Juxtaposition - the Revelatory Nature of Diptychs...

   I purchased Michael Lewisohn's book Clare - a detailed look at the natural surfaces of Co. Clare, that last time I visited the Burren.  It is an exquisite collection of photographic pairings, each wonderful by itself but when combined with the second image create a whole new interpretation.  These diptychs were all made from images Lewisohn gathered on his walks in this unique part of Ireland...walks made with the Naturalist's eye for texture and pattern.  He may be a graphic designer by profession but he is a contemplative at heart.   

Visit Andy's blog through this link to read more about his technique.

   In an entirely different vein are Andy Ilachinski's stunning abstract diptychs.  Entitled, Synesthetic Noetics - Cognition vs. Intuition, they offer us a much more cerebral approach.  I mentioned Andy yesterday in my post about the Spiritual dimension of photography.  In Andy's work you can see this blending - spiritual/cerebral - quite well. I love his abstract images; you can read a world into them and they will be quite different for each person who looks at them.

   I must admit, I've never tried creating diptychs before.  I've certainly thought about it...I even made a PhotoTao Card prompt for it to encourage myself.  Perhaps this year I will explore this wonderful idea of juxtaposition of images.

   Of course, this idea has been used for a long time in the art world.  Triptychs, a pairing of three images, are another common form.  We tend to think of the photograph as a solitary image but this coupling dynamic is worth examining.