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These trout were photographed on the same evening in a small town in Southwestern Michigan at the confluence of the St. Joseph River and two tributaries, the Rocky and Portage Rivers. The gratings were undoubtedly influenced by long and harsh lake-effect winters.
$1,000.00 – $1,200.00
Part of the Golden Hour Koi collection, this photo-montage is inspired by an ancient art form depicting two fish swimming in opposite directions. This image surfaces in many cultures — Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist.
This image is an excellent example of Vesica Pisces, a mathematical form “composed of two spheres with the same radius, which intersect within each other’s circumference. The name of this symbol, when translated literally from Latin, means ‘bladder of a fish.’ This symbol figures prominently in Pythagorean history and is considered a holy figure because the ratio of its width to its height was believed to be 165:153 or 1.73203—a holy number.” (www.ancient-symbols.com)
The Koi symbolize infinity, unending knowledge, good fortune, and are associated with perseverance in adversity, strength of purpose, abundance and courage in many cultures and traditions.
Review written by Bill Teeple, Curator of ICON Gallery in Fairfield, IA for the IOWA SOURCE (© 2019 reprinted with permission):
This photograph (and others in this collection) “reveals the rich variety of colors and textures that appear in cast iron when photographed during the “golden hour” — in this case sunset on a Spring day.
“The artworks are macro photographs of cast iron street gratings cast with a bas-relief sculpture of a trout and framed by the words “dump no waste” and “drains to waterways.” The gratings are a plea for the public to care for the environment.
“Cast iron exposed to the open air oxidizes in different ways, creating tens of thousands of mirror-like surfaces that catch incoming light at different angles and depths. The resulting images bring the viewer in close proximity to the delicacy of early morning and late afternoon light during various weather conditions and seasons.During this golden hour light, richer and brighter colors are revealed.
“Duncan and Carla Brown’s work is created using archival pigments on cotton, and displays the same ability as the original cast iron to reflect and mirror light at different times of day. The Browns discovered the gratings in 2018. Duncan has taken thousands of photos of gratings in the Upper Midwest, and Carla has been essential in editing the images.”
Note: the names given to these trout when they are printed as single images are Mahogany (top) and Star Birth (bottom). Prints of each are available on request.
