Saturday, July 31, 2010

Upside Down









Now it's time for the answer to yesterday's guessing game photo. This is a wall hanging by artist Devorah Sperber, and I found it hanging in a museum. The artist likes to use everyday objects like marker caps and thread spools to make things that look like only texture and color up close. But from a distance, you can see it is something very familiar. She is fascinated with the way we see things. This is a can of Campbells soup made from 1,292 thread spools. It was hanging upside down, and you had to look through the little viewing glass in the picture, which made it upright. But when I took my pictures, they came out upright in my camera. How very strange. Did you know that when you look at something, the image is formed upside down on your retina? It needs your brain to flip it around. This reminds me of a book my husband read called The Upside Down Kingdom. That would be the kingdom of Jesus, which is completely upside down from what the world wants. We prize success, luxuries, money and good looks. Jesus was just the opposite. I think he would have liked this artwork. And he may have even liked tomato soup.

"...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son Of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:26

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29

16 comments:

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Wow---that's alot of thread.... Devorah Sperber did a great job with that wall hanging.... Wow!!!!!

I've read the Upside Down Kingdom ---years ago... Great book.. I had forgotten about it.

Hope you are having a good weekend.
Hugs,
Betsy

srp said...

What a beautiful piece of art and a wonderful lesson to go with it! Have a blessed and restful Sunday.

Annie Jeffries said...

Dear Ginny, This is my first stop and what a stop it is. I'm amazed by what Sperber has done here. How totally original. I would have never guessed this was a soup can. I like it much more that the Warhol soup can. Campbell's tomato soup is one of those wonderful childhood comfort memories that always gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. Just thinking about it makes me want a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Reanaclaire said...

ooohh..how creative.. campbell soup.. so that is what it is..

MadSnapper said...

ditto everything annie said. this is a gift the artist has. I can't even imagine imagining something like this much less doing it.
campbells tomato soup is my favorite, i was raised on it, raised my kids on it and still eat it. generatiosn loved it. she made a good choice. so did YOU. love this post and the upside down lesson

DawnTreader said...

One funny thing I noted yesterday was that it was easier to see what it was supposed to be when I looked at the thumbnail picture turning up in my links, than when looking at the bigger picture. I'm not familiar with the Campbell can so that was no help for me. I like the upside-down point made in today's post, very clever.

From the Kitchen said...

Amazing! And you camera reversed the image? That, too, is very interesting! And, like the others, it brings back memories of soup and sandwiches. It was always grilled cheese and tomato soup or pb&j with vegetable soup. Have a wonderful Sunday!

Best,
Bonnie

Melanie said...

How creative! She did a great job.
Thank you for sharing the pictures!
I've never read that book, but it sounds like it would be good.
Have a blessed Sunday! :)

pam said...

It's amazing how some people see the everyday things of life so differently...my mind never would think like that...so cool

Mary Bergfeld said...

Oh, my. I thought I responded to this yeasterday. Sorry. I think it's an image of a Cambell's tomato soup can. It is very unique. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

Kilauea Poetry said...

Great post Ginny! Very imaginative an creative piece of art! I can appreciate beauty, yet find looking at this world through God's eyes gives us a perfect balance! Just wanted to say thank you for your comments on my poem- I get behind responding.. I enjoyed this Ginny and find it all intriguing..have a good afternoon-

RoeH said...

I love that! What a neat and patient work of art.

ruthi said...

That is to cool! I love it. I didn't see it coming. I had not imagine that it was made out of those threads. Really so cool. thanks for sharing.

Glenda said...

Love the wall hanging! I think that the rows of spools of colorful thread in a fabric center are just beautiful - even if they don't form a picture!

We are doing a Bible study using the book The Kingdom Experiment which sounds similar to the one you mentioned.

Have a wonderful week!

Remington said...

Very cool!

SquirrelQueen said...

She is a very talented artist, I really like this piece. It is interesting that she decided to do the can upside down and display it with a looking glass. It would make seeing it in person more of an experience.

The Big Cow - Easter 2024

 The Big Cow is all dressed up and ready for Easter. And he has brought along some of his friends as well!