Catalescence
Catalescence
Catalescence is a photograph of flowing water that quickly becomes something else as you take it in. At the center is a distinctly feline face, orange and gold, a “tyger burning bright,” looking out through a quivering membrane at something over to your left. It appears he’s poked his face into the membrane and set it shimmering.
Well it’s fun to play that way. So why not look at this photo as a child might–or as Blake or Dali or Kesey might–and ask, what is the tiger looking at? And where is he? Where does he live? Look further into the flow then and discover the hidden world behind the veil, populated by barely perceptible things and beings. Go ahead and construct that world in your mind.
It’s how you discover the strange creature at the right, wearing a black cap and light burgundy jacket and what could be a plaid scarf. He’s looking off past the tiger with his alien gaze, and probably seeing what’s behind him even more clearly, judging by the size of the eye beneath the cap at the back of his head.
You may also be able to find the two figures near the bottom, on the right. They start out as light-colored vertical shapes. But if you meditate on those shapes, they morph into male and female figures with black hats, the male wearing a tie, the female with a dark band around her neck and a cinched waist.
