Sunday, September 18, 2011

Inanimate objects...


I took this photo through the window of a mannequin store in the rue Réaumur and it made me think right away of a famous quote by French Poet Alphonse de Lamartine: "Inanimate objects do you have a soul?" For none of the "people" in this scene - even the guy in the black suit! - are real.

11 comments:

  1. A delightful photo Eric.

    As we project ourselves onto anything we contemplate, I would suggest that inanimate objects are a repository for our souls. Or even possibly even a resting place for souls who are looking for a new set of clothes for their next journey.

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  2. I suspect many mannequins have as much soul as many humans.

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  3. i just love the umbrella! The lack of any frame here and even what must be flare on the window but without a frame looks like more moody lights, makes this a really eerie photo of some alternate reality. I thought the guy in the black suit was real at first, too! Great shot.

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  4. That's quite deep Anonymous, but I love it. Really interesting photo Eric, and yes, you managed to avoid the window glare quite well. Do you think the mannequin in black has better customer service than the live versions? ;-)

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  5. I'm glad they're not real - otherwise it would have been a boutique macabre - LOL

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  6. LOL The man in black makes me laugh. Do you think he is a really cheap security guy? :)

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  7. Soul-less or not, the man in black had me fooled at first too—especially standing like that among his truncated "friends." Very cool shot, Eric!

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  8. There are humans who's soul are as cold and bare as those mannequins.

    I too, thought the man in black was real! LOL

    Kris

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  9. Oh, and here I was, thinking that Dexter was around in the background somewhere!

    Yes, they do have a soul. Shoes, for instance, have spoken to me repeatedly, but so do gadgets, computers, and a host of other stuff...

    ;)

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  10. As I have mentioned in response to your other shots of this subject, I love shots of mannequins and often document them myself. Started the project studying at the Institute of Design in Chicago back in 1960.

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