Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Photographic Art - Antiquity

Dear sisters ..... It's soooooo quiet in Bae world and we are all missing him sooooo much. I think it's perfect time to start working on my next art series. For my own documentation, I'd like to repost my old art series for now. This photographic series was done back in Dec 2006 ......

I’m recently studying some antique botanical prints and am deeply enchanted by their elegance and simplicity that I love to share them with you. Why? Haha, because every beautiful scenery and exquisite detail that I encounter in life now reminds me of our irresistibly attractive Yong Joon. Hope you’ll like the artworks!




Still-life photographer Zeva Oelbaum discovered a Victorian herbarium (botanical journal) in a tiny seaside antiques shop along the coast of New England. The only trace to its artistic creator’s origin is an inscription ‘May 18, 1896, Randolph, VT’ in graceful penmanship. This century old treasure has yellowed rippled parchment paper tied with fraying white satin ribbon. Through the delicate hands of a young woman over a century ago, the fragile botanicals were diligently arranged with strings of linen in an artful and whimsical composition. Time has worked wonders too, the pressed botanical has created shadow impression of itself reflecting on the adjoining page. The journal was a means of creative fulfillment, letting this young lady to escape into the beauty of flowers in her peaceful surroundings.








A century later, through a photographer’s refined lenses, the aesthetic quality of these botanicals comes alive again. Using natural light and shadow as matrix, the subtle textures of the petals, leaves and parchment shine through the prints. It is her intent to resonate the subtle beauty of this antique journal by layering it with a contemporary artistic sheer.





Maybe it’s that light touch of nostalgia lingering in the air, that mystical sensation from a bygone era or the mere thought of an artist’s creativity narrowly forgotten and rediscovered. I am fascinated by the sheer endurance of these delicate petals and fragile roots, withstanding the passage of time. The strong desire to mirror this vitality to our Yong Joon’s duality of strength and refinement overcomes me. This heavenly-handsome prince drifts into our lives and our hearts effortlessly with his sincere and noble magnetism, writing an elegant chapter into Asian cultural history that seems to be a dream, yet so real. The world has witnessed his pivotal role as the Ambassador of the Hallyu movement and his idealism to unify and strengthen Asian art cultures. 100 years from now, how will his talents and grace be remembered in history? Will the beautiful memory of Bae Yong Joon be preserved and appreciated like this Victorian herbarium? Time will be the best judge of his position and triumph in history. One thing I am certain of, he’ll be in his loving family’s hearts, minds and spirits well beyond the end of time …….














References :
1. Flowers in Shadow - A Photographer Rediscovers a Victorian Botanical Journal, Zeva Oelbaum, Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. 2002
2. Blue Prints - The Natural World in Cyanotype Photographs, Zeva Oelbaum, Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. 2002

8 comments:

gosijo said...

Hi Jaime,

This post is as fresh today as it was 15 months ago.

It makes me ponder also on what history will remember of this individual we consider so special. Will he leave an indelible mark or fade and be rediscovered through a lucky coincidence - a lovingly preserved collection of memorabillia found by a great-great-great-grand-daughter, perhaps.

jaime said...

dear gosijo,

thanks for your kind comments. You know, I truly believe the timelessness in design and the superior quality of materials used in BOF products will really stand the test of time. Now I wonder who will inherit our BYJ collection of memorabilia and still cherish it as treasures like us?

love ... jaime

Anonymous said...

hi jaime. i just love the photos you posted here. byj is just so gorgeous! i love the one with him with closed eyes. ^__^

Anonymous said...

dear jaime,

very lovely and romantic,at least thst's what I feel when I saw it. It always amazed me how can you combined two different subject yet it's look lovely together. I love every single one of them. Thank you for sharing this.

love,
regie

jaime said...

hi hi secretbear,

Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read this art post and leaving me a comment. I am happy that you enjoy the artworks. Hehe, I don't have much skills, but it comes from my heart. Me too, I love it when he closes his eyes and smiles. The classic BYJ look :)

love ... jaime

jaime said...

dear regie,

Thank you for your comment. Have you seen this before in Quilt?

As an artist, I'm sure you paid particular attention to
the harmony, contrast and shading in a picture, eh? I am a person of colours, but I do agree that monochromatic image does accentuate all the lines and present an image of purity. You know our HRH loves B&W photography, right? :)

love .. Jaime

bbmag said...

hey jaime, thanks for reposting this. gosijo's right, re-reading it is just like the first time.

and i love her pondering :)

jaime said...

hi princess,

Me too, I always love to read what Gosijo writes. I always like to go back and re-read word by word to appreciate the art and depth of her writings. She is a gem!

love ..... Jaime