Sunday 5 July 2020

Blog Post, July 5, 2020: "Belleville House & Lawn Decorations"

Belleville House and Lawn Decorations

ITBT – In The Before Times – I had not realized how much east-end Belleville loves its house and lawn decorations. We’re not talking about the tasteful door wreaths that I’ve blogged about earlier. No, this time, I’ve been photographing seriously funky ornaments and tchotchkes. And ceramics. Lots and lots of ceramics. I have dozens of photos of such decorations, most made while Edna and I had our daily, socially distanced walks. It’s as if these ornaments were talismans (talismen? talispersons?) intended to ward off misfortune and to welcome in good fortune. And, depending on my mood, I was either charmed and delighted by them – or appalled and dismayed. Mostly it was charm and delight. 

(Side note: I’m saving my dismay for people who don’t wear face masks or shields when near non-bubble people.) 

In fact, I could have created several themed albums of ornament photos: wall-mounted bicycles; faded plastic flowers; puppy and kitten statues galore; acres of angels; miniature houses placed in trees; donkeys pulling wagons; and oddities that defied category. And each of them – I hope – loved and cared for by doting owners.

The last photo, a creepy concrete head I discovered on Farley Avenue in May, has special meaning for me. The Quinte Arts Council (QAC) is featuring it on the cover of the upcoming summer edition of Umbrella, the quarterly magazine it publishes about the arts in the Bay of Quinte area. The theme is ”Arts in Isolation: The COVID-19 Issue”. I think my photo speaks to the ambiguities and uncertainties of our times.

I offer this collection of ornaments in appreciation for all those people who curate exhibits for their homes, lawns, and gardens. Enjoy!













Larry Tayler Photography
Belleville, Ontario
LarryTayler.com





2 comments:

  1. Next time you are out in Australia it would be interesting to do something similar and compare...

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    Replies
    1. Great idea! Hobart would be a good place to start!

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