Triple Vision - Roll 144
Let me set the scene for you. It was Saturday, a few days before Christmas, and it was warm. Not actually warm, not really, but mid-40s, far warmer than you'd expect it to be in Michiana at the end of December. As a result of this unseasonably mild weather, it was very foggy, and this lent the world a kind of lethargy, buildings and streets blurring in and out of view as I made my way back to Berrien from Mishawaka. Further putting me into a contemplative state of mind was Jesus's new hip-hop mix that he'd given me for Christmas, a tradition he's kept for three years now. Full of incredible songs by Black Star, the Wu-Tang, and others, the themes of the mix center on finding a strong sense of self within community and rising above struggles to achieve greatness. He titled this mix "Triple Vision," and it's an apt name for this blog post and set of photos, as the combination of the music and weather opened my third eye that day!
I knew that I wanted to photograph something as soon as I saw the fog that morning, but I don't know that I would have found my ideal subject without first being placed into the "state of heightened awareness" that Stephen Shore describes. The longer I drove and listened to the music, the more my mind became clear and filled with purpose, soaking in the artistry and message of the songs. As I approached Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles, I knew that this was where I should explore, where I could find the subjects that would fit my mood that morning. I'd photographed here once before, in January of that year (ironic, shooting it at the beginning and end of the year), and while I'd gotten a couple fine photos, I knew that there were better compositions and scenes to find in this cemetery should I return. Doing so now, I pulled up to a different section than I had previously visited, drawn to a grouping of tall monuments over which a large tree spread its branches. The resulting photo is practically perfect—the fog lends a real atmosphere to the scene, letting headstones and trees fade into the background and emphasizes the triangular shape that the three tallest monuments form across the picture plane. The tree that initially caught my eye is stunning, an organic, twisting shape framing the cemetery from above that adds an element of wildness to an otherwise orderly vision. The more I look at this photo, the more I think that that's what makes the image work, this contrast between the man-made headstones, perfectly crafted and shaped, and the natural growth of the tree, branches going where they will in defiance of an imposed order. It is simply beautiful, and this was the crowning finale of the year for me, everything lining up exactly so that I could have this climax of experience in the waning days of 2023.
Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles, Michigan.
Allow me to free-associate for a moment. This contrast I just identified—between man's order and nature's beauty—could also be seen as the (supposed) dichotomy between training and intuition. Jesus has told me a story about the group Black Star, whose song Definition he put on Triple Vision. He says that there was a notable difference in the ways that the two members would write their bars; Talib Kweli would disappear for days at a time, returning after deep thought with his verses, while Mos Def could effortlessly come up with lines on the fly in the studio. In this analogy, Kweli represents the studious artist, who perfects their craft through effort and training, while Mos Def is the intuitive one, able to create quickly and naturally (incidentally, Jesus and I form this pair too, I as the intuitive artist and he as the methodical one). What is clear to me, though, is that in both cases both sides are needed to create the most well-rounded and meaningful art. Black Star wouldn't be the same without the back-and-forth of two artists at the top of their game, both existing better in the context of the other than they might by themselves (of course, they've both had successful solo careers, but still). And my photo of the cemetery that day wouldn't be as powerful without that tension between man and nature. These things are ultimately two sides of the same coin, and thus I think I do well to bring them together in this image.
The rest of the photos I took that day feel like a victory lap. Among them there are several photos of interesting subjects on the ground at the cemetery, another view of headstones there, then a foggy street in Niles, and finally a nativity scene still surrounded by the fog, distinct against the hazy background. They're all good, even great, photos, but I don't need to go into detail about them. The apex of my day had already occurred, and these moments as I finished the roll were just the cherry on top of my vision of the Ordered World that I experienced in the cemetery. It was good to encounter transcendence and a "triple vision" once again, as the year with all its successes and challenges came to a close, and it left me feeling proud of how I'd grown that year and excited for what would come in the future!
American Flag—Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles, Michigan.
Memorial Wreath—Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles, Michigan.
Silverbrook Cemetery, Niles, Michigan.
Niles, Michigan.
Nativity Scene—Niles, Michigan.