Posts By Margot Krebs Neale

It’s growing

IMG_3108sgsm

Striving to have μεράκι

IMG_3067sgsm

Tulips in a vase, both beautiful and banal.
I wondered how to photograph them
A perspective from below to try to express the feeling of rising, growing even after they have been cut
The life that remains for a long time in bulb plants.
It did not look good, too much "contre-jour"
Keep them partly behind the curtain? Some element unseen always being more interesting.
Then the problem was the background, seing the house behind our house a sad very regular outline.
So take the picture from above?
The window became a problem, it really is not a pretty window and choosing a landscape format, it became more visible.
Then I thought to use the rather unsightly black rubber around those windows as if it was the black line that one was able to frame one's photograph with in the days of printing photos in the lab.
A favourite feature in Henri Cartier-Bresson's work, maybe to show the photos were never cropped.
Then the question: all around or not? The answer "not quite".

Striving to have μεράκι...

μεράκι (meraki): the word entered the Greek language from Turkish, but its meaning has evolved in Greek into a very complex concept of good taste, hard work and positive attitude towards hard labour.

Someone has meraki when that person is good at their job, when they do it dutifully and with great attention to detail no matter how hard it might be, without complaining, but rather enjoying and taking pride in it.

It can also be used in the sense of yearning.
from:
Lost in Translation.

Declare your fragility

IMG_3055sgsm

I opened a box of eggs and found one with this beautiful feather:
white and a gentle russet colour.
I put it on the window sill in the kitchen
I took a picture of the egg and the feather trying to catch something of the lightness of the feather.
It was leaning against weights which live on the window sill and I thought the small jam jar was nice too.
Looking at the picture, I saw the juxtaposition of the very light and the heavy and thought of moods,
what weighs on the mind and the choice of lightness.
I tried to make the contrast more obvious.

IMG_3048sgthumb

The next day I read an article by Ian Brown in which he quotes Jean Vanier
"If you want to live in hope and not fear, you have to tell the truth and declare your fragility."
It is always difficult to find a title and easy to borrow someone else's words, so I did.

from Jean Vanier: What we have to do is find the places of hope.

Uma dona lisboeta

IMG_8947sgsm

Who are you beautiful statue behind grilles ? a writer ? A poetess ?
Are you trapped or are you free?
When I saw you I was struck by your beauty and took this picture,
but then I tried to make a portrait without the wires and I managed
but in the process your expression changed,
it looked more controlled, less thoughtful.
The quill became less visible and you became a tame lady with a book.
Now I prefer this picture
maybe you are not so tame
and this would be the reason for the grilles ?
Or do they make you feel safe to be less tame?

IMG_8948sgsm

Emmanuel

IMG_7464sgsm

Wisława Szymborska

hard lifesgsm

Trudne życie z pamięcią

Jestem złą publicznością dla swojej pamięci.
Chce, żebym bezustannie słuchała jej głosu,
a ja się wiercę, chrząkam,
słucham i nie słucham,
wychodzę, wracam i znowu wychodzę.

Chce mi bez reszty zająć uwagę i czas.
Kiedy śpię, przychodzi jej to łatwo.
W dzień bywa różnie, i ma o to żal.

Podsuwa mi gorliwie dawne listy, zdjęcia,
porusza wydarzenia ważne i nieważne,
przywraca wzrok na prześlepione widoki,
zaludnia je moimi umarłymi.

W jej opowieściach jestem zawsze młodsza.
To miłe, tylko po co bez przerwy ten wątek.
Każde lustro ma dla mnie inne wiadomości.

Gniewa się, kiedy wzruszam ramionami.
Mściwie wtedy wywleka wszystkie moje błędy,
ciężkie, a potem lekko zapomniane.
Patrzy mi w oczy, czeka, co ja na to.
W końcu pociesza, że mogło być gorzej.

Chce, żebym żyła już tylko dla niej i z nią.
Najlepiej w ciemnym, zamkniętym pokoju,
a u mnie ciągle w planach słońce teraźniejsze,
obłoki aktualne, drogi na bieżąco.

Czasami mam jej towarzystwa dosyć.
Proponuję rozstanie. Od dzisiaj na zawsze.
Wówczas uśmiecha się z politowaniem,
bo wie, że byłby to wyrok i na mnie.

Wisława Szymborska

Hard Life with Memory

I’m a poor audience for my memory.
She wants me to attend her voice non-stop,
but I fidget, fuss,
listen and don’t,
step out, come back then leave again.

She wants to take up all my time and attention.
She’s got no problem when I sleep.
The day’s a different matter, which upsets her.

She thrust old letters, snapshots at me eagerly
stirs up events both important and un-,
turns my eyes to overlooked views,
peoples them with my dead.

In her stories I’m always younger.
Which is nice, but why always the same story.
Every mirror holds different news for me.

She gets angry when I shrug my shoulders.
And takes revenge by hauling out old errors,
weighty, but easily forgotten.
Looks into my eyes, checks my reaction.
Then comforts me, it could be worse.

She wants me to live only for her and with her.
ideally in a dark, locked room,
but my plans still feature today’s sun,
clouds in progress, current roads.

At times I get fed up with her.
I suggest a separation. From now to eternity.
Then she smiles at me with pity,
since she knows it would be the end of me too.

translation Clare Kavanah

A Wink

IMG_9204sgsm

Les chatons de saule: premières fleurs du printemps

pussy willow sgsm

From Child Library Readers, Book Two of the Life Reading Service published by Scott, Foresman and Co. Photo Margot Krebs Neale

 

Joyeuses Pâques

IMG_2931sgsm

Halo

IMG_2906sgsm