NZ Visual Diary - entry 375
three muses
The humble sea container is a prominent feature across Auckland’s waterfront. They serve as pop-up shells for art installations, educational displays, sharing libraries, piano studios, dance platforms and — in the instance showcased here — a storytelling stage.
Te Wharau Kōrero (the storytelling pavilion) is a sea container outfitted with a sound system and an array of QR codes that provide access to an online library of stories on a variety of topics, including contemporary Māori stories and language; science, ecology, and harbour geology; and current events.
In keeping with the theme of storytelling, upon seeing three gents settled in the storytelling container for a respite, my imagination leapt playfully to Greek mythology and the story of three muses: MELETE (Contemplation or Meditation), MNEME (Memory or Remembrance), and AOIDE (Song).
Living as I do in the Southern Hemisphere — where water swirls counter-clockwise down a drain spout (spoiler alert: it really doesn’t - with small bodies of water the Coriolis effect is very weak); where seasons are reversed; where novel constellations light up the night sky; where we celebrate the appearance of the Aurora Australis (and not the Aurora Borealis) — I am permitted to take literacy license and present my 3 muses in the form of (mere mortal) men.
From left to right, we have Melete, immersed in deep contemplation; Mneme, captivated by the moment of a memory when, as a wee lad, his mother would slip on his shoes and teach him to tie his laces; and Aoide, transfixed by song playing on his audio device.
I have noticed that these three muses make regular (but not intended) appearances at the storytelling pavilion. More often, the pavilion is filled with children who, with their parents, light up to the art of storytelling and the oral tradition.
No posing; they were naturals :) I could not have asked for better staging. I had seen the fellow on the left napping in the container several times in the past few weeks. It appears to be one of his favourite resting stops. His 2 mates joined him on this day. I walked over to ask if they would allow me to photograph them. The fellow in the middle readily agreed. The other 2 guys ignored me. I waited to see what would develop and took my picture when the fellow in the middle began to play with his shoe.
cool/ who posed them?