Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Staircase in Her Eye

While doing sit-ups the other day, I looked up to see this riveting reflection. My line of vision and the angle of light combined to create this collage of my younger and older daughters' self-portraits from high school. I love the way my older daughter's face looks down the stairs from the landing into the eye of my younger daughter and the way my younger daughter's eye contains the staircase leading to my older daughter. The way my eye holds them both.

Here are some related words from John Steinbeck:

Man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments.

-- John Ernst Steinbeck, from The Grapes of Wrath (1939)

The picture was taken 7/25/10. Click on photo to enlarge image.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Bravo on the sit ups! Next time I'm doing my exercises I will gaze round the room to see if I can spot any reflections. I have to admit this shot has me a lIttle bit spooked, but I love it!

Christine said...

Hi, Annie -- Doing sit-ups definitely gives you a new angle on your setting! Thanks for the kind words.

Michael said...

Intriguing! Perhaps we are always being watched by our Man-made things; maybe they seek reconnection with their creators – us!

Christine said...

In that case, we'd better be cautious! It's all a matter of perspective ...

Deborah Batterman said...

I'm impressed that you took the photo from the angle of a sit-up.

Christine said...

Ha! You never know what new views will open from that angle. A reward for virtuous exercise?