Potentially Beautiful

A quote from an article by the photographer, Peter van Agtmael, that resonates with me and, am sure, will with many of you, too:

"I think my view of beauty was, for a long time, tied to the conventions of what society thought of as beautiful.

My discovery of photography, and of the photographers that came before, showed me that ability to scrutinise objects, shapes, and to find that sort of beauty. I was looking at the work of photographers who could find beauty in asphalt, or a parking lot, or a puddle – in something soiled or dirty. They could turn these things into something transcendent. Understanding that changed my way of viewing the world. Everything became potentially beautiful.

It turned out beauty was not, of course, about conventions at all. It could be found anywhere. That was a great discovery because, you know, life is hard, and beauty is one of the things that makes it a little more tolerable. So the notion that it can be discovered in any given moment, on your daily walk to the store say, is something that has been profoundly transformative for me. It has allowed photography to be an escape. An escape at any time, in any place. I don’t have to go to the Grand Canyon or the Eiffel Tower, I can just walk out the door."

Though I never want to get snobbish about loving the conventionally beautiful as well! 

Gratefuls:
- surviving the meal last night! Was good in the end, and grateful for all your support on Blip yesterday - thanks!
- being able to have our usual sociable Saturday - market, Adega, church, meal with Padre - and a nap in hot sunshine
- bedding stripped, washed, dried in the sun, and back on bed