how terribly distorted something may become, in the end its "only a reflection."
Guest 31-Jul-2005 05:49
This black and red feeling is precious. Each of the rippling lines, black or bordeaux, wriggling on the surface along the left and upper shore, is a mistery. With the darkness, the scene falls into tragic ... Really catching.

But, there's something else, too. I found the two upper middle window frames very attractive, after being distorted like this. We might say it's boring if the world has only order/straight lines, maybe we feel more fun if here and there something is disordered. But, not everyone feel comfortable if they have this window as real ... Maybe, reflections are attractive other than scaring, no matter how terrible it is distorded, because we can always say:

Don't worry, it's just a reflection, let's enjoy it.
Phil Douglis06-Jul-2005 05:27
An anchor is a stabilizing element. The left side of this frame anchors the picture. The texture in the water alters the image, changing reality to fantasy. This is not flipped. You can see the footing of a bridge in the upper left hand corner.
Kal Khogali06-Jul-2005 04:58
Another stuning refelction, but this time with an anchor for the viewer Phil and notably upside down. In all the other reflection images where you have flipped the image (I think), you have not introduced an anchor. Have I spotted a point of technique here? I don't want to detract from the beauty of each one of the refelections they are all incredibly stunning and work beautifully, but I feel like I am on the verge of learning someting about taking pictures of reflections, and you have to stop me if I am heading the wrong way!
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