‘Waipoua Canopy’
Waipoua Canopy
Tag: Gothic
Only One Angel
‘Only One Angel’
“If you want to know what pulls me through
I have only one angel, …that one angel is you”
–‘Only One Angel’ – Jimmy LaFave (Texan singer-songwriter)
…………………………………….
This post, by the way, marks 1000 posts on Ebb Then Flood – it is dedicated to my guardian angels – those who saved me, sustain me, and watch over me always – thank you.
The Statue ‘Spring’ In The Garden
Gothic Aeonium
‘Gothic Aeonium’
Gothic Intertwinement
‘Gothic Intertwinement’
…buried in branches…
Five Iron Fleurs-de-Lys
‘Five Iron Fleurs-de-Lys’
… gothic corner…
Gothic Arboretum II
‘Gothic Arboretum II’
More dark in the park; see also Gothic Arboretum
Fronds, boughs, leaves…and shadows.
Always shadows.
They don’t last forever though, and they serve to give perspective to light.
You can’t grow without them both.
Gothic Arboretum
‘Braemar’: Survivor
‘Braemar’
Apparently ‘Braemar’ is the sole late-Victorian period house in Auckland’s central city area still in use as a residence.
Despite its blackened exterior, this is one of my favourite local buildings, with its gothic exterior architrave; the name proud above the arch; wrought iron fence; lace curtains; and the glow of a welcoming light within.
Believe me, there’s been an awful lot of crappy, inconsequential stuff erected around this baby since it was built.
It is a tenacious, grimy survivor and that is something I always admire – in people, and in anything that outlasts the others of its ilk.
‘Truly Twisted’,Twisted
Yesterday’s post Truly Twisted‘s vine picture gets the gothic makeover.
I have the flu and am struggling in the fizzing positivity stakes, in case you couldn’t guess. Rehashing an image is certainly not beneath me today.
Today’s not so inspiring words to match come from the heavy metal heart of Glen Danzig:
“Got a little twist of Cain, from the god below “
 (Danzig, ‘Twist Of Cain’)
Murder, check. Satan, check.
…add them to the list of unpleasant twisty things.
Impossible Gargoyle
Medieval, fantastical – a gurning gargoyle projects outwards from a cathedral wall.
I love the sheer needlessness of gargoyles, and their impossibility.
This gargoyle is also a chimera, a genetic hybrid of two different creatures,in this case something doglike with bird wings.
A chimera also means an idea that is absurd or simply impossible.
I initially thought there was only one gargoyle in this picture. On closer examination I think there might actually be three more smaller ones on the buttress below our winged friend,one upside down.
Maybe I am imagining it.
That would be impossible…
Monumental
Sixty one metres of Victorian Gothic goodness towers above Edinburgh’s Princes Street, in tribute to literary great Sir Walter Scott.
The monument is grimy and blackened with weather and age and is all the more striking for it.
The below view, in darkened silhouette, emphasises the spectral in the structure.
Scott was a man of letters – novelist, playwright, historian. I, on the other hand, am somewhat of a philistine – his monument appears to me as if Dracula had a hand in designing Thunderbird 3(the coolest Thunderbirds rocket)!
The Tin Man House
Continuing on from the last post, Turret House ,here is the other place mentioned therein, the so-called “Tin Man House’. I guess because of the turret’s likeness to the hat worn by that character in ‘The Wizard Of Oz’, not because it has no heart…it does.
This gothic beauty ,with its white paintwork gleaming in the sunlight,looks harmless enough right now,but at midnight on a moonless night I reckon the turret would be more akin to the Wicked Witch’s hat, and emanating  serious spookiness and evil… I won’t be creeping round in the dark to find out though…
Turret House
Cool house turret in Ponsonby, inner Auckland City.
Turrets are alluring to me.
Why?
Gothic charm, for sure.
Any shape, as long as it fits the bill – round, square, hexagonal, octagonal even; flat- topped or pointy like a witch’s hat.
Something left over from ancient times; a throwback.
A detached but special view over the world below.
Exclusive – most of them are not built for a crowd. Party for one, or two, maybe?
They reek of twisted fairy tales. A friend recognised a house from a photo I took of another turreted specimen nearby to this one, and told me it was known to him as the ‘The Tin Man House’.
Lastly,the very fact that they are not essential to the structure of whatever building they are tacked onto, but utterly transform the place when added. A paradox of design!
Triple Pronged Night II
The sequel to the last (slightly creepy) post  Triple Pronged Night.
As close as I am going to get to I am ever going to get to making a horror movie, given that I don’t enjoy them ,or being terrified for that matter.
But, all horror movies worth their gory salt seem to have a sequel, so here you are…
Actually this is more a contextualization than a true sequel: the photo shows the rest of the small pergola, set in a private school grounds, where I had cause to be last night.
A quaint Victorian gothic structure that was probably meant as a resting stop or glorified sun shelter.
Perhaps at night vampires might gather here and swap tales over pints of fresh blood…
Gothic Chandelier And Bars Of Light
Lots of contrasts and signifiers in this image for me.
The vintage gothic stylings of the chandelier against the modern florescent lighting behind it.Complexity and simplicity juxtaposed.
Dark and light – the candle bulbs at the end of the twisting ,intricate arms of the lamp. Light at the end of our labyrinthine paths.
The chain the chandelier is suspended from.The birdlike ornaments dangling from it. Connection of all things.
The bars of the modern light, like an illuminated prison window. Hope provides brightness.
Light. Connection. Hope.
Those are some of the simple things that get us through this complex life…
Gothic Succulent Creeper
Admittedly it was a bright, sunny  morning when I walked by this succulent plant hanging down a wall, but just not in that sort of mood right now, sorry, so thought it should get the antique Victorian goth-y pattern makeover…much better!
Sun Catches The Heavenly Place
Eighth and final post in this series of religious and spiritual places.
Late afternoon light illumines this old inner city church.
Factoid: Terrific Gothic Revival stylings ,replete with gargoyle faces.Do love me a bit of  good gothic! Took this one while hanging around before a rock gig round the corner(New Zealand’s own The Chills in fact).In a way music concerts are like church services,the band and the preacher just the same,whipping up fervour amongst the believers,getting their message across any way they can…..
ebb then flood 