Michael Fontana
pro member
I like to be a photographer; the other day, I liked it especially:
getting "automatically" involved with °the world° - other cultures, other people, or things that you rarely would encounter without beeing a photographer.
Some of you know, that I'm taking photos of the new extension of the national ethnographic museum, called museum of cultures. When moving all the stuff out of the exhibition rooms, they wanted to give some pieces away, and carried it into one room, preparing for sale.
I took photos on place that day, and went through that room as well; one object captured my attention:
Having a bit of understanding of the the african culture by knowing its music, reading some of the culture related books, that african ladder instantly hit me.
After finishing the photos, I went for a coffee and thought about it, its potential place in my appartement - it has about 250 cm - 100 inches of height - and decided finally to buy it prior to the official sale a few days later - as I wouldn't be in town that day.
Off course I did some researches about it, it' s a ladder from the Mali Dogon tribe, used to get on the roof of their adobe houses.
My ladder has a face/mask - which is not very common - cut into the upper fork. It has sculptural qualities, a simpleness in the good sense, and a elegance in the same time.....
It fits well into my small art collection with a bark painting from a australien aboriginal artist as well as works from contemporary artists, becoming parth of my life.
In the evenings I'm reading my books about african sculptur again, and the chaptre of Michel Leiris beeing at that Dogon place in the 30th of last century (Phantom Africa)
I even could find a copy of the book "architecture of the dogon" - which is out of print.... therefore 2nd hand - to know more about that Dogon architecture with these beautifull adobe mosques.
The circle is getting round: from a architecture assignement to a object to a book about a other culture's architecture.
Thanks Photography!
getting "automatically" involved with °the world° - other cultures, other people, or things that you rarely would encounter without beeing a photographer.
Some of you know, that I'm taking photos of the new extension of the national ethnographic museum, called museum of cultures. When moving all the stuff out of the exhibition rooms, they wanted to give some pieces away, and carried it into one room, preparing for sale.
I took photos on place that day, and went through that room as well; one object captured my attention:
Having a bit of understanding of the the african culture by knowing its music, reading some of the culture related books, that african ladder instantly hit me.
After finishing the photos, I went for a coffee and thought about it, its potential place in my appartement - it has about 250 cm - 100 inches of height - and decided finally to buy it prior to the official sale a few days later - as I wouldn't be in town that day.
Off course I did some researches about it, it' s a ladder from the Mali Dogon tribe, used to get on the roof of their adobe houses.
My ladder has a face/mask - which is not very common - cut into the upper fork. It has sculptural qualities, a simpleness in the good sense, and a elegance in the same time.....
It fits well into my small art collection with a bark painting from a australien aboriginal artist as well as works from contemporary artists, becoming parth of my life.
In the evenings I'm reading my books about african sculptur again, and the chaptre of Michel Leiris beeing at that Dogon place in the 30th of last century (Phantom Africa)
I even could find a copy of the book "architecture of the dogon" - which is out of print.... therefore 2nd hand - to know more about that Dogon architecture with these beautifull adobe mosques.
The circle is getting round: from a architecture assignement to a object to a book about a other culture's architecture.
Thanks Photography!
