creative chaos

August 04, 2025 • 3 Comments

Creativity is chaos. To build or put something together is rarely an easy or straightforward thing. The easiest way to deal with chaos is to embrace it and work within its amorphous body. As I sit in my office, on a comfortable chair, with near perfect temperature and humidity provided by nature, there is a crew of six men outside, hammering, drilling, and mixing. They work with great efficiency and grace in creating the latest variation on a theme of stucco for our home amidst tight spaces and narrow tolerances. My answer? Photograph what they have done thus far. First, the necessities of life must be addressed.

stucco work Santa Fe 6 2025

I must say, the scaffolding reminds me of a sailing vessel, dredged from the sea bed and covered with barnacles.

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In addition to plastering skills, these men develop the ability, over time, of not only assembling the scaffolding, but climbing up and over, under and through it with relative ease. I would be a bloody and bruised mess on Day One.

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Early morning, awaiting the fancy foot work of the crew. There is something about stucco and black and white photography. It seems to turn the coating into an edible treat.

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Thanks to Jean & Sam, Barbara F. R., Minna, Claudia, TTT, Victoria, Marilyn R., Kay, Catherine, Marilyn G., Steve, Paule, and Tim for your words on last week's blog.

As we enter August and begin to ease slowly into another season, I hope your cameras are ready for your next adventures.

until next Monday,

a passion for the image©

Keywords: architecture, Blacks Crossing Photography, construction, Daryl A. Black, New Mexico, photography, Santa Fe, stucco

Comments

Ingrid(non-registered)

That brings back so many memories, not all connected to the artsy angle of building.

Heather Herd(non-registered)

I love your scaffolding portrait as reminiscent of the parts of an old sailing vessel! Agreed! I daresay that the plaster workers would be excellent sailors. Thank you for this slice of your life this week!

Steve Immel(non-registered)

It's a joy to watch a crew of workers who've mastered their trade despite the ruckus around you. It's much like a line cook in a fast-paced restaurant who is calm, athletic and can manage a dozen orders with ease. It's a ballet. Finding the spirit, even beauty, of manual labor is tough to do. You done it with the tools of the plastering trade. The angles and utility of every element are both rough and abstract. I particularly favor the angles and deep shadows of last two images.

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