2007/06/02

Visions of Kajira

The first image was planned thouroughly using a star filter and developed just as wonderful as envisioned...



The rest of the session has unexpectedly become very sacred to me. It began simply as covering the captivating Kajira in gently sifted ash and mud to find beauty within its filth. After she showered and left, I placed in one of those soul-searching CDs and began reviewing the images...and begun seeing something different...something unexpected that mere beauty-in-filth images. I remembered where the ashes came from. I remembered what they once meant to me. Years ago, through a period of personal torment and pain from a relationship, I decided to cleanse. Cleanse the self and soul of all remnants of this pain. Cleanse all through the purity of fire.
Photographs...poetry...mementos...
All that was once beautiful
that fell fast beneath nothing
burning within a flash
as the moments were lived
enflaming towards ash
smolderings smothered
in bitter spit-wine
to blackened filth
discarded
forgotten
in darkness
waiting
for a moment
for a final word
silently
unexpectedly
from filth
arising
to beauty
once more









So...what was veiled upon her skin was more than mere soot and ash. They were the remnants of discarded hopes, passions and dreams, once mighty and great then denied and forgotten. A simple exploration of ashen beauty uncovered a radiantly emotive phoenix silently rising by way of Kajira's moving poses of reflection, solace and serenity. Perhaps she felt a powerful dormant essence enshrouding her...guiding her. I'll never ask as, in my mind, I already know the answer.

Then this image was just for fun...



See the rest of the session at:

http://www.dvsdetroit.com/kajira

Comments/critiques/praises welcome...

4 comments:

Stephen Boyle said...

Love the ashen images of Kajira - beautiful work.

Lisolette Gilcrest said...

Just have to say (because I've thought it every time but failed to articulate it) that I absolutely love this Kajira shoot and that Solace is my favourite piece, especially considering the significance of the ashes...

Beautiful work and it looked gorgeous amongst the others at Summerotica!

Lisolette

Anonymous said...

Love your basic direction with your art, but in honest, results are lacking. The work is flat, dull. Evident you are expressing your own inner emotions, and they are dark, mournful and seem to exude your own inner feelings resulting from unfulfillment in your kajira relationships. I could be wrong of course. Just saying this is what i see and get from your work. Reminds me of an untalented poet that uses the venue only to vent the release of personally felt negative emotions, while trying to convince self and others, it's "art" expression, when in fact, it's you, shedding self pity tears.
Like i said, I could be wrong, i'm just sharing how the work strikes me.

DVS said...

Thank you Anonymous for your wonderful review. You are correct...the images, like all others, "are" about myself. More of a personal visual documentation of spiritual and cultural self explorations. Art created for the sake of "creating art", like art created for money, is meaningless and empty in my view. An artist must always create for oneself and no others as art itself is worthless except to the ones that find personal value within it, be it the artist or a viewer touched by the piece.

Then why do I share it with the world through art exhibitions and other venues if I find it personal or meaningless? Perhaps I have a hidden exhibitionist within, but mostly because some people like it and who am I to keep any form of pleasure away from others?