Love Conquers All

The other day while I looked at "Images Of The Subconscious" that I had not used for the blog yet I realised that there were some photographs that in one way or another made me think of love. 

 Heartbroken

A slightly out-of-focus picture of young men on Corniche seafront in Beirut during a beautiful sunset in August 2012 blends on its left edge with part of an upside-down image of a poster (of Bashir Gemayel, who is not visible in this photo). 

  

 Forbidden Fruit ?

A strawberry in my hand gets superimosed by a page of the English version of Rajaa Alsanea's "Girls of Riyadh", a book which was banned in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) shortly after its release in 2005 due to its unadorned description of the (complicated) experiences of four young Saudi women with men in a conservative Islamic culture.  The short stories are written in the form of e-mails and are based on the lives of real people.  In my view the book makes for a very interesting read, especially if you (like me) have no clue of what life is like for women in KSA.  And in a way the book confirms my hope that the internet can be a tool for positive change in society.

On the page I used for the photograph, the author cites the lyrics of a song by Abdul Haleem, an Egyptian singer of the 1960s, which read as follows:  

Rid yourself of woe and tears

Instead of crying years and years

Oh you who’ve wept the traitor man

Weep on today, if you well can.

But watch that no one sees tears fall

For such will please the traitors all.

 

Could Love Be The Washing Machine Of Our Souls ?

An inviting public wedding photo session in the heart of Warsaw merges with a picture of an old washing machine exhibited in the Polish Museum of Technology ("Muzeum Techniki").

Good Day Sunshine

The beautiful paper in which "Girls of Riyadh" had been wrapped by the kind person who made me this original gift inspired me to a photo shoot.  The title of the resulting picture - a blend of the wrapping paper with some of my favourite CDs - came very naturally given the CD in the centre of the image: the Beatles' 1966 album "Revolver" which features a song of the same name as the photo title.

Tickled By The Unknown

A painting by an unknown artist from Palestine and a smiling Nina find their way into the same image.  It is hard for me to imagine that there is anyone out there who does not love to be happy as often and as long as possible.  By the way did you know that adults laugh 17 times a day on average whereas children laugh about 400 times a day?

War and Religion Are The Two "Greatest" Antagonists In The Whole Universe

One evening I decided to take photos of two certain religious items which are to be found in Nina's and my living room: a hand-sized statue of a smiling Buddha and a cross that a relative of mine made from a piece of wood found in a coal mine in Apliki/Cyprus and which stems from a tree that existed at around 400 B.C..  Seeing those two spiritual pieces combined with the backs of Austrian soldiers got me thinking about the extremes that we encounter in this world:  life versus death, love versus hate, Republicans versus Democrats.  Or the time-freezing nature of photographs versus the aging and eventual “disappearance” of all things they portray...

...including religions and soldiers?

Music Conquers All

Yet another part of my CD collection merges with members of the "Guards Music Vienna".  I believe that music - like all art - ultimately is an expression of love.  But maybe I am turning a blind eye to a "dark side"?