Yoko Kubrick At Filoli
In late May 2023, an installation of Yoko Kubrick's sculpted art was installed on the grounds and in the gardens at Filoli (in the house too). The work is modern with grand, flowing lines. Quite beautiful; and, each piece resides in harmony with its surroundings. So, it was natural for me to want to single out this art installation and revisit it time after time. Depending upon when you visit this page will determine how many times I’ve ventured back to the Kubrick pieces for another shot a capturing the synergy between the art and the gardens.
9 June
Today is my first visit to see what I anticipated would be a striking art installation at Filoli. The morning was overcast with flat, grey sky. Perfect for shooting white marble against the surrounding colors of the gardens and estate. What I found most interesting is observing each piece from a different position. Doing so makes each a different work of art. In the Filoli Gardens the pieces have enough room to breath and you can take them in from all side. I suspect this is going to make for a lot of great shots–maybe hundreds of unique viewpoints. But, alas, let’s not get ahead of ourselves! Click on an image to view a slideshow.
14 June
Several overcast days in a row made me anxious to see what afternoon light would do to the sculptures. Finally, when the sun broke through and it looked like a great afternoon/eve to shoot, I packed up an old film camera and headed out. I did cheat a bit by affixing a digital back to the camera. Digital back or film carrier make no difference, shooting is slow and thoughtful requiring a bit more patience and a tad more time. Mostly I was interested to see how the fifty year old lenses would react to the light low in the sky. Equipment aside, light low in the sky provided some obvious challenges because most of these sculptures are white marble. A translucent surface that is white almost glows from within when a strong light source penetrates it. Such is the case with these sculptures. The shapes and lines of the pieces do create dynamic shadows and I found some interesting dappled light that I think adds a further dimension to a few of the images. I am fascinated by how much the warm light affects the color of some of the pieces. I’m not sure I like these hyper-warm shots. But, you should be the judge. Click on an image to view a slideshow.
23 June
Another overcast morning provided an opportunity to capture the textures and the shadows in a way only possible in even, diffused light. This time around I wanted to experiment with black and white and I began trying to get in close to depict the movement within the pieces. I also ventured into the house to begin shooting those installed throughout the house. More of the interior pieces to come in coming weeks. Click on an image to view a slideshow.
14 July
This was my last shoot at Filoli before our family headed off to British Columbia. The morning offered up some great light starting with some low fog and then finishing with the strong Summer sun breaking through. These eight shots seem to have a mood and a perspective in the vast space that I like. We will see what it all looks like when we are back in September. In the meantime, enjoy! Click on an image to view a slideshow.
22 September
This first morning back offered up some wonderful light lower in the sky. As had been the case for a few days, there was some smoke in the sky from northern-California and Oregon fires. It didn’t seem to affect the shots I was able to get; or, at least not much. I think the strong morning light lower in the sky over the next few weeks will create pleasing shadow detail on these pieces. In the meantime, here are four images that I liked from this morning shoot. Click on an image to view a slideshow.
About this project: 45 Minutes At Filoli
This project originated because my wife and I were looking for a pandemic-friendly afternoon outdoors and we visited Filoli in Woodside, CA. Spring had just begun to coax the blossoms and blooms along and I thought it might be fun to revisit the gardens every week and create a pictorial record of the changes. I decided on two guidelines. First, get in and out in 45 minutes to an hour. Second, go ultra-light by picking a lens from my old lens collection and sticking with that throughout my visit. Mostly, sometimes, I was able to stick with these guidelines. While my visits often stretched longer, trying to keep things simple and work fast gave the project an energy I enjoyed.