Two attention-grabbers in two weeks.
First I was riveted by the story of the eighty-year old woman from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, with limited flying experience, who landed the plane with her deceased husband in the pilot's seat. The more I learn about that story, the more I become convinced that either God, Jesus, or the spirit of her husband or ALL three were flying with her at the time of her flight and subsequent landing.
Then, today, there is a story in my NPR news feed about rotting and wasted food, world-wide.
For some reason, the title caught my attention, my inner-child's curiosity got the best of me and I clicked. That was all it took. Several pictures in the article led me to know that I would make another series of mouse-clicks to take me to the photographer's web site, which I have included below.
http://www.kpic.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=45&Itemid=88
I would encourage everyone to visit the website of United Nations photographer Klaus Pichler and see for themselves the strange beauty he eked out of rotting and decaying food for his project One Third, inspired by the fact that, according to a 2011 United Nations estimate, one-third of the world's food goes to waste. Each photo (fifty-seven, I believe) is accompanied by information on where, when and how the food was produced, the distance it traveled to his Vienna, Austria home, and its carbon and water footprint.
Pichler conducted the entire project from 'putrefaction to photograph' in his Vienna home. And, he says, 'It wasn't always pretty.', the worst being when he had raw chicken and octopus decomposing at the same time. According to Pichler, "These two smells united and it was horrible." but he felt it was important that he "coexist" with the rotting food in order to adequately capture the essence of the project.
If you can take the time to view his brilliant but odd photography series, you will note that the foods are, for the most part, everyday items that most of us might have in our refrigerators and pantries at one time or another, if not on a regular basis. You'll see those ugly larvae that grow in too-old flour and you'll see maggots that are feasting on a piece of beef steak, plus lots and lots of mold in various shapes and forms. Gross, very gross but I couldn't stop looking. Pichler photographed the decaying (or definitely decayed) foods with finesse and, yes, beauty.
I couldn't stop looking and I am glad I took the time to view the entire series of pictures.
See for yourself. I'd love to hear your reactions.
Ancora imparo
