2009-06-11

basilika, hands

Hands and the thread of life

From the main portal of the Basilika St Johann. There are four hands in all -- missing from the photo are the hands of a baby and a middle-aged person. They were added to the portal in 1986 by the Saarbrücken born artist Ernst Alt.

15 comments:

  1. A little disturbing but nice photo...

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  2. Amazing composition of these beautiful hands, almost look made of ice!

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  3. Like Shaun said --- at first glance I was grinning, then stopped, gulped, stared, stared again ... very interesting.

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  4. Wonderful metaphor! The circle of life...

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  5. Shaun, Martina: yes, it does make you think about your own mortality. But perhaps that is not too inappropriate on entering a church.

    Carraol: gracias.

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  6. ...un color frio, pero con mucha textura, da la sensación de que esas manos salen de la pared. Me parece muy buena.
    Saludos.

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  7. Oh, really impressive!!! (and a bit spooky...!)

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  8. It's kind of weird with the hands coming out from a building but I watch too many horror movies so my perception is slanted. Very interesting photo. Great conversation piece.

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  9. Makes one really think and appreciate art and the meaning.

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  10. These kind of give me the creeps. I think it's because they make me think of those tortures where people were walled-up in houses as punishments. But they are also very beautiful.

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  11. Thanks for the comments.

    Most of you are shocked by the ghoulish nature of what appear to be severed hands sprouting from the wall. Seeing the the hands in situ, I was less struck by this aspect, and more by the rope that connects the four hands. Clearly, the end of the rope on the photo on the right is the end of life. You cannot help but think of the stages and passing of your own life.

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  12. Have only just discovered this post, AB. The comments sent me hurrying bact to the image to see what I had missed.

    To me they are immensely beautiful - but I would say that, wouldn't I? I do not watch horror movies ...

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  13. To me they are immensely beautiful - but I would say that, wouldn't I?

    I wondered when you would notice my foray into hand photography. So far I have only stuck with the metallic variety. But perhaps, the artist is inviting us, as you do in your blog, to imagine the figure to whom the hands belong.

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  14. fantastic shot. i like this hands
    btw thanks for your kind comments posted on my blog

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  15. Dominuík Kulik: thanks for dropping by here. Your own blog has a lot of style.

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