D I L E M M A
love
dad
Sunday, February 8, 2026
Saturday, February 7, 2026
Ansel Adams
M O O N R I S E
H E R N A N D E Z , N E W M E X I C O 1 9 4 1
A late afternoon sun illuminates white crosses as
the moon rises over a small town, its church
and graveyard.
A N S E L A D A M S
1 9 0 2 - 1 9 8 4
Preeminent American landscape photographer and
lifelong environmental activist Ansel Adams worked
to define the identity of the American west.
He shaped the imagery of mountain and desert
in black and white using his own personal lore.
C H U R C H
T A O S P U E B L O 1 9 4 2
The Taos tribe gave Adams permission to photograph
the San Geronimo Chapel in Taos Pueblo, a church
providing continuous Sunday sermons to the villagers
since 1850.
G E O R G I A O ' K E E F F E A N D O R V I L L E C O X
1 9 3 7
Adams captures a moment of mischievous banter
between the painter Georgia O'Keeffe and Orville Cox,
the head wrangler at Ghost Ranch, her favorite
New Mexico hangout.
B O U L D E R D A M
C O L O R A D O R I V E R 1 9 4 1
The Interior Department funded Adams to photograph
this new Colorado River dam as well as scenes from
National Parks out west. The images provided
were to become giant murals for Federal buildings.
World War Two ended the project's funding.
The photos Adams provided sat, forgotten in the
National Archives over the next seventy years.
T H E T E T O N S A N D T H E S N A K E R I V E R
W Y O M I N G 1 9 4 2
This image was included in the payload
of the Voyager satellite, launched into
space in 1977. This gave extraterrestrials
of uncertain time and place, the opportunity
to enjoy the beauty of Earth along with us.
* * * * *
© Tom Taylor
OVER EASY
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Saturday, January 31, 2026
p h o t o s
P I E R R O T C L I M B I N G T H R O U G H A W I N D O W
F E L I X N A D A R 1 8 5 4
The long exposure time required in the early days
of photography made staged action shots such
as this near impossible.
The deep shadows created from loose-fitting clothing
adds to the picture a sculptural quality.
A L F R E D L O R D T E N N Y S O N
J U L I A M A R G A R E T C A M E R O N 1 8 6 9
Tennyson titled this picture of himself as
The Dirty Monk - tired, unkempt and brooding.
Tennyson went about his business of being
the nation's poet laureate while attired
in a romantic's cloak.
O S I P B R I K
A L E X A N D E R R O D C H E N K O 1 9 2 4
Rodchenko wanted people to see objects anew.
His photography involved making the familiar strange.
Here a friend's head barely fits into the portrait space.
A Russian logo is double-exposed over one eye.
The result is an image suited to be posted
as promotion for some Orwellian venture.
T H E G R A D U A T I N G C L A S S
F R A N K E U G E N E 1 9 1 3
We're not documenting students graduating.
Look at the mood. Artistic manipulation.
Ladies posed to perfection under soft lights.
Eugene displays a painter's dreamworld
through his photographer's lens.
C R I S S - C R O S S E D C O N V EY O R S
C H A R L E S S H E E L E R 1 9 2 7
Sheeler was enthralled by the precision of machinery
and the logic of industrial order. The opportunity
to photograph Ford's giant River Rouge factory was,
for Sheeler, like being given a tour of the future.
Here was technological utopia laid out before him.
Here was our substitute for religious experience.
Intoxicating.
O L D T I M E R S T R U C T U R A L W O R K E R
L E W I S H I N E 1 9 3 0
Hines referred to them as sky boys -
the workers he photographed laboring
to build the 102 story Empire State Building.
It was his testament to the heroic nature of
modern industrial man.
* * * * *
© Tom Taylor
OVER EASY
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Saturday, January 24, 2026
s c u l p t u r e
D I O N Y S U S
G R E E K T E R R A C O T T A V A S E 4 1 0 B C
The ancient Greeks had a somewhat religious holiday
celebrating the maturation of wine. It was called
Anthesteria, which pretty much meant get stupid
with drink. Prometheus brought the humans fire,
and it was good. Dionysus, God of Wine, gave people
a pleasure only the Gods on Mount Olympus knew.
Afterwards, Zeus felt he ruled over a land of
worthless drunks.
T I M E A R R E S T E D B Y D E A T H
L O R E N Z O B E R N I N I 1670
This terracotta work is known as a sketch model -
something expendable for working out ideas before
taking on carving a monument from marble.
In this depiction Bernini has Time carrying a casket
beyond the reach of Death. Time cheats Death of
his prize because Time always reveals the truth.
Does that make sense?
Maybe you had to be there.
H E A D
A M E D E O M O D I G L I A N I 1 9 1 2
Modigliani carved 27 stone sculptures from
broken limestone blocks he scavenged at
construction sites. This elongated head with
almond eyes reflects Modigliani's fascination
with the art of ancient civilizations such as
Egypt, Greece and Africa. These works come
with a hefty price tag. Tete, a work similar to
the Head above, brought seventy million dollars
at an auction in 2014.
C O N T I N U I T Y I N S P A C E
U M B E R T O B O C C O O N I 1 9 1 3
Art should reflect the Machine Age.
It was the twentieth century. It was time
to celebrate cars, planes and industrial power.
The running figure above displays flourishes
of wind that resemble wings that propelled
the god Mercury to incredible speeds.
W A L K I N G M A N
A L B E R T O G I A C O M E T T I 1 9 6 0
What to make of this wiry, emaciated man, walking.
He is iconic. A fragile nature with enduring spirit.
Isolated. Experienced in madness.
T O U R I S T S
D U A N E H A N S O N 1 9 8 8
When did you start feeling you were on vacation?
Was it when you first walked into Palm Springs heat
in your new summer clothes? Your picture of Larry
spilling secret sauce on his shirt at Circus Burger
was hilarious. Maybe you could get me a copy.
* * * * *
© Tom Taylor
OVER EASY
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)