under the surface

I have been into many ... cathedrals -- grand, wonderful, mysterious. But I always leave them with a feeling of indignation because of the generations of human beings who have struggled in poverty to build these altars to the unknown god.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815 -1902) social activist

All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril."

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Only the guy who isn't rowing has time to rock the boat.

Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) author & philosopher

We who in engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. 15 january 1929-1968)

Nature is a burning and frigid, transparent and limited universe in which nothing is possible but everything is given.

Albert Camus (1913-1960) novelist, essayist and playwright

The soul's dark cottage, battered and decayed,
Lets in new light through chinks that time has made.
Stronger by weakness, wiser men become,
As they draw near to their eternal home.

Edmund Waller (1606-1687) poet

Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf.

Albert Schweitzer (b. 14 january 1875 -1965)

Society is like a large piece of frozen water; and skating well is the great art of social life.

Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802 – 1838) novelist & poet

Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone,

Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) short story writer & poet

notes on photos:

1. st. theodosius russian orthodox church this church is was featured in the wedding scene of the 1978 movie the deer hunter, I finally watched the movie this fall, after years of avoiding it. painful to watch, but doable -now, I can check that off my must see list. cleveland, august 2008
2. one of the art cars that were toured the country last year. the surface of the car is covered with an incredible collection of 'treasures.' I haven't seen it, but I understand harrod blank made a documentary called automorphosis which gets under the surface of the people who transform autos into art. photo from a visit to the american visionary art museum, baltimore, august 2009
3. skimming the surface of the cuyahoga river, cleveland, september 2008
4. detail of the surface of piece from artist as quiltmaker xiii, oberlin 2009
5. ms t looking out the window lakewood public library january 2009
6. my street the winter of 2008, before it was resurfaced.
7. reflections on the surface of a pond in oberlin, october 2008
8. looking across the surface of lake erie towards cleveland, february 2009
   
9. billboard, wales march 2003
   

the song under the surface by norwegian singer-songwriter marit larsen, from her debut album of the same name (2006)