Beauty is a personal and a cultural aesthetic. Within ourselves and as informed by the persons with whom we associate, we build hierarchies of pleasure.

 

Our senses, including and especially our eyes, are important ports for this delectation. Whether we find the monokini, or the burkini, best for showcasing the female form, whether we like facial and body hair, or metrosexual grooming, on men, and whether we prefer the shadows of woodlands, or the sunlight of estuaries, we determine the nature of “beautiful” based on both our individual and on our societal values.

 

More exactingly, in visual representations, notions of beauty emerge as much as from schooled and traditional foci as they do from private experience. Some artists replicate the lines, shapes, shading, and tones of classic or of Renaissance fare. Others fashion the optical equivalent of punk, reggae, or house music.

 

As for me, my tastes are relatively uncomplicated. I treasure most that which G-d creates. It’s rare for me to photograph, to draw, or to paint people. More often, but still infrequently, I might fasten on human artifacts.

 

Contrariwise, I’m happiest depicting birds, reptiles, mammals and insects. What’s more, as a trained herbalist, I take special joy in forming images of buds, of leaves, of flowers, and of branches. Micro-ecosystems fascinate me as do panoramic views. I additionally like showing fauna amidst flora.

 

When framing nature, I like using the muted light, which follows a storm, or which becomes available at dawn and dusk. Beyond that attention to a setting’s relative brightness and contrast, I try to work with whatever’s at hand. The Boss has constructed an entire universe, literally, of beauty which is impossible for man to replicate, and which is precious to represent.

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