Resurrection and Wright

Lady Holding a Hat © Willie Anne Wright
Brugmansia blossoms face the ground rather than the sky, a commotion of silent bells. Shamans in South America use them to speak with the dead. In her own way, fine art photographer, Willie Anne Wright, does, too. Like any good conjuror, she's always open to new talismans. A few years ago, a friend gave her a potted Brugmansia.
In the series spawned by the flower, she went back to the beginnings of photography and created photograms. Placing cut blossoms and the images she wants to call home in full sun, she waits. The silent brugs trumpet. And soon enough, the phantoms come.

Profile of a Lady © Willie Anne Wright

Bird Men

Vorbild Nature: Da Vinci's Designs at the Deutsches Museum

Five hundred years ago, Leonardo watched bats and birds to find inspiration for creating a flying machine. His detailed drawings come to life in the current show at Munich's Deutsches Museum. Leonardo never did fly, but his drawings are testament to his talent and passion. German engineer, Otto Lillienthal, was also a birdman. Dubbed the "Glider King," Lillienthal built a platform on a hill near Berlin in 1894 so that he could launch his bird-inspired crafts himself. With wings he made of linen-covered bamboo, Lillienthal took flight over 2000 times before he fell to his death at the age of 48. Too young, but what a way to go. Most of us never even get to the drawing stage.

Skin Code

Lalla Essaydi: La Grande Odalisque

Look close, and you'll see that the odalisque wears a poem. Her robes, the curtains, and even the walls are inscribed in text.
Essaydi's woman commandeers poetry, bends it to her body, takes it to herself. The odalisque, traditionally seen as an instrument of men, voiceless, presents herself as a vehicle of the word. See Lalla Essaydi's site to learn more.