June, 2019 - PhotoTrice

Form and Function

Lately I’ve reading about the influence of Bauhaus on modern design. It is everywhere in our daily lives. The philosophy of form following function seems natural to us today but that was not always the case. Someone or rather some group of people had to bring those ideas into industrial practice. Mostly we can thank Bauhaus for that. The school itself only existed from 1919 to 1933 but the brilliant individuals who taught and learned there made the modern world.

What does Bauhaus have to do with a highway overpass? Probably nothing except as you can see it is great example of form and function. The design is purely functional with no extra elements beyond those needed to get the job done. To my eye the spare construction has a certain beauty and modern aesthetic.

Engine 478

It goes without saying that some of the most spectacular scenery in America is found in Colorado. My favorite places are in the Southern part of the state which tends to have a little less tourist pressure that farther North.

Durango is a wonderful spot to visit summer and winter. It is loaded with restored nineteenth century buildings, great hotels and excellent food. Plus, there is the steam train that runs between Durango and Silverton. The train is special because it has to climb nearly three thousand feet in less than fifty miles to reach Silverton. That is a serious task for a steam locomotive.

The starting point for the train journey in Durango is in the middle of town. In fact if you choose the right hotel you can just about walk out of the lobby and right on to the train. Now that is convenience.

Free Photo Calendar Downloads

Download this photo calendar using the links below. They are completely free with no signup or personal information required. The calendars are published as secured PDF documents that may be printed or displayed as desired.

2020 Photo Calendar No 4

Some people just catch your eye as a photographer. So it was with this man who was walking around Luckenbach striking poses for the tourists. I just had to take his picture. Here is what I wrote about an earlier version of the image in 2016.

The dime novel narrative surrounding my subject was already there, all I had to do was make it visible. The text is a combination of sentences I wrote myself and a paragraph from an actual dime novel, The Untamed by Max Brand, published around 1919. Max Brand is surely one of the great marketing names of the twentieth century. Of course given the context of his work it may well have been a reference to a permanent tattoo on a horse. No matter, it is a wonderful name for a western novelist.

The West we know from popular entertainment is a wild exaggeration of larger than life characters and their dastardly or heroic deeds. My subject personified many of those stereotypes at least in my mind. He made a turn of the century dime novel impression of rugged individualism with impeccable style cues.