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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 59m

#Abstractia #Gothic #UrbanGaze #Photography #Spain The spire of the High Gothic Cathedral in Toledo, Spain (Cathedral of Santa Maria)

The spikey spire atop the Toledo Cathedral - a stunning example of Spanish High Gothic architecture.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 3h

#Abstactia #Gothic #UrbanGaze #Photography #Barcelona Detail of a Gothic arch on the exterior of the Barcelona Cathedral in Spain

Carved Biblical figures and delicate tracery adorn the pointed Gothic arches on the outside of the Gothic Cathedral in Barcelona.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 4h

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories HASEGAWA SADANOBU I (1809 – 1878), “Shoki the Demon Hunter”, 1838. Medical texts at the time stated that red light could lessen the pain of smallpox, and so red became the color associated with chasing away demons. Story in ALT #arthistory #art #Japan #Shoki

We saw an earlier, 18th century version of Shoki the Demon Hunter at the beginning of this month. Shoki was the brilliant, but unattractive, scholar whom the emperor refused to employ because of his fearsome looks; in despair, Shoki killed himself. When the emperor became gravely ill, it was the spirit of Shoki who returned to cure the emperor, swearing to always protect the emperor and his descendants from demons and diseases. Sadanobu’s version of Shoki looks very different from the earlier print: Shoki is drawn completely in red. In 1830 and 1838 (and later in 1849), Edō (modern day Tokyo) suffered through devastating outbreaks of smallpox. Images of Shoki were placed in homes and in public in hopes of fighting this disease. Medical texts at the time stated that red light could lessen the pain of smallpox, and so red became the color associated with chasing away demons. Hence Sadanobu’s red Shoki to ward off contagion. Sadanobu I was the first of several Osaka artists to use the name Hasegawa Sadanobu. During the Edō Period (1608 – 1868) artists’ names changed frequently throughout careers: a name change could signal affiliation with a new school, or could be taken by a star pupil upon a master’s retirement, or could be associated with certain milestones such as adopting a new style. Katsushika Hokusai, for example, used 30 different names over his long career.

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Robyn @handcranked.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Your art challenge cheat sheet for Oct 12-18 is here! Let's have some fun. See comments for host list and details. #EastCoastKin #ECK #PhotographersUnited #PhotographersOfBlueSky #Photography #DailyArt #Painting #Drawing #ArtChallenge #ArtPrompt #TraditionalArt

Daily Art Prompts: Oct 12–18

Monday, October 12
#BlueSkyMonday (anything blue)
#MacroMonday (any macro)
#MountainMonday (mountains)
#MinimalMonday (minimalism)
#ColorADay + #PinkMon

Tuesday, October 13
#RockinTuesday (rocks)
#TidesOutTuesday
#ColorADay + #BlueTue

Wednesday, October 14
#WaterfallWednesday
#WackyWednesdayArt
#ColorADay + #RedWed

Thursday, October 15
#HumansOfBlueSky (people)
#UrbanGaze (anything urban)
#PalacesAndGardens + #LastWords (see poster)
#ColorADay + #YellowThu

Friday, October 16
#Scape (any kind of scape)
#ForestFriday
#FlyDay (critters that fly)
#ColorADay + #BWFri

Saturday, October 17
#BNWmacro
#SmallBirdSaturday
#BlueSkyArtShow + #walls
#ColorADay + #GreenSat

Sunday, October 18
#Stunday (stunning)
#BNWmacro
#ImageAndVerse (your image + any poem)
#ColorADay + #OrangeSun

Compiled by @handcranked

All Week Art Prompts: Oct 12–18

#31DaysOfHalloween (Halloween, fall, or spooky)

#AOFoto
(Aesthetic of the ordinary. See aofoto.art for details.)

#ArtYear (any art)

#BirdOfTheDay
(See Atlantic Birding, Helen Bennett, Alan H, or Rob Crank for daily prompt)

#ClassicMono (monochrome)

#EastCoastKin or #ECK
(Art collective open to everyone. Message @rina2012 to join.)

#ECKPalette
(See @WealieArts for this week’s colors)

#ShowHeart (hearts)

#Abstractia + #gothic

#AlphabetChallenge + #WeekOForOpaque

#MixedMedia52 + #hope

#PaintByWords + #gossamer or #shadow
(art, photos, and/or poetry)

#PostProcess + #abstract
(See ‪@rjrock for photo to edit)

#SensoryArt + #one

Compiled by @handcranked

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Paint by Words @paintbywords.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Week of October 12th prompt: gossamer (autumn #haiku kigo) or shadow Choose one or both for your photo, fine art, creative short, or poetry inspiration. Your depiction may be implied or literal. Join anytime by adding #PaintbyWords to your posts. #EastCoastKin #art #photography #poetry

Centered on the rainbow-colored canvas is a deep purple serif font that reads:

#PaintbyWords

October 12th prompt:

gossamer
or
shadow

Gossamer is an autumn kigo. For the southern hemisphere, substitute a spring or local kigo of your choice.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 22h

I'd love to be added to your list!

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories SHUNBAISAI HOKUEI (active 1824 - 1837), “An Imaginary View of Arashi Rikan II as Iemon Confronted by an Image of the Murdered Oiwa on a Broken Lantern”, 1831. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City USA Story in ALT #arthistory #art #Japan #Oiwa

Although Hokuei was only active as an artist for a short period of time before his death in 1837, his prints dominated the market in Osaka (he reportedly published close to 60% of all prints produced in Osaka between 1832 and 1836). This print of Arashi Rikan II as Iemon shows why Hokuei was so revered: dramatic, action-filled poses, very expressive facial expressions with bulging eyes and strong jaws, and dynamic interaction between figures in the composition. This print refers to the very popular story of Oiwa, the tragic wife who was first disfigured by poisoned face cream and then murdered on the orders of her husband Iemon. In this depiction of the story, Hokuei places poor Oiwa’s damaged face onto a paper lantern; this transposition became wildly popular following an 1825 Kabuki performance in which the ghostly Oiwa made her entrance onto the stage by coming out of a burning lantern. Hokuei’s depiction of Iemon, the dastardly husband, is full of bluster and determination as he begins to draw his sword once he recognizes Oiwa in the lantern above. Arashi Rikan II was a famous Kabuki actor who appeared often in Hokuei’s actor prints. Hokuei was influenced by Hokusai’s “One Hundred Ghost Stories”; one of Hokusai’s five completed prints for that series featured Oiwa as a paper lantern.

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🆂🅷🅴🅴🅽🅰 @sheena-mck.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

IMPORTANT - TAKE TWO Attention Alphabetters! As pointed out On The Ball is not a real O theme so the theme from Mon 12 Oct the #AlphabetChallenge is now Opaque. Best I can do off the top of my head.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (1760 – 1849), “The Ghost of Kohada Koheiji”, c. 1831. This is another ghost print from Hokusai’s series “One Hundred Ghost Stories”. Story in ALT #arthistory #art #Hokusai #GhostStory

This is another ghost print from Hokusai’s series “One Hundred Ghost Stories”. Kohada Koheiji was a mediocre Kabuki actor who could not get any good roles in Edō. He went on the rural circuit instead and specialized in playing ghost roles, which he excelled at because he was very unattractive and supposedly did not need to use much stage makeup! His unfaithful wife and her lover (a fellow actor) conspired to kill Kohada, which they accomplished by drowning him in a swamp. Kohada returned immediately as a restless ghost and haunted the couple relentlessly. Hokusai’s Kohada is singularly ugly, with bony hands, tufts of human hair on his skeletal head, and bloodshot eyes; he is still wearing the Buddhist prayer beads with which he was buried. He pulls aside the mosquito netting that covers the bed of his wife and her lover; I imagine they were not too pleased to see him in the middle of the night! Male ghosts are rare in Japanese ghost stories. Kohada’s story was supposedly based upon real life events that happened around the year 1700.

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Reposted by World Of Art By Sue

𝙲𝚑𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝙸𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜 @churchstreetimages.com · 05/10/2026

Join the #BlueSkyArtShow Saturday October 10, 2026 The theme is #Weather Sun, rain, snow, fog, show us your best art about the weather! Use both tags to be included in the feed. Multiple entries welcome. #art #artists #photography #drawing #painting #sketching #writing #poetry

Photo of snowflakes in front of pine trees with text reading:
Join the #BlueSkyArtShow
Saturday October 10, 2026
The theme is #Weather
Any Art. Any interpretation.
Use both tags to be
included in our feed.
Multiple entries welcome.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

It is a really beautiful tree. The grounds at Blithewold are stunning but this tree was the star, IMO. Thank you for your kind words.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (1760 – 1849), “The Mansion of Broken Plates”, from the series “One Hundred Ghost Stories”, 1830s. The British Museum, London UK. Story in ALT

Hokusai planned to produce 100 different prints for his series “One Hundred Ghost Stories (Hyaku monogatari)” but, alas, only five were ever published. “The Mansion of Broken Plates” is one of the five. This popular story featured the ghost of Okiku, a maidservant who accidentally broke her master’s favorite dish; the master killed her in a rage and threw her body down a well. Okiku’s ghost haunted the well with sounds of breaking dishes and a voice that counted “one, two, three…” at night. Her story was told in writings and in several Kabuki plays. Hokusai’s Okiku is an eerie sight, with a ghostly woman’s head atop a snake-like neck made up of overlapping plates. The rich, lush sky is made using the synthetic pigment known as Prussian Blue (sometimes called Berlin Blue), which was accidentally concocted in 1704 and quickly became a favorite of Hokusai (“The Great Wave”) and other artists. Picasso’s Blue Period blues were Prussian Blue, as was Van Gogh’s sparkling sky in “Starry Night”; it is the color of cyanotypes and blueprints. Artists loved Prussian Blue because it was more vibrant, could produce multiple tones and was more fade-resistant than previous blue pigments. Japanese print makers, including Hokusai, had an entire style – aizuri-e prints – that were made only using Prussian Blue pigments. The color became associated in Japan with the supernatural.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

#ForestFriday #Photography #Sequoia #Blithewold #RhodeIsland #Scape #ECK #Trees A stunningly gorgeous Giant Sequoia tree on the grounds of Blithewold Mansion and Gardens in Bristol, Rhode Island

Looking up the massive trunk of a fully mature Giant Sequoia with its radiating branches reaching the sky.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories SHUNKŌSAI HOKUSHŪ (active 1802 – 1832), “Onoe Kikugoro III as the Ghost of Oiwa”, 1826. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts US. Story in ALT #arthistory #art #Japan #Ghosts

The full title of this woodblock print is “Onoe Kikugoro III as the Ghost of Oiwa in the Play Irohagana Yotsuya Kaidan”. Onoe Kikugoro III is the Kabuki actor in the performance depicted.
The prints we have looked at so far this month have all been created by artists working in Edō (modern day Tokyo). Shunkōsai Hokushū, today’s artist, lived and worked in Osaka and was a leading artist of kamigata-e, Osaka style woodblock prints. Hokushū and the Osaka school focused almost exclusively on Kabuki actors in their printwork whereas the Edō school had many subjects (landscapes, warriors and beautiful women, for example). Hokushū’s style was refined and dramatic, as seen in this featured print of the Oiwa ghost story. Oiwa was the wife who was wronged by her husband Iemon, who first tried to kill her with a poisoned face cream and then with a hired assassin. She returned from the dead as a vengeful ghost and vigorously haunted Iemon into insanity. Hokushū has doubled-down in his print on Oiwa’s facial disfigurement from the poison. Oiwa’s white burial kimono has more detailed draping than what we saw in the Edō depictions of this tragic spirit. Hokushū and the Osaka school were known for their incorporation of metallic pigments in their designs and, in this version of Oiwa (the first of three that he created) he has used silver pigment for the inscription against the black background.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories UTAGAWA KUNISADA (1786 – 1865), “Onoe Shōroku I as the Ghost of Princess Osakabe”, 1814. Story in ALT. #arthistory #art #Japan #Ghosts

The full title is “Onoe Shōroku I as the Ghost of Princess Osakabe, haunting Hayakawa Takakage on the battlements of Himeji Castle”.
Utagawa Kunisada was wildly popular as an artist of book illustrations, sumo wrestlers, beautiful women and kabuki and actor woodblock prints. He was a prolific printmaker and was quite the artistic trendsetter in trying new and different styles in his art production. This Kunisada print of the highly acclaimed Kabuki actor, Onoe Shōroku, commemorates the actor’s most famous performance in 1814. The play, “Shōroku’s Revival of the Story of Princess Osakabe”, tells the tale of the Princess, who is a yokai (supernatural being) haunting Himeji Castle. Osakabe lives in the tallest tower of the castle and meets the castle lord once every year to tell him his fortune. She hates people and is usually depicted as a giant spirit. In the Kabuki play, the warrior Hayakawa Takakage confronts the 16-foot tall apparition of Princess Osakabe on the battlements of Himeji Castle. Shōroku, the famous actor, specialized in portraying supernatural, phantom and female ghost roles. In this 1814 performance, he was 70 years old. He played the role to immense crowds; Shōroku was so scary that a child eyewitness reportedly told a reviewer that he was absolutely terrified and “it was awful not being able to escape because of the huge crowd”. The role of Princess Osakabe was physically very taxing and Shōroku died the year following this performance.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekNforNeon #Photography #UrbanGaze #Chicago #Excalibur #ECK More neon lights mixed with camera movement - this time in Chicago (several years ago).

Lots of moving neon lights punctuated with the "Excalibur" sign of a (now gone) nightclub in downtown Chicago.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories UTAGAWA TOYOKUNI (1769 – 1825), “Onoe Matsusuke as the Ghost of the Murdered Wife Oiwa, in ‘A Tale of Horror from the Yotsuya Station on the Tokaido Road’”, 1812. Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC. Story in ALT. #arthistory #art #Japan #GhostStories

Toyokuni’s woodblock print spirit is taken from Japan’s favorite tragic ghost story, that of Oiwa. Oiwa was a faithful wife but her husband, Iemon, wanted to marry a rich neighbor’s granddaughter instead, and so he conspired with the neighbor to take Oiwa out of the picture. The neighbor gave Iemon poisoned facial cream, which disfigured poor Oiwa but did not kill her. Iemon then sent an assassin to finish her off; she accidentally fell on the assassin’s sword and died, cursing Iemon with her dying breath. She returns as a disfigured, vengeful spirit (onryō) and haunts Iemon everywhere, eventually driving him insane. The spirit Oiwa is quick to anger; actors and film crews traditionally pay her shrine a visit to pay respect before starting any new adaptation of her story. “A Tale of Horror from the Yotsuya Station on the Tōkaidō Road” was an extremely popular Kabuki play written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV. The production incorporated actors flying through the air with wires and lots of smoke and fake blood. It was so popular that artists like Toyokuni created prints for theater goers to collect as souvenirs of the play. His depiction of Oiwa is the classic yurei depiction: pale skin (Oiwa’s is also disfigured), wearing a white burial kimono, hands that dangle, and loose, long black hair.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (1760 – 1849), “One Hundred Ghost Stores in a Haunted House”, c. 1790. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts USA. Story in ALT. #arthistory #art #Hokusai #GhostStories

Remember sitting around a campfire at night and telling ghost stories to scare your friends? Well, in the Edo period (17th to 19th century) the Japanese had a similar activity called “Hyakumonogtari kaidankai” in which participants told scary stories in a circle lit by one hundred candles. One candle was extinguished for each story told, and each extinguished candle was supposed to open a supernatural channel that allowed spirits to return to the living world. And if you are a fan of Japanese horror stories and movies, you are well aware that Japanese ghost stories can be quite frightening and very gory. Hokusai (yes, the same artist who gave us the wonderful “Great Wave of Kanagawa” woodblock print) also produced a series of yurei-zu prints of ghosts (we will see some of those in this month’s theme). “One Hundred Ghost Stories in a Haunted House” is a print showing a house filled with beasts, phantoms and demons, presumably summoned by the seated men playing the ghost story game. Hokusai, it turns out, was fascinated by the supernatural world.

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🆂🅷🅴🅴🅽🅰 @sheena-mck.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Attention Alphabetters! This is your reminder that Mon 5 Oct starts Week N and the #AlphabetChallenge is Neon. Signs, artworks, light shows - you get the idea. For the pedants among you LED signs count too as real neon light is rare now. Go big, bright, & bold! Use the # below and have fun😁

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories TORIYAMA SEKIEN (1712 – 1788), “Kintoki and Demons Arm Wrestling” from unidentified book, c. 1788. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA. Kintoki was raised by a mountain witch and grew up wrestling bears and other beasts. #arthistory #art #Japan #Yokai

Kintoki (also known as Kintaro) was raised by a mountain witch and grew up wrestling bears and other beasts. His superhuman strength was his claim to fame. As an adult, Kintoki served the famous samurai Minamoto no Yorimitsu and hunted down wicked demons (oni). The artist Senkien followed in the footsteps of Sawaki Suushi and produced volumes cataloguing a hit parade of demon images. Senkien’s demons came from literature and folklore, like Suushi’s images, but he also made up some of his own supernatural characters. Kintoki was a mythical hero figure with a yokai (supernatural beings) connection, due to his witchy upbringing.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

It is frightening how low the water levels are this year out west.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekMforMachinery #Photography #HooverDam #Arizona #ECK Some kind of machine things at Hoover Dam (don't ask me to get technical - ain't gonna happen). I thought they made a nice geometric pattern but have no idea what they actually do!

Mechanical things at Hoover Dam. I was drawn to the repeating image of the thingys all line up nicely.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories KATSUKAWA SHUNSHŌ (1726 – 1793), “The Actors Danjuro V as a Skeleton and Hanshiro IV as Princess Sakura”, 1783. Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois US. Story is in ALT. #arthistory #art #Japan #GhostStories

The full title of this woodblock print is “The Actors Ichikawa Danjuro V as a Skeleton, Spirit of the Renegade Monk Seigen and Iwai Hanshiro IV as Princess Sakura, in the Joruri ‘Sono Omokage Matsu I Sakura (Vestiges of Pine and Cherry)’, from Part Two of the Play Edo no Hana Mimasu Soga (Flower of Edo: An Ichikawa Saga), Performed at the Nakamura Theater from the First Day of the Second Month, 1783”. The Japanese love of ghost stories found an outlet not only in woodblock art prints but also in Kabuki theater productions. In this scene, Shunshō gives us the story of Seigen, a Buddhist monk, who was expelled from his temple because of a forbidden love affair. Seigen died alone and in poverty and held an enormous grudge about how he was treated. He returned as a tormented (and tormenting) spirit that obsessively stalked Princess Sakura. The artist Shunshō shows Seigen (in Kabuki, Seigen is often a skeleton) accosting Princess Sakura, who cringes in her cherry blossom robes. On stage, the actor was costumed in a black layer with white bones painted on the surface. Shunshō helpfully placed an actor’s crest on Seigen’s shoulder so that we know, in this performance, the role was being played by Ichikawa Danjuro V, one of the most famous of all Kabuki actors. The renegade monk Seigen is an onryō, a subgroup of yūrei that are vengeful ghosts.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

October's theme: Japanese Ghost Stories SAWAKI SUUSHI (1707 – 1772), “Yūrei”, 1737. Fukuoka City Museum, Fukuoka, Japan. Sawaki Suushi’s most famous work is the picture scroll known as “Hyakkai Zukan” (The Illustrated Volume of a Hundred Demons). #arthistory #art #Japan #Ghosts

Sawaki Suushi’s most famous work is the picture scroll known as “Hyakkai Zukan” (The Illustrated Volume of a Hundred Demons). This work greatly influenced later generations of Japanese Yūrei-zu artists. The demons and ghosts portrayed were sourced from literature and folklore and given visual form by Suushi. His forms became the “norm” for ghosts in Japanese art: they are easily identified by long and uncombed hair, very pale complexions, jangly hands and by the garment they wear, the katabira, which is a white burial kimono. Suushi also created non-ghostly scenes but the Hyakkai Zukan is his masterpiece. His artistic style is marked by careful brushwork and soft colors. This particular yūrei is not a depiction of a specific ghost from a specific tale.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The theme for October: Japanese Ghost Stories OKUMURA MASANOBU (1686 – 1764), “Shoki the Demon Queller Sharpening His Sword”, 1725. See ALT for story.

During the Edo Period in Japan (1603 – 1868), traditional folk stories that had been enjoyed for centuries began to appear in art – particularly in woodblock prints. The story of Shoki originated in China during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE), where Shoki was a spirit who protected the Imperial family against evil spirits, disease and demons. Shoki was a brilliant scholar who traveled to the Imperial Court to take the civil service exams. He scored first on the examinations but the Emperor rejected him, declaring that Shoki was too ugly to serve him. Heartbroken, Shoki committed suicide by smashing his head on the palace steps. Filled with remorse, the Emperor gave Shoki an honorable state burial. This pleased Shoki’s spirit and from then on Shoki swore to rid the realm of evil spirits and to protect the Imperial dynasty. This woodblock print shows Shoki wearing a scholar’s robe and an official’s hat as he sharpens his sword to battle supernatural evils. He is technically a kishi (guardian deity) rather than a yurei (ghost) or yokai (supernatural being).

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekMforMachinery #Photography #Barcelona #UrbanGaze #Cathedral Cranes galore as the basilica of Sagrada Familia continues to rise to the heavens. This photo was taken a few years ago so there are more towers up now (18 towers are planned).

The cranes mimic the towers being constructed at the basilica of Sagrada Familia - Antoni Gaudi's masterpiece - in Barcelona, Spain. This photo was taken in 2013 so work has progressed quite a bit since then. This should be a destination on everyone's Bucket List! Spectacular and visionary.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

September's theme: Labor EDWARD BURTYNSKY (born 1955), “Highway #1, Los Angeles, California, USA”, 2003. Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. #arthistory #art #photography #UrbanGaze #Burtynsky

Highway cloverleafs are a potent symbol of a labor force that commutes – sometimes for hours on end – to work each day. The Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky has spent his career “bearing witness to the impacts of human industry on the planet”, as he explains on his website. Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, his interest in the natural world and how it is changed by human activity began early with observing shipping on the Great Lakes. His photographs have captured strip mines, refineries, quarries and ship-breaking in compositions that approach abstract art in their intricacies. “Highway #1, Los Angeles, California, USA” was a shot taken from a helicopter of the intersection of the 105 and 110, officially the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange. This interchange has been nicknamed “The Cathedral” for its complex structure consisting of five levels, flyover connector ramps, light rail system and a bus transit station on the lower level. You may recognize this piece of Los Angeles from its movie “roles” in LaLaLand and Speed. Burtynsky has composed his photograph to highlight the beauty of its pattern and geometry without ignoring the devastation to the surrounding landscape. He is well aware of the cost of progress.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It was an adventure! It was pretty easy to manage, plus no need for tipping :)

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#AlphabetChallenge #WeekMforMachinery #Photography #Monochrome #BlackWhitePhotography #RailroadBridge #ECK #UrbanGaze The HX Drawbridge (Hackensack Crossing) over the Hackensack River in New Jersey. I love a good counter-weight! Looks like something out of Star Wars...

This type of bridge is technically a heel trunnion bascale (jackknife) railroad bridge. The counter-weight lifts up part of the bridge for boats to pass underneath (hopefully not when a train is on the way).

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

September's theme: Labor SEBASTIÃO SALGADO (1944 - 2025), “Coal Mining, Dhanbad, Bihar, India”, 1989. The Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, US. #arthistory #art #labor #photography

This photograph of three coal miners in India became the cover for the Brazilian photo-journalist Sebastião Salgado’s book titled: Workers, An Archeology of the Industrial Age. Trained as an economist, Salgado turned to photography as a way to bring greater attention to adverse conditions around the world. He began documenting the pain caused by exploitation, war and climate destruction, especially on the conditions employing manual labor globally. Using black and white photography as his medium of choice, Salgado’s pictures are lush with texture and layering, even when capturing moments of pain and exhaustion. In “Coal Mining, Dhanbad, Bihar, India”, three coal miners stand one behind the other; each man’s face has a different expression visible through the coal dust. Each man projects dignity and pride along with anger, exhaustion and amusement. Salgado’s close up vantage point creates a direct relationship with his subjects; we can sense that he cares deeply about the situations experienced by the men and women in his photos. Salgado presents suffering and dignity side by side.

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World Of Art By Sue @worldofartbysue.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

September's theme: Labor EDWARD HOPPER (1882 - 1967), “Office in a Small City”, 1953. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City US. Hopper was a slow and methodical painter and “Office in a Small City” was the only painting that he produced in 1953. #arthistory #art #labor #EdwardHopper

Hopper was a slow and methodical painter and “Office in a Small City” was the only painting that he produced in 1953. He began this work in Truro, Massachusetts, where he and his wife Jo spent their summers for decades, and finished it later after returning to New York City. His study of and fascination with light resulted in the clear colors that are typical of a Hopper artwork. The scene of a solitary figure, glimpsed through a side window of a corner office, invites the viewer to create his/her own narrative for what is going on. The figure is high up in an office building, unaware that he is being watched; “Office in a Small City” has a touch of voyeurism delivered with Hopper’s Realist style. Hopper composed several paintings of people he spotted in buildings while riding the elevated train through New York City; this one has that feel to it. In the 1950s, New York City was bustling and growing at a very fast pace but Hopper has captured a quiet moment with one isolated man; the cityscape beyond his office does not appear particularly busy. Hopper was the master of loneliness coupled with beauty in his scenes. And, always, that crystal clear light is the star.

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Reposted by World Of Art By Sue

🆂🅷🅴🅴🅽🅰 @sheena-mck.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Attention Alphabetters! This is your reminder that Mon 28 Sep starts Week M and the #AlphabetChallenge is Machinery. Everything from cars to factory production lines, or even the internal machinery that make things work. So lots to choose from! Use the # below and have fun😁

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