Saturday, December 3, 2011

Ripped (This week's Photo Hunt theme)





As I write this, I'm not sure if this will be my final Photo Hunt entry -- not because I don't want to participate in the meme any more but, instead, because I don't see any themes on the list on organizer tnchick's blog past December 3. I'm hoping that it won't be the case as this week's entry is the kind that makes Photo Hunt feel meaningful to me -- in that it got me hunting through my now pretty substantial photo archive to find appropriate images for the designated theme.

As it so happens, I ended up going all the way back to August 2009 in my archive -- to photos I took after a multi-arts troupe visiting from the Netherlands called Hotel Modern came to Hong Kong and performed The Great War. A work that that fuses drama, visual art, object theater, puppetry, music, and film, it has the company making use of various paraphernalia to construct scale models of the nightmare world of the world war one soldier, then projects them on a large screen in real time to show the horrors of trench warfare and how lives were -- and Europe itself threatened to be -- torn and ripped apart over the course of "The World to End All Wars".

After the performance, audience members were invited on stage to more closely check out the miniature sets and talk to troupe members -- something that many people, including myself, eagerly did. Looking at what was used to fashion a compelling and actually moving anti-war story left me in greater awe of the abilities of the performers and the way in which they were connect imaginatively with the audience. I also was struck by how engaging the individual members of Hotel Modern were -- and how they seemed genuinely happy to answer questions they've undoubtedly been asked scores of times before and talk to their audience.

Thus it was that despite feeling saddened by the story that was told that evening, I actually left the performance venue feeling pretty good. Put another way: it really was heartening to encounter talented individuals who seemed less interested in "bigging up" themselves and more in their craft and message -- and especially so when their work are clearly successful in touching other people's hearts. :)

24 comments:

Carver said...

I love what you did with the theme. The performance sounds like it was very moving.

I'm hoping there will be more photo hunters themes.

magiceye said...

wonderful take on the theme!

MaR said...

Your takes on the theme are always interesting, YTSL...as we hear now, this was indeed the last PhotoHunt hosted by tnchick. I hope to find maybe a group of interested bloggers to continue the meme.

ripped

Cafe au lait said...

Great take on the theme!

Have a fabulous weekend.

Liz @ MLC

CherryPie said...

I am sorry I haven't visited very much of late, it is because I have been so busy and I keep running out of time at the weekends.

I always find your posts very interesting and you go to so much trouble to put interesting words with each post. I will try to do better in future.

I see on this occasion we had a similar theme.

YTSL said...

Hi Carver --

I'm glad you like my take on this week's Photo Hunt. And the performance was indeed moving as well as interesting.

Hi magiceye --

Thank you! :)

Hi Mar --

I just visited tnchick's blog again and ya, wow re her announcement re this being the last Photo Hunt that she'll be hosting. And ya, definitely hope that someone else will continue the theme. I not only enjoy thinking up interpretations for each week's theme but paying visits to the blogs of regulars like you, Magiceye, Carver, etc., etc.

Hi Cafe au lait (aka Liz) --

Thanks and hope you have a good weekend too.

Hi Cherry Pie --

I'm glad to learn that it's just a case of your being busy as opposed to your deciding that you didn't want to check out my blog. And yes indeedy re our having similar takes to this week's theme. :)

Bel said...

Wow, great take on the theme! I hope this won't be the last Photo Hunt. If nobody takes it on, maybe some of us can take turns? Not sure about the logistics, though. If nothing else comes up, I'll go for 'mirror' myself next Saturday. :)

Annie said...

It does sound very moving.

I think Marites has volunteered to keep PH going. I hope it all works out for us!

Susan Demeter said...

This is a great take on the theme. I too hope there will be more Photo Hunts, but if not please keep in touch and let me know if you find any others to participate in.

Gattina said...

Nice take on the theme !
From next week on you can continue on my blog Keyhole Pictures the name of the meme is "SATURDAY's PHOTO HUNTING" and the theme for December 10 is "Christmas decoration" (or others)

ancient one said...

Great photos!

YTSL said...

Hi Bel --

It sounds like more than one person is willing to host Photo Hunt or a meme similar to it. In any case, circumstances make it so that I won't be playing next week -- but I'll keep an eye out to see what my favorite Photo Hunters opt for.

Hi Annie --

Marites has volunteered and so has Gattina. So let's see how it goes!

Hi Sue --

Yup, do let's stay in touch. I've enjoyed checking out your Photo Hunt entries for some time (yearS?!) now...

Hi Gattina --

So... sounds like a definite "go" with regards to the meme on your part! In any case, hope things get sorted out before too long.

Hi ancient one --

Thank you -- I was hoping they'd give a good illustration of what the Hotel Modern folks were working with. :)

jams o donnell said...

Wow I wonder if they have come to England. I would love to see that. My Dad's father served in WWI. He was lucky. He was taken prisoner by the Germans in August 1914 and sat out the war as a POW.

His battalion, the Second Munster Fusiliers (an Irish regiment) was wiped out several times over on the Western Front.

peppylady (Dora) said...

I never understood how having a war that is way to end war. It so uncivilized.
As for the hunt I sure hope it goes on.

Coffee is on.

YTSL said...

Hi jams --

I'm sure they'd go to England -- after all, they've been to Hong Kong and the US -- places further away from Holland than England! :)

Re World War One: I learnt in the past year that the Chinese actually participated in the war in Europe. Theirs was, I feel, a particularly sad story...

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Chinas-World-War-One-Effort-Draws-New-Attention-103623809.html

Hi peppylady --

I'm with you re using a war to try to end war -- and also with regards to the future of Photo Hunt.

Trekcapri said...

Hi YTSL, sounds like a really interesting performance and it was great that allowed the audience to check out the sets and talk to the members.

I hope that someone does take over PH because I have really enjoyed participating and would miss it if it stopped.

Have a wonderful day.

YTSL said...

Hi Trekcapri --

Yeah, the post-performance interaction was really the icing on the cake that evening.

Re Photo Hunt: I think there's more than one person willing to take over the meme. I just hope it gets settled as to who it is -- and soon!

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

an unusual interpretation of ripped. Great job for thinking outside the box

YTSL said...

Hi Ann --

Thanks for looking, reading and appreciating. :)

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Actually New Zealand kids do not really follow the fashion. The dress what they like, most known is NOT wearing shoes. Just as I was walking into the school this morning, I see a kid with worst ripped pants than my son.

alejna said...

Intriguing photos, and fascinating backstory. It sounds like it was a very powerful and memorable experience.

(P.s. I'm amused that my word verification is "pantlimp.")

YTSL said...

Hi again Ann --

Responding to your response to my response over on your blog (oh what a tangled web we weave... though not necessarily to deceive! ;b): I'm still not sure that it's not a fashion statement for New Zealand kids to like wearing ripped jeans and not wearing shoes. Or do you think it's a cultural and/or political statement? ;O

Hi Alejna --

It was definitely memorable -- as I still do remember it some years later. An oh my re the word verification you were given... ;b

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

I have loved following your photos every saturday... but not always commenting.
We are going to continue the Saturday Photohunts!
Here is the new Saturday PhotoHunt site.
I hope y'all will continue to join in the fun!
Sandi

YTSL said...

Hi Sandi --

Wow, didn't know you had been visiting every Saturday... not least because you didn't always comment when you visited! ;O

Congrats on being the new Photo Hunt host. And yes, I'm planning to take part (again) next week. :)