{"id":44,"date":"2023-09-10T14:34:35","date_gmt":"2023-09-10T13:34:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/?page_id=44"},"modified":"2023-09-22T13:36:22","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T12:36:22","slug":"the-dark-ages","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/the-dark-ages\/","title":{"rendered":"the dark ages: christian imagery, atheist interpretation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1>\n\t\tThe Dark Ages: Christian Imagery, Atheist Interpretation\n\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/blogpost-divider-4_15.jpg\" alt=\"blogpost-divider-4_15\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"30\" width=\"500\" title=\"blogpost-divider-4_15\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t<p>In addition to Veronica, patron saint of photographers (and, apparently, laundry workers), photography and Christianity share two important concepts, that of light and darkness.<\/p>\nIn Christian symbolism, darkness reliably conveys the notion of evil, death and the unknown. In contrast, light conveys only positive aspects such as life, goodness and hope. For example, Genesis tells us that God not only created light, he also saw that it was good. The New Testament describes Jesus as the light of the world and the visionary revelations of John depict Heaven in terms of light. The medieval use of coloured and stained glass within European churches is probably the best physical example of Christianity symbolising the goodness of light; as if the colourful light of the heavens floods the interior of the otherwise dark church with goodness.\nAlthough it appears as if Christian symbolism deals with light and darkness in rigid ways this is not always so. Some sects of Christianity view evil and good, not as polar opposites, but in relative terms, evil being the relative absence of good. This is not unlike how photographers see things. A dark scene can be illuminated but an illuminated scene is not made darker by adding darkness, only by reducing the amount of light. An underexposed scene can often be post-processed to reveal physical features but a grossly overexposed, blown-out scene has lost all such features to the light. Thus to the photographer, darkness is not a thing in itself, either physically or symbolically, but a relative, and eminently measurable, degree of light, or absence of light. And, of course, photography cannot exist without some light, for without at least some photons hitting film or sensor, no image is captured.\nPhotographers are able to manipulate the light and darkness in a scene in two ways. First, symbolically, they might purposely include a large amount of darkness within the frame (labelled, fittingly, as negative space) to convey the notions of evil, trepidation, unknown, horror etc. Second, they might also include negative space or relative darkness simply as a means of diverting attention to the subject of their image, such as via vignetting or lens fall-off.\nAs an atheist, I view Christian imagery and iconography wholly as depictions of mythology and consider them to convey stories and ideas and perhaps some abstract or metaphorical truths, but not necessary literal truths. This gives me much to play with in terms of interpreting the imagery as photography because I feel no onus to deal with the symbolism according to tradition, or to present Christian imagery in the &#8216;right light&#8217;. Consequently, although I freely use Christian imagery concerning itself with death, I do not always equate the symbolic use of darkness with evil. Rather, I also sense solitude and calmness, ignorance, or simply the unknown, all of which are able to be dispelled by the light.\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/CRO0003BW8X8.jpg\" alt=\"Moody depiction of robed hand holding a large crucifix, reaching out and upward from a pulpit\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"600\" width=\"600\" title=\"CRO0003BW8X8\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/MAL0104BW20X13.jpg\" alt=\"A cracked stone depiction of Virgin Mary affixed to a weathered stone wall with a bare thorny shrub going upward\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"465\" width=\"700\" title=\"MAL0104BW20X13\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/CYM0014BW15X10.jpg\" alt=\"Artistic rendition of a cross with crown of thorns balanced on top leaning against the bare wall of an old church\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"465\" width=\"700\" title=\"CYM0014BW15X10\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/CYM0020BW12X8P.jpg\" alt=\"Stone statue covered in lichen of the profile of robed figure on their knees praying\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"464\" width=\"700\" title=\"CYM0020BW12X8P\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/CYM0144BW10X10P.jpg\" alt=\"Silhouette of a ancient church belfry with hanging bell with a menacing sky in the background\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"600\" width=\"600\" title=\"CYM0144BW10X10P\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/ENG0122BW10X15.jpg\" alt=\"Stained glass window with Christ on a cross lit from outside light and surrounded by blackness with the silhouette of a cross in front\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"600\" width=\"400\" title=\"ENG0122BW10X15\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/GER0001BW8X15.jpg\" alt=\"A statue of Virgin Mary looking upward at the feet of Jesus on the cross\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"700\" width=\"372\" title=\"GER0001BW8X15\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/MAL0120BW15X10.jpg\" alt=\"A statue of a monk holding a large crucifix, surrounded by blackness\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"467\" width=\"700\" title=\"MAL0120BW15X10\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/CYM0390BW18X12.jpg\" alt=\"Cross and open Bible dimly lit by available light in an ancient church\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"467\" width=\"700\" title=\"CYM0390BW18X12\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/AUS0029BW15X10P.jpg\" alt=\"Tin roofed church in Taree, South Australia with three doves arranged in a straight line facing away from a cross\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"462\" width=\"700\" title=\"AUS0029BW15X10P\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ENG0120BW15X10.jpg\" alt=\"Dark interior of an ancient church with blurred light streaks entering through the windows\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"467\" width=\"700\" title=\"ENG0120BW15X10\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/CRO0004BW15X10.jpg\" alt=\"Semi-lit statuette of a kneeling angel in the wall alcove of an ancient church\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"465\" width=\"700\" title=\"CRO0004BW15X10\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/CYM0015BW8X12P.jpg\" alt=\"Dark moody image of an old, unkempt graveyard with three lopsided crosses\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"600\" width=\"389\" title=\"CYM0015BW8X12P\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/CYM0017BW10X10A.jpg\" alt=\"Stone statue covered in lichen of a woman hugging a cross with a dark moody background\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"598\" width=\"600\" title=\"CYM0017BW10X10A\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/CYM0141CL15X10.jpg\" alt=\"The shadow of a cross on the bare wall of an ancient church gives the illusion of being on fire\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"465\" width=\"700\" title=\"CYM0141CL15X10\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/CYM0287BW15X10P.jpg\" alt=\"A stone graveyard cross photographed from below with bare trees and a menacing sky in the background\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"465\" width=\"700\" title=\"CYM0287BW15X10P\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/FRA0033BW15X10P.jpg\" alt=\"A statue of a preacher holds a cross in one hand and a Bible in the other with a shadow on the wall behind\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"456\" width=\"700\" title=\"FRA0033BW15X10P\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/MAL0099BW10X15.jpg\" alt=\"A beam of light shines down upon a framed image of Virgin Mary\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"600\" width=\"385\" title=\"MAL0099BW10X15\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-content\/uploads\/POR0037BW20X13.jpg\" alt=\"Silhouettes of church spires against a moody sky\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"465\" width=\"700\" title=\"POR0037BW20X13\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t&copy;\n  2023\n  Gary Hill. All rights reserved.\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Dark Ages: Christian Imagery, Atheist Interpretation In addition to Veronica, patron saint of photographers (and, apparently, laundry workers), photography and Christianity share two important concepts, that of light and darkness. In Christian symbolism, darkness reliably conveys the notion of evil, death and the unknown. In contrast, light conveys only positive aspects such as life, &#8230; <a title=\"the dark ages: christian imagery, atheist interpretation\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/the-dark-ages\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about the dark ages: christian imagery, atheist interpretation\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":414,"href":"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44\/revisions\/414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/telltaleimages.local\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}