Ludwigsvorstadt, Munich
When I saw that peace tag, I immediately was reminded of Bill Evans’ “Peace Piece” (here on youtube).
And today my thoughts are with the parents of Trayvon Martin, 17 years old, whose violent death is a tragic memento that peace in our societies is still not guaranteed, that instead racism rises its ugly head in oh too many places – and finds its support in the silence of the masses.
![Click to enlarge: A Peace Piece [f/3.5, 1/60 sec, 40mm-e, ISO 800, DMC-G3]. Tagged with](https://markus-spring.info/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/03/20120222-173356mws.jpg)
Update: I exchanged the image for a different version without those burned out taillights – it seems I was a bit unconcentrated when posting. The original is under the thumbnail.
And yes, in this context it is almost obscene to say how well the perspective is and how interesting the almost-tilt-shift effect (“almost ” being the point, ;-))
Well, things like the graphical qualities seem to have to exist in a separate reality. I however try not to fall into that l’art-pour-l’art trap, where photoshopped wow-effects try to squeeze out reality. I am too realistic to find joy in that.
Oh yes, and that almost tilt-shift effect is just shallow DoF. I love my G3’s primes for that.
Interesting how the sign appears to have been drawn: Starting at the top and drawing the circle in a smooth, counter-clockwise direction. Then, upon returning to the apex, the line loops down through the middle to the bottom of the circle (and just past). Finally, the two strokes—like the hour and minute hands on a clock—are added.
Tyler, you brought up an interesting observation – I must admit I hadn’t thought about it until I read your comment.
Scrutinizing the image for the direction of drawing, I came however to a different conclusion, namely that the unknown artist had started with the bottom end of the vertical line and drawn the circle clockwise. Three details back this theory, I think: The starting point is a round dot with a high color saturation, something I think would not happen on a end point when drawing in a swift motion. The one o’clock position of the circle has very littly saturation, indicating a high speed of the pencil, in my eyes typical for the beginning of a circle. And the not-meeting start and end of the circle might hint too to a clockwise drawing direction, because when drawing counter-clockwise you have to lower your pencil speed for the sharp bend into the vertical, and then it would be relatively easy to make start and end of the circle meet.
Well, two beholders and two theories: You really made me look at that detail!
Markus, on your text for the message. I have to wonder if, in that Florida town, a black man had gunned down an unarmed white teenager and claimed “stand your ground” self-defense, just how well that would work out for him.
Carl, this question is certainly asked not only throughout (parts of) the U.S., but also the rest of the world.
As a sad matter of fact, most countries do have their facets of racism/antisemitism/sexism, as we do have in Germany, too. And there is not a small number of politicians trying to ride those waves for their own success.
A cousin of mine is married to a Texas law professor specialized in fighting against capital punishment – something easily imaginable in the fictive constellation you did draw up – and I never managed to read beyond a quarter of his first book. A thoroughly deplorable state of these states.
I only read about Trayvon Martin yesterday, and first couldn’t really believe it. Not only the almost cliché-like neighborhood-watch-kill-black teenager – but also that medieval law that you are generally ok’ed to kill somebody, just because you “feel threatened.
And now Trayvon’s mother has applied to trademark the protestant chants.
There is something so fundamentally screwed in that society, it’s almost unbelievable.
Yes, always when my oldest daughter enthusiazes about her stay in the U.S., I feel a slight shudder. In so many things that country has excelled, but there are reminiscents of the darkest of times, and now maybe the results of a planned and executed ruining of the education system…