Past. Present. Iron

Photography: Carl Joyce

Www.carljoyce.co.uk

They say one should forget the past and live in the present. And for the future...

But what if the past was so heavy that it almost feels as if it's still here? What if the past was so weighty that even the slightest attempts to move forward and step out of it would still drag it along somehow?! Like the inevitable roll of the ball that follows the move of the chain...normally made of iron...

It's hard to dilute the taste of metal and the strong smell of cheap locally made cigarettes...

It's hard to melt the remains of an iron past, which linger around not only physically, 

But emotionally too.

As if every sphere of life is still paralysed by the weight of a dictatorship long gone...yet there...

Dullness and uniformity are omnipresent. 

And oppressing. Reminding of sameness - so actively triggered by the ideology praised for half a century. 

The Ideology that turns you into just another brick in the wall...

The Eternal City

Photography: www.carljoyce.co.uk

All rights reserved!

It's always there. 

Rome. 

It always has been.

For years.

Decades.

Centuries.

Standing. Rising.

Against time. Against change. 

Ancient. Great. Eternal.

Unruined ruins, pillars of the might of an ancient world overshadow today's adolescent advancement,

Unapologetically.

Ruthlessly.

Somehow in vain.

Mystery,

Gracious presence, 

And Detailed perfectionism,

All witnessing to the greatness of the Roman genius in life...

... art....

...and gastronomy...inevitably!

It always will be there.

The Eternal city.

Rome...

"Urbanisticism"

Photography: Carl Joyce

all rights reserved!

Recently I thought about the charm of urban milieu. And then I realised I was thinking more about the word group my brain had already established, charm and urban, rather than thinking what was the charming about the urban...But what IS the charm of the city?

Is it the enormous variety colliding at one place?

 Is it the forever high speed of air particles? 

Or is it the feeling of anonymity and being lost "at home"? 

Or is it all at once?...

Could it be the hurry of the omnipresent public transport vehicles with their timetables, unpredicted delays and ever-crowded boards and the helpless sensation of dependancy? Or the painfully familiar rumbling sound of a ferry boat; 

the rattling metal wheels of the city train;

the anxious noise of car horns;

or the jingling notification of the present bicycles and scooters literally flying along the streets with riders so purposeful and focused on their direction and daily tasks?...

Whatever the means of transport, somewhere, between the stations and stops, traffic lights and roundabouts, under flyovers and in underpasses, 

people doze off, 

hesitate,

explore

or simply wait sat

 and patiently sunk in their thoughts.

Charm is hidden in the retro quietness of a cobbled back street, 

exposed by the historical silence of a famous landmark, 

or hinted by the mysticalness of the weather and Gothic architecture. 

Some will find charm also demonstrated by the loudness of a local parade,

and subdued architectural crescendo,

others will immerse themselves in the enormity of a nightscape

 of megalopolitan proportions,

or the nocturnal appearance of a rather modest urban extent.

And third will define charm in a bit more abstract

or even photographic way... 

Whatever the type, size, location, cultural characteristics, time zone, weather or condition, 

The City

is

there - Charming with its colours, sounds and faces, it is on our way to work, home or the next destination....which is quite often another city...

Autumnal

Photography: Carl Joyce

All rights reserved!

Autumn is the only season that's got two names.
In fact, Autumn is the only season that combines the colours, the scents, and the temperature amplitudes of the other three.

There is something about the Autumn…something that makes it different…

...as if the contrasts that wrestle within

over the winning appearance of the Tomorrow bring out the most masterful decor, the most intense shades, and the most elegant curves of the Autumnal palette.

A few reminders of the forthcoming change appear on the otherwise maturely green and still summery milieu. 

It isn't long until one realises the life of the day light has shortened, and the sun rays, shy in their ripeness,

modestly step back before one other from of light - brighter in its plastic container, yet cozier in its artificial nature. 

And the fauna is also beginning to prepare for the approaching season,

 

and while some quietly live in harmony with the surrounding humanity 

others obviously disagree with the intrusive human attention.

And opinionated in their presence, the elements often take part in the Autumnal rhapsody with whistling winds, relaxing tapping of the rain 

or simply with the aristocratic silence of the trees 

whose leaves are almost certainly laid as a carpet 

ready for the pumpkin feast.

Sometimes, the sun shows it hasn't forgotten about us. 

And it shines. 

Shines proudly all day and as if strokes every living creature on Earth, which in turn, does not miss the chance to appear in its most elegant form.

And when at the end of the day, one finds the comforts of the home more appealing than any social ongoing, 

then we know: it's autumn!...