Snapshots of Reality
Imagine standing before a large photo of a cityscape. The image is rich in detail, and the lighting is perfect, but the camera was only capable of capturing it in black and white. This presents us with a perceptual dilemma: the surface of the image is entirely flat, with only varying shades of grey, and the brightest pixels are white. In this case, the photograph may be beautiful, but it lacks depth—both visually and in terms of experience. However, despite the flatness and absence of color, does this image still give you an idea of the actual place? Could it still evoke the feel of the city? In a sense, this image serves as a pointer, a reference to a real place and time. But the true experience lies beyond what’s shown. It’s up to the observer to imagine the sounds of the street, the shuffling of feet, the voices, horns, the wind, and the opening and closing of doors. The observer must fill in the missing colors, imagine how the taller buildings are nearer, and how the smaller, ...