God, ” A nasty surprise in a sandwich ” – Poem by James Fenton
God, A Poem –
Poem by James Fenton
A nasty surprise in a sandwich,
A drawing-pin caught in your sock,
The limpest of shakes from a hand which
You’d thought would be firm as a rock,
A serious mistake in a nightie,
A grave disappointment all round
Is all that you’ll get from th’Almighty,
Is all that you’ll get underground.
Oh he said: ‘If you lay off the crumpet
I’ll see you alright in the end.
Just hang on until the last trumpet.
Have faith in me, chum-I’m your friend.’
But if you remind him, he’ll tell you:
‘I’m sorry, I must have been pissed-
Though your name rings a sort of a bell. You
Should have guessed that I do not exist.
‘I didn’t exist at Creation,
I didn’t exist at the Flood,
And I won’t be around for Salvation
To sort out the sheep from the cud-
‘Or whatever the phrase is. The fact is
In soteriological terms
I’m a crude existential malpractice
And you are a diet of worms.
‘You’re a nasty surprise in a sandwich.
You’re a drawing-pin caught in my sock.
You’re the limpest of shakes from a hand which
I’d have thought would be firm as a rock,
‘You’re a serious mistake in a nightie,
You’re a grave disappointment all round-
That’s all you are, ‘ says th’Almighty,
‘And that’s all that you’ll be underground.’
1983
A sense of place : The streets of ancient Rome.
A sense of place, The old city of Ancient Rome.
Photography : Nigel Borrington
Four images taken during a visit to the old city of Ancient Rome.
I was completely captivated by the old city of Rome, The scale of the temples and city building is just amazing.
As I walked around with a camera I wanted to capture as much as I could of the atmosphere, after I had a good look from the street level I took a higher view as I wanted to capture the many visitors as they themselves discovered this amazing place.
The old city of Rome
Perseus with the Head of Medusa , By: Antonio Canova (1757 – 1822), – Vatican Museum, Rome.
Perseus with the Head of Medusa , By: Antonio Canova (1757 – 1822)
Photography : Nigel Borrington
It has been a couple of years now since I last visited Rome and I am starting to think of a return visit at some point, on my last stay with my brother we visited the Vatican Museum.
One of the most amazing thing about this museum is that it holds much of the worlds fine arts along with artifacts from per-christian time, including the classical Greek period and the time of the pyramid building in Egypt.
I captured this image of “Perseus with the Head of Medusa” by Antonio Canova (1757 – 1822) as its just a wonderful work of art as with all his sculptures.
Below I have included a description of the Greek Myth “Perseus and Medusa” and then a description of the sculpture itself.
Perseus and Medusa
Medusa was one of three sisters, the gorgons, but she was the only mortal one. Some versions say all three were born as monsters, but the predominant myths had them as gorgeous maidens. Medusa was so beautiful that Poseidon was crazy about her, but she didn’t care about him; Poseidon turned her and her sisters into monsters with live snakes covering their heads. Medusa kept her beautiful face but everything else was so monstrous. And whoever dared to look into her face ended up being turned into stone.
Perseus thus had a hard task. He asked Athena and Hermes for help and two of them, together with the nymphs, provided winged sandals to fly him to the end of the world where gorgons lived, a cap that made him invisible, a sword and a mirrored shield. The latter was the most important tool Perseus had, since it allowed him to see a reflection of Medusa’s face and to avoid being turned into stone.
medusa-headWhen he cut Medusa’s head off, from the drops of her blood suddenly appeared two offspring: Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant or a winged boar. It’s believed that those two were Medusa’s children with Poseidon.
In any case, once he accomplished his task Perseus flew back and escaped Medusa’s sisters who tried to reach him. Later, Perseus used Medusa’s head as a weapon in many occasions until he gave the head to Athena to place it on her shield.
The myth of Perseus and Medusa was one the most powerful inspiration for many artists in the ancient times, but it hasn’t lost its artistic significance to the present day either. Paintings and sculptures of the moment of beheading or Medusa’s portrait itself are famous all over the world. One of the most known art work is the Medusa shield by Caravaggio, painted at the end of the 16th century. It is exposed in the Uffizi museum in Florence. Close by the museum, in the main plaza of Firenze (Florence) there is a sculpture of Perseus.
Perseus with the Head of Medusa , By: Antonio Canova (1757 – 1822)
This exquisite marble statue of Perseus is being restored thanks to the Generosity of the Northwest Chapter of the Patrons of the Arts.
Antonio Canova is one of the most important Italian sculptors of all time. His marble statues are characterized by classical beauty and they are now on display in the most important museums in the world.
Antonio Canova (1757 – 1822) was born in Possagno, a village near Venice. He spent most of his youth studying, with a strong bias towards the art of sculpture, and was greatly rewarded by the benefit of his grandfather’s stonecutting. His move to Rome as a young man gave him the opportunity to examine the splendid relics of antiquity, and put his abilities to the test.
Canova’s Perseus had not been commissioned by anyone, thus he put it up for sale. Giuseppe Bossi, secretary of the Academy of Brera, and personal friend of the sculptor wanted to place the Perseus in the Foro Bonaparte and he had already begun the payments when a letter came from Cardinal Doria informing Canova that Pope Pius VII wanted to buy the sculpture for 3,000 gold coins in order to place it in the Vatican Museum. Thus, the Perseus was moved to the Vatican and was placed on the empty pedestal of the famous Apollo Belvedere which had previously been moved to Paris by the French, following the Treaty of Tolentino. Pope Pius VII also appointed Canova with the prestigious award received by Raphael under Leo X: the Inspector General of Fine Arts. The location of the statue on the pedestal of the famous Apollo together with the nomination of the sculptor as Inspector, consecrated Canova’s success.
The imposing statue depicts the hero of Greek mythology Perseus, son of Zeus and Danaë, with the helmet of Pluto (which had the power of invisibility), the winged sandals of Mercury and the diamond sword given to him by Vulcan.
These gifts were granted to Perseus in order to allow the hero to defeat Medusa, against whom he was sent by Polykleitos, king of the island of Serifos.
Canova represented the Perseus triumphantly raising his left arm with the head of Medusa. The excitement of the action is frozen as is customary of the classical style. The Argive hero has similar proportions and positioning to the Apollo Belvedere.
By following the classical theme of the heroic male nude in action, Canova seems to have been able to achieve results as advised by Winckelmann and the Neoclassical age, according to which the only way to become great is to be inspired by ancient models. Stendhal said that Canova imitated the Greeks, but like them, his genius invented a new beauty.
Croke Park, Dublin : Kilkenny V Tipperary , 7th Sep 2014
Croke Park, Dublin
GAA stadium located in Dublin, Ireland
Photography : Nigel Borrington
I took the images here while spending a little time watching and photographing the Grounds men of Croke Park Dublin at work.
They are getting ready for the GAA Hurling, All Ireland, Senior Championship 2014 Final on the 7th. Kilkenny will face Tipperary once again in a battle between neighbouring counties.
Here is a detailed history of the Finals between these two side : Kilkenny V Tipperary
Gallery
Peoples Art, Dublin 2014
Peoples Art, St, Stephens Green, Dublin
Dublin Street Photography : Nigel Borrington
About Peoples Art
At least once a year I try to visit the Peoples art exhibition and sale at St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin , this is a great day for an art lover as its one of the biggest open air art displays in Europe.
The images posted here are all taken on a very warm summers afternoon and I got lots of great images of the artists and their work along with getting to see some great painting and drawings from Landscapes to portraits.
Official information
People’s Art Dublin is a voluntary, part time, non profit making group, brought together by Dublin City Council to promote the visual arts to the public of Dublin. Each year after expenses are paid, donations are made to various charities.
The co-operation and assistance of Dublin City Council and The Office of Public Works ( OPW ) , which makes these events possible, is gratefully acknowledged by all the artists involved.
Any artist can apply to exhibit but there are some rules that apply, it costs each artist just €25.
Gallery
The Wonderful landscape and cities of Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia Today.
Stikovica village, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Landscape Photography : Nigel Borrington
The Wonderful landscape and cities of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.
Yesterday my posts related to some of the war damaged and effected areas within the now independent states of Bosnia and Herzegovina along with Croatia.
In today’s post I just want to share some images that I feel show just how wonderful these nations are today, these include images from the city of Dubrovnik and the landscape of the Dalmatia coast line.
This is a wonderful part of the world with many great places and welcoming people, if you ever get the chance I would highly recommend a holiday here as you will always look back with fond memories.
Gallery
War Graves at Metkovic, lost lives of 1993
War Graves , Metkovic, Croatia
Photography : Nigel Borrington
On our way to Mostar we stopped off at the town of Metkovi/Metkovic, Croatia. The bus station is next to a cemetery in the centre of the town.
As Cemeteries go it was very open to the street , feeling more like a town park. I walked in and sat for a while to eat some lunch, afterwards I walked around and had a look at all the grave stones.
I often do this in Ireland or the UK as its a great way to learn local names and family history.
The main thing that I noticed in this Metkovi cemetery however was that all of these grave stones have one year of death on them (1993), all of them !!!
It was a while before the bus left to Mostar, so I just sat back on the seat and took sometime to take in what must have happened here in this small town some 21 years ago.
The Mostar bridge, Recovering from war.
The New and Old Bridge of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Landscape photography : Nigel Borrington
The Mostar bridge, Recovering from war
A little time back on a holiday to Bosnia and Herzegovina, I visited the town of Mostar and took the following images of the Famous Bridge here.
The History of this bridge and its story both during the savage war in Bosnia, then after it is one of the most amazing in the modern history of the country.
The new Bridge of Mostar is located in the centre of Old City of Mostar. It was built in 1566. This arch construction connects the left and the right side of the Neretva River. Arch is 28.7 wide and 21m high compared with summer level of the river. From the highest amplitude in July every year jumps are held.
Mostar was named after the wooden bridge (mostari – bridge keepers) which was on that place before it was rebuilt in 1520 into stone one. Bridge survived Ottoman period, Austro-Hungarian era, World War II, and in the war 1992 – 1995 Mostar was badly damaged and the Old Bridge of Mostar was entirely destroyed.
The Old Bridge was reconstructed and totally renovated in 2004. Materials used for renovation are stones from the original one pulled out from the river.
The Old Bridge of Mostar is inscribed on World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2005. Arrival on the Old Bridge will offer memorable view of river Neretva and surrounding antiquities.
Mostar and its Bridge are marked with a brutality of war and bad history, but it is a true testament to the courage and persistence of inhabitants of this city.According to UNESCO, “The Old Bridge area, with its pre-Ottoman, eastern Ottoman, Mediterranean and western European architectural features, is an outstanding example of a multicultural urban settlement. The reconstructed Old Bridge and Old City of Mostar is a symbol of reconciliation, international co-operation and of the coexistence of diverse cultural, ethnic and religious communities.” (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/946)
Image Gallery
Butler House, Kilkenny
Butler House , County Kilkenny
Irish landscape Photography : Nigel Borrington
There can be few better places to visit on an early June weekend than the gardens at the Butler House in the Centre of KIlkenny city, the Roses are in Bloom and the pond in the middle of the garden offers a cool and relaxing place to visit.
I just love taking in a book or just walking around and taking time to view all the flowers and hidden wooded areas.
The history of Butler house is described below and flowed by some of the many images I have taken here.
The History of Butler House
Butler House is the Dower House of Kilkenny Castle and has always been associated with the Butler Family, Dukes & Earls of Ormonde who resided at Kilkenny Castle for 500 years.
18th Century
The house was home to Lady Eleanor Butler who lived here after the death of her husband Walter in 1783. Lady Eleanor Butler was the mother of John, the 17th Earl of Ormonde and her daughter, also Eleanor, was one of the famous “ladies of Langollen”.
19th Century
James, Earl of Ormonde resided in the house while the Castle was under reconstruction in 1831.
A soup kitchen was run from here during the cholera epidemic of 1832.
The Royal historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland held their meetings in Butler House in 1870.
20th Century
Kilkenny Design, the state design agency, restored Butler House in 1972.
The decor and furnishings reflect a certain 1970s Art Deco style, which because of the muted colours and natural fabrics used, proved sympathetic to the original features of the house. In 1989, the Kilkenny Civic Trust acquired both Butler House and the Castle Stables. The house was then opened to the public as a guesthouse and conference centre.
In 2000, The Kilkenny Civic Trust had the gardens at Butler House landscaped, in order to return them to their original splendour. The gardens have since become an attraction for the many visitors to Kilkenny.
Butler house Gallery
An early spring visit to Cartagena, South east Spain.
Cartagena, south east Spain
Street and cityscape Photography : Nigel Borrington
The Spring and late Winter is one of the best time of year to visit Spain, the following images are taken in a the small coastal town of Cartagena , a very friendly and lively little town that has a colourful history including having been of the the key ports for the Roman empire.
“Much of the historical weight of Cartagena in the past goes to its coveted defensive port, one of the most important in the western Mediterranean. Cartagena has been the capital of the Spanish Navy’s Maritime Department of the Mediterranean since the arrival of the Spanish Bourbons in the 18th century. As far back as the 16th century it was one of the most important naval ports in Spain, together with Ferrol in the North. It is still an important naval seaport, the main military haven of Spain, and is home to a large naval shipyard.
The confluence of civilizations as well as its strategic harbour, together the rise of the local mining industry is manifested by a unique artistic heritage, with a number of landmarks such as the Roman Theatre, the second largest of the Iberian Peninsula after the one in Mérida, an abundance of Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine and Moorish remains, and a plethora of Art Nouveau buildings, a result of the bourgeoisie from the early 20th century. Cartagena is now established as a major cruiser destination in the Mediterranean and an emerging cultural focus.”
Cartagena : Street Photography Gallery
Evening Images from the , Via dei Fori Imperiali, Rome
Evening on the Via Dei Fori Imperiali, Rome
Photography by : Nigel Borrington
These images are taken on an evening walk into the city of Rome along the Via Dei Fori Imperiali.
The lights had just been turned on and the day light was just finally fading, I love the mixed light so just had to get these images.
Gallery
Christmas shopping in Rome
Christmas shopping in Rome
Street Photography : Nigel Borrington
Two shopping days to Christmas day and traditionally these are the busiest shopping days of the year, a little time back this very weekend just pasted I was in Room with my brother for a long weekend.
As you can see from the images below the streets were very busy and the town was flooded with Christmas shoppers from all over the world.
Rome at Christmas, Black and white Gallery
A Fellow Man , A Humanist Poem : Tom White
Nikon D700, 35mm f2.8 lens
The doors of, Santa Maria Degli Angeli, Rome.
Photography by : Nigel Borrington
A Fellow Man
A Humanist Poem : Tom White
I have no prayers or charms of faith
If God there be, He’ll know my weight
If God be nought, I’ll still do good
And practice justice as I should
We should not seek reward to do
What decency expects us to
Should Heaven be a kingly court
I’ll go elsewhere to prove my worth
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve sought belief
But lust for faith brought no relief
Mere logic leaves me where I stand
I am not blest, nor am I damned
I seek to do what good I can
I am your friend, a fellow man.
St John, Kilkenny
All images using a Nikon D7000
St Johns parish church, county Kilkenny
Kilkenny photographer: Nigel Borrington.
St Johns, Kilkenny is one of the counties best known churches and I have photographed weddings for a few wedding couples here since I have been working as a photographer here in Ireland.
It’s not the main church in the town but I have to say I think its the best looking of them all, the images below were taken the very first time I worked on a wedding here. I always if possible attend the church a day or two before a wedding just to do some test shots and check on my access around the church along with the lighting condition.
As you can see in these images the hight of the church and the windows creates some very dramatic lighting.
Gallery of St Johns, Kilkenny
Street Photography : Chester
Street photography on a wet day in Chester
Lets get away from the Kerry mountains and lakes for a little time anyway, lets visit Chester in the North west of England. The junction of Watergate and Bridge street to be exact, the last time I visited this wonderful old Roman town was in August 2012 and it was just like I remembered it as a kid.
The old Tudor black and white four story buildings, the narrow side streets, small shop fronts, café’s and clothes shops. Street entertainers and most of all the rain. It rains a lot in the North west of England. The rain comes down from the mountains of the Peak-district and the Mountains of North Wales.
The Morning We arrived in the town it was very wet as you can see from these images, One of the greatest features of Chester however is the raised and covered walkways running above the street level shops. They run all the way up Watergate street and down Bridge street on both sides, as you can see from the photo on the left/above.
While I waited for the others to come back from different directions and shops, I took some of the images in this post from these walkways. It was a great view point to do some people watching, just snapping away and wondering what all these people had on their minds. Presents maybe or just gifting themselves to something new, things for kids birthdays, a new phone or just a chat and a coffee with a friend.
Just people watching and wondering and recording, isn’t that what street photography is all about ?
Image Gallery – Chester on the streets
Sunset over Rome
All Images using a Nikon D90, 18-200mm vr2 lens, iso 600
A Roman sunset
These images where taken on the last evening of a trip to Rome two years ago, its was one of the best city holidays I have ever been on and the last days weather was just amazing. My brother had already left on a train from Rome’s Termini train Station and my own bus to the airport was only about an hour away but the sunset was just wonderful so of I went in a mad rush to get some images and here they are.
They cost me €80 to get, as this was the cost of the taxi, by the time I got to the bus – well I only got a view of the back of it as it speeded away minus myself.
Sunset over Rome – a Gallery
Liverpool
A weekend in Liverpool, Sometime back….
Ablert docks – Saturday Morning
Liverpool Cathedral – getting ready for Christmas
The Cavern – Home of the Beatles
Images from a weekend I spent in Liverpool sometime back….
Also… Along with many others (Thank you!) I received a very kind comment from Paul Scribbles about my McCarthys hotel post and Ilfords film so these are more for yourselve Paul, Ilfords XP2 using a Nikon Fm2n..
One night in Dubrovnik
One night on the streets of Dubrovnik.
Kilkenny photographer : Nigel borrington
Inside St Peters, Vatican City
Inside St Peters, Vatican city : Photograph by Nigel Borrington
Kilkenny based Photographer : Nigel Borrington
Via Dei Condotti
Via Dei condotti, Rome, in the rain : Nigel Borrington
Kilkenny Photographer, Nigel Borrington
Vatican Museum
Vatican Museum, Staircase : Nigel Borrington
Staircase at the Vatican Museum
Kilkenny Photographer : Nigel Borrington
Grand Canal quay, Dublin
Grand canal quay, Dublin
In the last few years most of my landscape photography has been based on rural images. However during the summer I have spend some time staying in Sandymount, Co.Dublin.
Grand canal quay area, Co.Dublin
Staying in a city again is a blast of fresh air and a welcome break from rural Kilkenny. I lived and worked in London for some 20 years starting in the mid nineteen eighties. In Between visits to Dublin or London it is easy to forgot the visual differences that a city can offer over the countryside.
The main things that stand out to me are the elements of structure and form. Fields and mountains offer a more open and natural combination of structure to the eye. However this structure is less natural than most of us care to remember, you have to search the nation of Ireland very hard these days to find much land that has not been changed by farming of one kind or another.
Standing at Grand canal quay, Dublin however visually sent me back some ten years or so, I would pass buildings like these every day on the way to my office and then on the way home again. The lines, glass and the interaction of the architecture just hits you as a photographer like a visual feast and as I say is a breath of fresh air.
Grand canal theatre, Co Dublin
Many people would think this visual enjoyment to be completely mad, it’s not something that most Irish people experience every day. The idea of modern architecture has yet to reach most of the small towns that make-up the nation, after all the development of Grand canal quay was only started in 2003.
Personally this kind of cityscape is something I miss seeing these days, I do love the open air and space even if most of it is farm land. I feel that the modern city however brings you forward into the new world and the life it has to offer. Standing in the country side to some degree is more like being located in our past.
Grand canal theatre, Co Dublin
A very interesting personal issue raises it head here, why do I find the older cityscapes of Dublin or Kilkenny a little less interesting to photograph?
At some point the older architecture must have been modern and visually interesting; however somehow it’s just not personally as interesting. This is something I should explore and will come back to in another post.
Are we just draw to the new, the modern around us?
Grand canal quay, Co.Dublin
Do we need to be surrounded by the new in order to be driven forward; do we also have to personally respect those new things for the elements they contain?
City or Country
In summary – visually the country side offers a more fixed if not permanent view of the world for those who live in it, the modern city offers new visual challenges. The question that arises from this is, do we as people advance more if we live with new and modern or stand still with the old?
Grand canal quay, Dublin
Grand canal quay, Dublin
Grand canal theater, Dublin
Nigel Borrington
Nigel Borrington 
You must be logged in to post a comment.