Thursday, January 24, 2013

Casanova's Hardware

I came across this odd structure standing beside a reno site in a swanky N.Vancouver suburb last summer.  Fascinated by the chain and hooks covered in bright paint and burrowing rust, I took a whole series of photos but haven't known quite what to do with them or how to broach the subject on this blog.


Who is/was the Carmel Casanova and what was he doing hanging out in N.Van?
What sort of nefarious activities were these devious devices intended for?
And how/when could I address this topic here?

Well, enter Bonnie of Pixel Dust Photo Art who suggested the theme of HARDWARE for this weekend's virtual art gallery of transformed photos that she hosts on her blog.
Just the excuse I needed to pull out the chains and hooks and screws and bolts that I'd been keeping hidden away in my bag of photographic tricks.


I will leave it up to your own vivid imaginations 
to figure out what uses
 that Carmel Casanova might have intended for this thingamabob.



My own intention for it was to have a bit of fun with layers of textures and effects in Photoshop.



It was a rather dizzying undertaking...



  and I soon felt the need to brew a pot of Japanese tea to revive my spirits. 

In a future post or two, I will dish out some more of these kinky quirky implements but meanwhile, should you wish to see some other fine examples of altered hardware pix, take a little stroll over to Bonnie's fine art gallery 
and hardware store;
it's never closed.


33 comments:

  1. Delightful, Lynne! Your writing skills equal your artistry and make every post here a treat for the senses. Love your artistic 'manipulations' of your photographs, and how the last one is so very different from the others. Love it!

    As for your kinky (aka quirky) imagination ... it's great to frequent a kindred spirit who goes where others fear to tread ... ;)

    I'll keep trying to come up with themes that provide the excuse you need to weave your magic on archived photographs! Eeeek ... now that's pressure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bonnie,
      Fools...and artists...rush in where others fear to tread. Or maybe "fool" and "artist" are synonymous? Lovely how kindred spirits can inspire and encourage one another. Am already thinking about your "minimalist" theme. Quite a challenge for someone like me who tends to think that less is just not finished and that "more" is not quite enough.

      Delete
  2. You always inspire me with your creative expression! - both artistic photos, and writing. :) I need to nurture creativity in my life, to find a source of creative expression that enlivens me. That's my new theme I think - what *enlivens* me/my spirit...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MM,
      It's so good to hear that my art work sparks inspiration! Nurturing your creativity, no matter what form it takes, is sure to bring a wonderful feeling of "enlivenment" into your day.

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Birgitta,
      Thank you for your visit and encouragement.

      Delete
  4. attracted to the thumbnail right away on Bonie's linky and love your images

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Helena,
      Good to know! I debated which thumbnail to post to generate some interest. Glad it worked and you came to visit.

      Delete
  5. Textural and beautiful photo!
    Love it
    Hugs
    SueAnn

    ReplyDelete
  6. Altered images right up my street, from dizzying heights to Japanese vintage - brill!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Foxysue,
      So pleased to connect with another altered images fan.

      Delete
  7. Fabulous Lynne! I especially love that last image.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Linda,
      Oh good, I'm so pleased that the last image has a fan. It certainly went in a very different direction than where I started from...and took me quite a long time to get there.

      Delete
  8. you found the perfect setting for these images in this theme - wonderful edits and great, gritty narrative

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eljaygee,
      I love the term "gritty narrative"!

      Delete
  9. these are amazing and such a fun read, too. I often photograph things that are eye candy and brain baffling and reading and seeing what you've shared here is truly delicious. and it encouraged me to take another look at some of my more out there over the edge photographs. gorgeous!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CS,
      That's great if I've pushed you over the edge, so to speak! Brain baffling eye candy has the added benefit of being non-fattening; however, it can be highly addictive.

      Delete
  10. Oh my gosh these are so interesting and fun. You have a very creative eye and a way of making one stop and think. So many possibilities come to mind. My favorite of the 3 is the middle piece. Can't wait to see more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ida,
      That sign with the hook hanging from it certainly made me stop and think. I'm happy if my treatments of the photo had the same sort of effect on those viewing them. Thanks for encouraging me to get the others out of my toolbox!

      Delete
  11. Fabulous edit! Great artwork indeed!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Birgitta,
      Thanks so much! "Fabulous" and "great" are wonderful adjectives to have thrown at one's artistic efforts.

      Delete
  12. The image, taken to different extremes, is just wonderful. I love what you've done with each manipulation!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jan,
      Thank you so much! I did push the image to extremes. I would hate to admit how many hours I played with it but, thankfully, I lost track.

      Delete
  13. oh wondrous depth of human life ... wising you all a kind weekend ahead.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Robert,
      Human life is comprised of some very complicated and mysterious hardware making it tick. Wishing you a weekend that is not at all hard but a beautifully soft place to land.

      Delete
  14. Ah, a pot of Japanese tea is just the ticket to get through a winter afternoon while tinkering with bits of images to make them rhyme and sing and dance... A pleasure to stop by your studio which always has something to captivate on the easel...

    So, you didn't get the low down on who was the Casanova finally ? Did he use this to hang out big bunches of flowers for his many lovers ???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did you ever read the book or see the movie "Flowers for Algernon"? This scenario could be titled "No Flowers from Casanova." What do you think, should I go ahead and write the novel?

      Lovely to see you here in my studio, sipping Japanese tea and trying not to break anything while galumphing about.

      A rare toad spotting! Or should that be a rare spotted toad?

      Delete
  15. My goodness Lynne,you really are a magician! The second last image is beautiful....I particularly like the centre bottom detail,it's like looking into a fantasy city.

    Ruby

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ruby,
      Abracadabra is my middle name! Love that concept you suggest of a fantasy city. Gives me a new way of looking at my own work.

      Delete
  16. Too funny!

    Love the photos of the chain ... er...equipment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LadyFi,
      Very happy to bring a smile to your face!

      Delete
  17. I've read your Carmel Casanova posts, and I am as intrigued as you are about what the words mean. Someone's name? Hardly.... and what lovely images. Wonderful how some throwaway words and casual visual juxtapositions can be so inspiring!

    ReplyDelete