Sharon's Week 46: The Object of Art is to Give Life A Shape

shapes

My title today is a quote from William Shakespeare.  It's quite thought provoking - what shape would your life take depending on what kind of art you admired or to which you were exposed or what shape would your life take if there was no art?  I also see the opposite...shapes create art - whether the shapes are organic, based on mathematical formulae, seen by some but not others or found in unexpected places, the outcome of those shapes, single or together, can be beautiful.

During week 46, again I did not focus on the project topic.  I was vaguely aware that I should be looking for shapes but mostly I was admiring what was around me and in awe of the amazing culture, history and people of Northern India.  The week began in Agra with an early morning visit to the Taj Mahal, a long drive to Jaipur, a day of sightseeing in Jaipur, a drive to Mandawa where we stayed in a fantastic old fort and admired the frescoes then a drive to Pushkar where we spent the rest of our tour.  Now when I say "drive," don't be picturing a lovely jaunt up highway 17 or even rush hour on the 401.  No, picture our van driving at most 40-50km/h dodging potholes, spots with missing asphalt, cows, goats and dogs wandering in front of traffic, pedestrians, bicycles, taxis, farm vehicles, cars and work vehicles all merging willy-nilly with each other regardless of the marked lanes, and all this while the sound of horns is constant in your ears.  Oh, did I mention the ever-present sand and grit making it's way into your lungs?  Our driver Joshi was fantastic and he deserves a huge thank-you for getting us to all of our destinations safely.  

On to the shapes...

There were four ferris wheels at the Pushkar fair.  I did not ride on any of them.

Here, we are finally up in our balloon, looking down at the fair.

Here's a balloon being inflated the day they ended up cancelling the flight.

Some fancy dishes for sale.

That's it for circles...now here are a bunch of hexagons.  This was a decorative railing on the Red Fort in Jaipur (I think).

Rectangles are up next.  Here the reflecting pool leads back to the entrance to the Taj Mahal.

Some colourful windows on a beautifully painted old building in Nawalgarh.

Some colourful crates in Mandawa.

Repeated rectangles leaving the Taj Mahal.

Triangles?

A square.  This was on an extremely ornate door at the Castle Mandawa.

This was one view from the Red Fort in Jaipur.  

And I think since the Taj Mahal is so famous and easily recognizable, it can be its own shape.

There, I am all caught up now.  Tomorrow's post may be tricky...the topic was "bring your camera to work" and I haven't worked this week.  Must use imagination...