NZ Visual Diary - entry 103

'tis the season . . .

Preaching on Queen Street

Street preaching fascinates me. I often pause on my walkabouts when I come across a street preacher. I believe I can trace the arc of my obsession to my love affair with the novels and short stories of Flannery O’Connor, notably her extraordinary novel Wise Blood. Having grown up shielded from the full-throated expressions of evangelical religious beliefs, with its themes of conversion and fundamental reaffirmation, I first confronted the assertive world view of the true believer within the pages of O’Connor’s works.

Timeless on Queen Street

Queen Street is home to haute consumerism, of high-end fashion and accessories. Think of Gucci, Coach, Rolex, Bvlgaria and Dior Boutique. My image captures the disorienting juxtaposition of the Rolex watch store and a procession of what in the 1960s we called followers of the Hare Krishna movement. Resolute simplicity meets material extravagance.