Spiritual Moments
by Jim Hartsen
Like in all of Jim’s exquisite prints, the visual impact is outstanding and electrifying, jarring a viewer’s expectations of reality by taking one into an enchanting and mystical world of wonder and breathtaking beauty. The powerful saturated colors arouse the viewer’s emotions and captivate one’s subconscious, resulting in seeing the image as something transcending the ordinary, and the liberation of one’s vision.
Fully aware of Ralph Gibson’s apt quotation, namely, “Reading things into a photograph is the prerogative of both the artist and the photographer,” I will attempt to convey what I saw in this stunning print. My immediate first thought was that I was looking at a surrealistic graphic representation of the cerebral cortex of the brain, where both hemispheres, instead of being joined by a large bundle of interconnecting fibers, were in fact being separated by a forceful stream of liquid that emptied violently into the base of the skull. Then immediately breaking through stereotyped perception, I was excitedly aware that I was clearly envisaging a large, enraged animal plunging into the water, displaying an inflamed, flared nostril and a wide open eye, both of which were clear evidence of a possible threat, or of some delectable prey in its vicinity. The left eye and nostril were closed, possibly to minimize the crushing entry into the water. Such was the force of the impact, a gigantic spout of water was displaced and sent like a rocket vertically upwards, whilst the spray from the force of the entry, obliterated all of the detail of the beast’s giant head.The vibrant colors above the animal’s partially visible nasal structure, are fitting indications of its strength and intensity. I hope that every observer will take the time to visualize for themselves what they see in this stunning and dramatic image. (#H1038).
Peter A. Marr
