dacono . the relationship between fog & perspective

 

There is something about the fog.  It's ethereal ebb and flow into the nooks and crannies throughout the eastern flat lands, and the sense of mystery it exudes when filling in the valleys of the great rocky mountains.  Yes, there is just something about the fog.  The presence of fog can make even the most ordinary scene drip with possibility and wonder.  As the artist is with pen and ink, fog is to form and shape. She imposes her will upon the landscape, sculpting and shading as she sees fit.  It's one of natures most beautiful processes and something I savor.  There is revelation within the fog, for as the fog changes the appearance of the land, new perspective has the power to change the landscape of my mind.

I took this picture this morning as I drove around in the early light inside a dense fog bank along the west side of the saint vrain river.  I started out with a totally different image in my mind.  I had hoped for the iconic single tree in the empty horizon; or a series of perfectly placed oil derricks fading off into the fields.  I kept my eyes out for leading lines or repetitive patterns that would give a sense of distance and resolve.  But what caught my eye was most unexpected.

In Dacono, the town next mine, there is an old water tower.  I have driven by it numerous times before without a thought or a glance.  It's uninteresting and very underwhelming to say the least.  So why at this moment was it so interesting to me?  The fog had shaded the background sky and silhouetted the surrounding distractions.  The fog had altered my vision of this object by drawing my focus into something beautiful.  I was actually looking at this water tower for the first time.  That fog made all the difference by altered my perception, not the water tower.  All in all it's still just a water tower; or is it?  This morning it became my muse; a stoic obelisk.  So I say, Refresh your mind continuously with new perspective and you'll always live on fertile ground.

- s