Sensifer at Elbhangfest 2015

1 Jul

Saturday, June 27 2015

I arrive at Grottenwirtschaft, the sky is gray and clouded, but it has stopped raining… I am still tired from last night, now enjoying a beer, chatting and finally the music starts… at first glance one wouldn’t think so, but Dresden post-rock band Sensifer produce one massive guitar sound on stage, which draws you in and takes you away… it’s a weird surreal scenery: the band is playing inside this garage, the audience is standing at the other side of the road, in the distance the boats on the river and summer-green meadows… people are passing by as the band keeps playing, cyclists and passengers turn heads, slowing down, stopping, some stay and become immersed in the atmospheric guitar sound, others keep walking on by, from one stage to the next, following the river upstream and downstream… then the clouds tear open and the sun breaks through… rays of light are blinding me as I continue listening and photographing…

Sensifer play nearly 2 hours at this year’s Elbhangfest. I had come here because I expected this to be the perfect music for my melancholic mood. Turns out it is a hell lot of fun, which ultimately results in me walking around with the begging hat and collecting donations from the audience, who approves… Sensifer in concert means commitment. They are currently working on a new Ep. For news visit: http://www.sensifer-music.de/news.


Deutsche Version:

Als ich an der Grottenwirtschaft ankomme, ist der Himmel grau und voll Wolken, aber es hat es aufgehört zu regnen. Ich bin noch müde von der letzten Nacht, genehmige mir nun ein Bier und unterhalte mich hier und da, bis die Musik endlich anfängt… Auf den ersten Blick würde man es nicht vermuten, aber die Dresdner Post-Rock Band Sensifer erzeugen einen gewaltigen Gitarren-Sound auf der Bühne, welcher dich hineinzieht und mitnimmt…

Es ist eine sonderbar surrealer Anblick: die Band spielt dort in dieser Garage, das Publikum steht auf der anderen Seite der Straße, in der Ferne sieht man die Bote auf dem Fluß und die sommergrünen Wiesen… dazwischen die Straße, Menschen laufen an uns vorbei, während die Band weiter spielt… im Vorbeilaufen drehen Fahrradfahrer und Passanten ihre Köpfe in Richtung Bühne, werden langsamer, bleiben stehen… manche verharren und tauchen in den atmosphärischen Gitarren-Sound ein, andere gehen weiter, von einer Bühne zur nächsten, sie folgen dem Fluß stromaufwärts und -abwärts… dann lichten sich die Wolken, die Sonne bricht hindurch, ich bin geblendet von ihren Strahlen, als ich weiter der Musik lausche und fotografiere…

Sensifer spielen beinahe 2 Stunden auf dem diesjährigen Elbhangfest. Ich kam mit der Erwartung her, dass die Musik sehr gut zu meiner melancholischen Stimmung passen würde. Doch am Ende war es ein Höllenspaß, was letztlich dazu führte, das ich mit dem Sammelhut herumging und vom Publikum Spenden einsammelte, welches die Aktion auch belohnte… Sensifer im Konzert, das bedeutet vor allem Hingabe.

Die Band arbeitet gerade an ihrer neuen EP. Für mehr Neuigkeiten besucht bitte die Website unter http://www.sensifer-music.de/news.

Die Toten Kommen (the dead are coming)

28 Jun

Die Toten Kommen

If you are wondering about the grave-cross photo I posted last night, here is the background story: the “grave” is part of a nation-wide campaign against European refugee policy. Berlin art group, “Zentrum für Politische Schönheit”, calls out to create awareness and establish artificial graves all across Germany and Europe in memory of the unknown refugees that died when trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Part of the campaign is also the transferring of bodies of dead refugees to Germany for giving them a proper burial and giving relatives the possibility to say goodbye in a respectful manner. Their activism is of course not welcomed by the German government. However people all across the country and the EU can take part in the activities that aim to create awareness, as opposed to ignorance and looking away from what is happening at the Southern European border.

It was a surprise to find this “grave” last night. I’m occasionally lighting grave-candles here in necromantic cross-road workings. I’m usually honoring Hecate and other, known and also unknown dead, e.g. I also give offerings to anonymous dead. Now I come here and find a grave with offerings, looking so familiar. I really do support the cause behind it.

“Die Toten kommen ” (The dead are coming) – the motto is to be taken literal. If you want to support the efforts made to give the dead a proper burial right there, where it hurts politicians the most, please consider donating: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/die-toten-kommen#/story

In turn for donations you can chose to receive art items, postcards, posters, shirts etc.

June Moon 2015

9 Jun

June Moon

June Waning Moon, 2015

Waning Moon, June 08 2015

photos taken without support, using a 70-300 mm Sigma lense

Besides, I’m introducing a new website section for my humble attempts at creative astro photography: Sun, Moon and Stars

Death Posture (Mortificatio)

29 May

Death posture II

Death Posture

Found a dead hornet on the floor. It looked as if some invisible hand had placed it there. No signs of violence, except for some white excretion around the stinger. A few days earlier I had seen a huge hornet in our apple tree. The presence of such animal, dead or alive, naturally evokes feelings of unease and discomfort. Yet it was fascinating to get closer. I call the photo “death posture”, not necessarily in reference to something esoteric or spiritual. I rather found the position interesting, which the animal takes upon death with legs crossed to a triple “X”. It’s deader than dead, but there is still a cold stare.

New Beginnings (Melancholia)

24 May

Apple blossom

Apple blossom

Apple blossoms beside decaying fruit from last year still hanging on the tree

melancholia – waiting for inspiration to strike

Raven Flight

10 May

A raven in flight is quite a delightful sight

Abandoned Park in Spring – The Fuming Womb

11 Apr

Old ash and yew trees in an abandoned park from the 19th century

The trees grow atop arranged rocks, underneath is hidden a small cave. The park’s landscape has once been planned carefully and in alignment with prominent buildings, such as the steeple of the Auferstehungskirche. Channels once lead water through the protracted park scape, which stretches along the Weißeritz river. Most of the paths and arranged parts are overgrown and the original park’s landscape is only slowly re-emerging, due to the thoughtful work of conservationists. Thus are revealed oddities such as gnarly, half dead – half alive trees and previously hidden pathways…

Herbs such as hollowroot (Corydalis cava), wood squill (Scilla sibirica) and thimbleweed (Anemone nemorosa) are currently in bloom, covering the grounds in purple, blue and white. As the sun was setting, I did an incense offering between the base of the stems of two ash trees, which are merged by their roots, observing the smoke rising from the womb formed between both trees and watching the sun go down…

Mandrake Family

11 Apr

Family
These three were once conjoined as a single root. Sadly after the winter I noticed the tissue at the top had become soft and started rotting away. I decided to dig them out and safe what was left. They’ve been drying for 3 weeks now and thus far looking good, still almost as fleshy as on the photo.

Mandragora officinarum plantlets

Small mandrake plants from a German seller, arrived today. I quickly unpacked and watered them. They currently reside in our veranda, where they have evening sun, and seem to be doing well thus far. The leaves keep growing. I will wait with repotting until they withdraw their foliage.

Vernal Sun Eclipse 2015

20 Mar

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Solar eclipse 20 March 2015, coinciding with the vernal equinox and another black “super moon”

This time I photographed the event from the observatory Radebeul. Talking to other photographers and experienced hobby astronomers helped a great deal. Also there were a lot of different telescopes to try out. Some had filters that allowed for infrared frequencies to pass. The below photo is taken at the large Zeiss refractor. This way the sun activity could be observed closer…

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Also note the little sun spot on above pictures…

Another had installed an adapter for smart phones, so people could photograph the eclipse with their smart phones through the telescope…

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Simple and creative tricks for observing the eclipse without special glasses where shared as well…

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1.) Through a skimmer 2.) through a perforrated carton, creating a nice pattern 3.) through the thumb and index finger forming an “o”

Now here are some more impressions. The the sky was clear, but the air above town was foggy. Also you may sense the gloomy atmosphere as the sunlight was dimmed during the eclipse…

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The below building houses the large Coudé Zeiss refractor…

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Post-eclipse, packing up

Mandragora Flowering

26 Feb

Mandrake Flowering

Vernal mandrake shooting forth plenty of flowers, in fact surpassing all previous years. It’s an utterly delightful sight! But still too early for bees or other pollinators. I may have to jump in…

This is my last of the vernal variant, all the others are autumn mandrakes, which flower in autumn and resort to an underground existence after christmas, usually showing no sign of life until the next fall. Even though I saw one of them is sprouting anew… I wonder if that one manages at last to actually flower at a time when the temps and light conditions are suitable.

Me and the mandrakes… an endless story to be continued.

Another photo of the plant in its current state of glory… those fresh leaves that look like salad (but are really very poisonous thanks to a variety of alkaloids) may soon extend to half a meter length.

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Btw. I’m working on Regina Amandrakina prints…