artwork 2015 - part i Life Continuum

What can be learned by looking at a long line of ants? ... certainly

much. Please, click for a larger view!, comments are welcome, thank

you.

LIFE CONTINUUM © Laura Marco

I've been photographing ants for a few days in the countryside, looking for long and wide lines of ants and trying how best I could photograph their bodies and trail. It was difficult not to pass over them with the car (!), it'd have meant a lot of confusion among them and have broken their continuum, I have to keep my wits about me because they easily cross dirt, dusty roads, so I decided to park my car and I walked and walked... it helped me to relax myself and enjoy the idea was reigning in my mind for developing this work. I really did enjoy!.

Dealing with others is difficult, so sooner or later I travel back to nature, perhaps looking for that "continuum" inside us which is being battered so often. Ants do not stop, they follow their journey or tasks. They do not desist, regardless everything and everyone, they know what should be done: fill their pantry :) In this image, ants are more alive than the woman. She's unfazed and seems forgotten or dead or is she just an image on the wall?, anyway, ants go on their way to the hole above, inside the wall.

For me, this work means a reflection on how much importance we may attach to our routines or even our existence. Are we aware about hypocrisy, banality, superficiality ...as time goes by, in this continuum... symbolized by ants? Everything flows without ceasing, nothing waits for us. What can be learned by looking at a long line of ants? ... certainly much. 

• My question is: will ants stop what they're doing just for me? Will they cease to behave like ants, in deference to me?; Will I stop traveling dirt roads stepping on their lines with my wheels, and creating so much pain and disorder in their lines? Will we each play our roles or is there anything different we still don't know?.

The woman let ants roam her body, undeterred ... is she not the same inside?. Thanks!

http://www.cahier-brouillon.com/ants%20detail.jpg

Detail of the ants. Click on the artwork for a larger size.

Thank you!

Laura, It isn't easy to comment this very personal image. You have your own ideas and you show them on an artistic level. In this image I notice indeed a patient woman. However her life is unique like that of the ants. Together with other creatures we live on this earth. Nobody has to be sad.

I am also fascinated by the ants and I spent whole days taking pictures as you did of their their came and go so intense to leave a visible trace in the ground. After reading your introduction I was amazed at how you managed to achieve this beautiful image that you've been able to mix tracks of the machine and the path of the ants that pass through your body without any reluctance. Your creativity is always in turmoil and I envy your ability to realize so well your ideas

ciao Giangiorgio

Laura Ciao!

Da piccolo sono stato aggredito dalle formiche perché avevo calpestato il formicaio inavvertitamente! La loro era solo una vera legittima difesa!

La tua immagine è molto bella ma fa riflettere anche sul pessimo rapporto che esiste  nei confronti della natura degli umani e dei viventi!

Un abbraccio Gianni

The colony of Ants act as one, they are all linked, each individual programmed to carry out a specific task. Like the parts of the woman's body, each part plays a role, that in turn makes up the whole person. If we could act as a community as Ants do, how much could we achieve? If the entire human race could pool their resources and act for the greater good of the planet then the possibilities are endless.  What can be learned from looking at a column of ants......everything it would seem.  The woman is perhaps mournful of our failure as humans and at the same time inspired by the tiny creatures she allows to roam across her skin. 

Thought provoking and haunting! 

Sincere Compliments! 

Alf 

Superb shot. I like the color tones and the textures, and, of course the model. Ants are fascinating creatures and their society is quite sophisticated. I've sat and watched them for hours but I confess I am not as involved with them as you are.

In any event, the photo composition is just marvelous. Bravo!

Dear Marco, I've always enjoyed your comments because they help me a lot, you have a vision of life, very calm and very quiet  :) in fact very sensible hence it helps to balance my ideas with your impressions.

I do not feel sad, although it's difficult to interact in society, so I go back to solitude. I had a friend who once told me that I removed the oxygen for her to breath (said metaphorically I would imagine, because I did not cover her mouth nor her nose), of course she is not my friend anymore.

My question was, if we can ask a lion stop devouring meat, hunting, or ants ... to stop doing their task ... ask natural rules to make changes, to adopt differences in customs to create other ways... ultimately if there are other roles that we can interpret, and if so, which ones?. Are we doomed to be always the same?, maybe a change impotence.

Thank you for your appreciated visit and comment.

Kindest regards, Laura

Dear Giangiorgio, I'm happy that you also feel interest in ants.

I had my idea in mind and I knew I'd need a long and wide column to cross my body and an entrance to an anthill, as well. I took my 18-55mm, I wasn't sure about what I wanted, if a view in the distance of my height or a macro;

I made some macros using an adapter ring, I flip the objective and adapting it with the ring, then I can have macros using the same objective, but it works in reverse, 18mm means a closer look. The ring weighs little and I took up little material with me.

Dimensions should be kept if we do not want to do something surreal, I made some very nice macro, but they're useless next to the size of the woman. Then I used the 18-55mm shots. I am left with the desire to do something in macro with ants.

Sometimes I'm also very impressed myself about the ways that I try again and again to achieve finally my idea. I went to the countryside full of hope but I didn't know what I was going to get and how, I was full of expectations.

Thanks for your visit, comments ... for everything. It is much appreciated. Kindest regards, Laura

Caro Gianni, deve essere stato traumatico quello che è successo a voi come un bambino, ci sono formiche che la loro puntura fa male. Ci dispiace quello che ti è successo.

Ho tolto molte teste formica mio figlio dalla punta delle dita, perché gli piace giocare con le formiche, ma le formiche soldato attacco veloce, inchiodato alla mascella e provare yena rimuovere solo la testa rimane. Devo usare una pinzetta.

Sono molto interessato a guardare l'ingresso al suo buco, riempie la testa pensando a come i sogni dentro. E visto come un bambino. Sì, è più duro e vivere nel campo, bisogna abituarsi a ragni, formiche, farfalle e molto altro nei pressi o all'interno della casa, anche millepiedi.

Vivere sul pendio di una collina, nel mio giardino ho trovato acelados lucertole e persino piccoli serpenti e dormire con le finestre aperte.

La ringrazio molto per la vostra visita, è molto apprezzato.

Cordiali Saluti, Laura

Dear Alf, I totally agree with you ... the woman is not pleased with the role humans have to play and live everyday: abuse of power, individualism, selfishness, oppression, hate... certainly we can learn from the same nature which we have manipulated in favor of our comfort, our interests.

We're the only animals that have mostly changed and manipulated Nature and we've imposed our roles over it. Maybe would be better societies ?, a better way to organize everything ?, perhaps the answer is in these small societes or beyond the sky above us. But we have to change much, surely ... at the end we haven't learned from nature, but just how to manipulate things. 

Thank you very much for your visit and your appreciated comments, you always offer me interesting points of view.

Kindest regards, Laura

Dear Warren, I'm so glad you like this work. 

I always take care of tones and colors used in compositions, but for me the most important thing is that all "elements interact with each other", this is for me the most difficult task in creating a photo-composition.

 For me, it can only be achieved by caring much about shots, poses, settings, making and repeating them as much as may be needed  :)  ... generally the compositional aspect is the most delicate one. Everything must interact and nothing is left to chance.

For example, ants must have a sense roaming across woman's body, etc.

Yes, I've been always interested by ants, since childhood when I looked at them in rural roads.

Thank you very much for your visit, comment ... for everything. It is much appreciated.

Kindest regards, Laura

The feeling to have some limitations (pain) is shwon both  by the insects but also by the pose. Great result.

Dear Joerg, thank you for your critique to this image. It must be difficult to resist  ants roaming our body that way, I too liked the tension of the pose.

I include you full pose so that you can see, as it called your attention. From the path of this thumbnail to the final work, there's a dense process ... "ingredients" are caught and eventually, with the necessary spices, a personal touch... voilà!  :)

I have always many questions ... but in general, people who are very sure of themselves and think they know everything, suddenly ... for them, mediocrity doors are wide open. I hope these doors are closed for me for a long time.

I'm glad you liked it, thank you for your visit.

Kindest regards, Laura.

http://www.cahier-brouillon.com/copia%20peq.jpg

Original pose   :)

Beautiful, creative and original work, Laura. Regards, Andrey.

Dear Andrey, I'm very glad you've liked it  :)  thank you for your pleasant visit, positive comment and for all...  much appreciated!

Kindest regards, Laura

I read all the comments after saw myself your photo.What I find this time very interesting is how you think and did this composition,is lot of work there I must say.The result is not just a simple photo always has a  very deep sense,is a summation of thoughts,feelings assembled in a photo.Always interesting to see your work and read depiction.

Dear Radu, sorry I did not repair this comment before, thank you very much for your impressions about this image. It's true that it takes me a long time to finish a work, there're many loose ends to tie up, that everything is connected in order to give a higher sense ... I do not know if it's better this way of working, but it's my way to approach photography. And I love to summarize in words what I felt when making the image, but also leave a door open to different interpretations.

Thank you very much for your visit, positive comment and all ...

Kindest regards, Laura.