The Lighthouse

Sometimes a photograph can just reach out and take a hold of me in ways more powerful that even a woman could … well, I wouldn’t go that far but sometimes photographs can grab my attention to the point that my feet stay steadfast while my eyes and imagination become riveted! Photography has been a passion of mine for many years and I hope that one day, I will not only be able to appreciate the photographs of others but also to be able to create beautiful works of art myself.

Last week, as I walked past an art kiosk in the corridor of one of the malls in my hometown, my eyes took hold of a photograph that immediately caught hold of my attention. I later found out that is was called Phares dans la Tempete, la Jument by Jean Guichard. Now I often walk past this part of the mall but a photograph from there has never caught my attention like this one has. In the midst of one of the most powerful forces of nature, a man finds solitude (if you look carefully, you can see him in the doorway) … A place where he can be alone … away from the distracting noises of one’s everyday life. What a collision of imagery!

I have often thought of the idea of living in a lighthouse. It is often seen as a very lonely job and yet sometimes that is exactly what I would need to be able to sort out the clutter in my life and in my mind. Here, I would find solace and solitude. Now, unless I can actually find a lighthouse like this where I could spend a part of my time on a yearly basis, I suppose I will have to settle for a copy of this photograph as I have no doubt that this second best could reach out and take me to a place in my mind that no other picture or idea can. $125 for the photograph! Is it worth the price? Every penny of it!

One more thing … I wonder how the heck they ever built that thing in the middle of that raging water?