When Will My Reflection Show Who I Am Inside?

 

Nope, these photographs aren't double exposures or overlays.  These are photographs taken through the giant glass windows at the Brandywine River Museum. 

Oh hey, look!  It's my feet.

But, no, seriously.  My mom and I went out on a lovely outing to the Brandywine River Museum while I was visiting for a few days at the end of October.  It's one of my favourite museums- it features the work of the painters of the Wyeth family, like NC Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth and Jamie Wyeth.  Plus, there's all kinds of other beautiful art too.

 

One of the best things about this museum, though, is that it sits right next to the scenic Brandywine River... hence the museum name.

 

So, yeah.  I went there with my mom and we spent a few hours walking around, looking at the paintings.  Lovely. 

They had all of their classics out, but there was also this great exhibit of Trompe L'oeuil, which is art that looks real.  The imagery is real, but it's art.  For example, there was this one painting, and I am awful and can't remember it's name or the name of the author, but it looked like a college student bulletin board, complete with photographs, banner, and letters home.  The items extended beyond the frame all over the place.  Even from a foot away, the thing looked 3D.  But, standing right there...

 FOOLED YOU.  

It was totally a painting.

Anyways, this got me to thinking about how things never look like what they seem, how we see through some things and not others.  For example, my lovely mom, Joan Buck (in the above photo).  I think she is so pretty.  And not just because she's my mom, because, well, she's just gorgeous. She hates being photographed, and doesn't like seeing pictures of herself.
 Sorry mom, you're on my blog!  Because I can see that you're pretty, and thin, and well dressed, even if you don't believe me.  You thought you were just something normal and real, from standing right there, and I can tell that you're a beautiful work of art from less than a foot away.  Or even ten feet away.

The enigma of the day- this dude.  Flying.  

Ah, but it's just another trick of the eye.  He was walking, doing some dance to the music in his headphones, oblivious to the world around him.  He was doing one thing, this photograph makes it look like another.  Trick of the eye.

And, here's the classic "photographer taking a photo that includes a reflection of herself" photo.  

I've started doing this a lot lately, because, though I just commented on this about my mom, I'm really self- conscious about how I look, and often hate how I turn out in photos.  I wish I was thinner, I wish my eyes were brighter, I wish my hair was naturally straight rather than wavy and poofy.  But, everyone else tells me I look just fine.  I just want to make the self and the work of art one and the same.

I'm starting to think that it might be a lifelong process.

Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania, USA