Form and Shadow- San Francisco de Asis
by Gary Holmes
Title
Form and Shadow- San Francisco de Asis
Artist
Gary Holmes
Medium
Photograph
Description
This deliberately grainy black and white image focuses upon erosion from recent heavy rain storms, which left exposed straw in the walls and buttresses of San Francisco de Asis church, in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. Dark tree shadows add interest to the massive walls of the nave. This church was built in 1815, facing away from what is now the main highway and thus not noticed by most passersby. It is considered to be one of the most photographed churches in the world, with its images among the works of Ansel Adams, Paul Strand, and many others, and it was a favorite subject of Georgia O'Keeffe and other well-known artists as well (http://www.cartermuseum.org/Inspiring_Visions/OKeeffe/okeeffe_art.html). Its massive adobe walls, rounded buttresses and organic shape have changed over time, as its outer facade has been worn away by the elements and reworked by adobe masons over its nearly 200 year existence. It retains a very active congregation, which on this evening, had been completing preparations for the next morning, the feast day of its namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi.
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Gary Holmes, photographer: I am an opportunist photographer of nature, landscapes, abstract, and other found objects of interest. I prefer to capture the spontaneity of things and events as they are occurring, and rarely photograph staged subjects other than portraits. Although I have been a photographer for decades, I have only been posting them for others to see since about September 2012. As a result, I have now successfully sold several of my works. As time permits, I will continue to steadily post more of my best works on FAA every week. Please revisit my sites periodically.
Uploaded
November 26th, 2013
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