I hear and I forget, I do and I understand, I see and I remember
Category Archives: Kazakhstan
Series: Floral Essence #7 Feather Grasses
Feather grasses growing on the Steppes of Kazakhstan
Feather Grasses, like these near Sergeyevka, Kazakhstan, have grown for millennia in the thin topsoil of the Steppes; some varieties are now scarce or endangered species. The Steppes were covered in this ideal pasturage prior to the Soviets’ misguided Virgin Land Reclamation policy of the 1950s, under which nearly 25 million hectares (approximately 62 million acres) of the northern Steppes were plowed to plant wheat.
The feather grasses provide nutrition for horses, cattle, sheep and goats, ensuring a sustainable food source for nomads.
The sea of grasses move in waves with the wind, nurturing a soul that’s living in relationship with nature.
As we were driving along the border of Kazakhstan toward Mongolia, we crested a hill. The field in front of us, all the way to the horizon, was filled with sunflowers as far as the eye could see. I had our fixer pull over. I got out of the jeep, went into the field, and made a series of images of the golden carpet of sunflowers in full bloom. It knocked me out!
Over the next couple of years, the magnificence of those sunflowers remained alive in my memory.
I wanted to learn more about sunflowers. My curiosity was not just about the beauty of their bright blossoms, but what they were all about. I ordered mammoth sunflower seeds, planted the seeds in a circle in my yard, waited, and watched. Over three months, I photographed the stages of growth from seedlings to decline. What I observed increased my appreciation for their beauty but raised even more questions.
Why did every flower develop a similar spiral pattern? Why were the seeds packed in so tightly and at an angle? My research revealed many connections between nature, mathematics, philosophy, and the rich history of intellectual inquiry — more on that in a later post.
The short-form answer to my questions is that the spiral pattern and the angle of the seeds in the sunflower represent the most efficient way to pack seeds in space and ensure reproductive success. The spirals are called “golden spirals,” reflecting Fibonacci numbers. The elegant angle of the seeds to each other aligns with the “golden angle’’. The pattern of the seeds in the sunflower represents what, in mathematics and aesthetics, can be called beauty — more on that in a future post. Leonardo Da Vinci described this phenomenon, which can also be seen in hurricanes, galaxies, pinecones, and pineapples, as the “Divine Proportions”.
One day, when the flowers were reaching maturity, I watched a pair of wild Brazilian Green Parrots as they fed on the seeds. The two parrots took up positions next to each other on two sunflowers. While one ate, the other stood guard, watching for any threat. After a while, they switched roles. The one guarding then ate, and the other provided protection.
The “golden mountains” is a name given to the Altai range since ancient times. The mountains run along Kazakhstan’s northeastern border with Mongolia, China, and Siberia. It is noted for its rivers, waterfalls, pure springs, and spectacular vistas, and is home to the totemic snow leopard and argali mountain sheep. Mount Belukha is the tallest mountain in the Altai range, rising more than 4,500 meters, or nearly 15,000 feet. The peak is often shrouded in clouds and has its own unique persona, one steeped in history and religion. It has witnessed Chingis Khan invading with 200,000 Mongols, and listened as the chants of Tibetan Buddhists, and the songs and laments of shamans echoed off its sheer cliffs.
It is traditionally called Üch Sümer, meaning “three peaks.” Belukha may be Sumeru, the mythical Central Asian mountain of Buddhist belief, the center of Shangri-la (Shambhala), where only the spiritually advanced may enter.
“Golden Mountains”
There are many magnificent mountain peaks in the world, and we admire them for their grandeur. Belukha calls us to silence. As we stand in its presence, awe fills us, and we start to sense something unknown and full of energy.
Kazakh artists have appropriated the color red as a symbol for the vitality of life in their traditional art for millennia. This field of red poppies is in Ordabasy, Kazakhstan the place where the three major Juz or tribes came together to unify Kazakhstan in 1726 under the leadership of Abulkhair.
Tulips in the snow, Panfilov Park, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Tulips in the snow, Panfilov Park, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
While researching for my book The Soul of Kazakhstan in the New York public library, I came across a letter Natalya Sedova, Leon Trotsky’s wife, wrote home while exiled in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She exclaimed about the beauty of a late spring snow blanketing the tulips. I remember thinking, what a remarkable image, I’d love to see that. As good fortune would have it, my apartment was across from where the Trotskys lived. On a spring day in April, I was treated to the same beautiful sight.
Happy winter solstice. The long days of darkness have passed. Now each day will bring more light and in time new life; grapes for wine, fresh arugula for salads, wheat for bread, raspberries for dessert…..
Fir tree in the Tien Shan mountains of Kazakhstan.
I turn to nature and celebrate the life and abundance that the light gives us. I hope to use each day to cultivate love, harmony, and beauty.
Prayer cloths on a tree by a mountain stream in Kazakhstan.
Turlybayev Abulkhak, Master hunter with Golden Eagles, Kazakhstan.
Persona
A portrait should representyour likeness and evoke your emotional energy.
That is my goal when making your portrait.
Ithink of your portrait as being an image representing the outside and inside of you.A single image if made with focus and connection can be a true representation of your persona. However, no manner how successful the single image is it will not represent the whole truth of who you are because you are way too complex.At the moment the photograph is made you may be open and the still image can communicate that openness.You may also be quiet, cautious, and have wit, chances are the single picture will not communicate all of those aspects of your persona.When making your portrait I will guide you to being present in the moment and not get concerned about trying to show all the aspects of your persona.Let’s be satisfied with getting one image that reflects who you are.
When you open your spirit and allow your energy to move and I focus my attention and spirit we can connect in 125th of a second to create an image that communicates your persona.
My Portrait Studio is located in downtown Sarasota at 1338 Central Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236.I’ve put a lot of intention into creating a space that is warm, comfortable and safe with the goal that you will feel good about having your portrait made.I look forward to working with you to “capture” your persona.
To schedule a time to makeyour portrait contact me; WayneEastep@Gmail.comor call 917.675.0640.
I traveled 3,295 km (2,047 miles) from Almaty, Kazakhstan to the edge of the Caspian sea to make this image of an ancient Zoroastrian temple. The rituals are no longer practiced there so I brought candles to light the inside and show respect for their practice of using fire as a focal point of Zoroastrian rituals.
“Zoroastrian places of worship are sometimes called fire temples. Each fire temple contains an altar with an eternal flame that burns continuously and is never extinguished.”
Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions. It was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in ancient Iran approximately 3500 years ago.
For 1000 years Zoroastrianism was one of the most powerful religions in the world. It was the official religion of Persia (Iran) from 600 BCE to 650 CE.
While I was making this image a woman appeared at the entrance, came in and announced that she and her family were there to honor a relative who had died and was buried nearby in what the Kazakh’s call “the city of the dead”. She invited me to join them in honoring her relative. She turned and walked out.
A print of this image will be shown this Saturday, June 30, 2018, 11 am to 4 pm as part of an exhibit exploring the concept of “Art within Architecture”.
Eastep Photography Gallery, 1338 Central Avenue, Sarasota Florida 34236.
If you are unable to come to the studio Saturday but would like to buy a print contact me about sizes and prices: WayneEastep@gmail.com
Muqarnas, interior detail within the Khawaja Akmed Yesevi mosque, Turkestan, Kazakhstan
One of Central Asia’s largest domed mosques honors Khawaja Akmed Yesevi, the 12th-century Sufi mystic whose poetry and writings had a tremendous impact throughout that part of the world. It was commissioned in 1390 by Tamerlane, the Turkic conqueror, to honor Yesevi and serve as his mausoleum. The mosque was built in eight independent sections, which has helped it survive numerous earthquakes. the building measures 47.5 x 65.6 meters (152 x 215). Its walls are 2 meters (6.5 feet) thick and the central hall walls are 3 meters (10 feet) thick. The dome is 37.5 meters (123 feet) high and 18.2 meters (60 feet) in diameter. These elegant niche-like decorations just below the mausoleum’s dome are known as Muqarnas. They are an Islamic invention that reached a zenith around the 13th century. the delicate and soaring designs evoke Yesevi’s transcendent and complex poetry as well as the mystical ideas of Sufism. It is located in Turkestan in southern Kazakhstan.
This image will is part of the collection “Art Within Architecture” on exhibit during my open studio at Art Central this Saturday, June 30, 2018, 11 am to 4 pm.
If you’re unable to come to the opening on Saturday feel free to contact me to set up a time to come by and see the prints. If you’re out of town but would like to buy a print write me about sizes and prices.
Patti and Wayne Eastep awaiting the arrival of guests to their Kazakh Yurt
Yurt from Kazakhstan in Sarasota, Florida
The June 2017 Heat Index section of Sarasota Magazine, features a story about Patti and Wayne Eastep and the Yurt which they brought from Kazakhstan to Sarasota, Florida. Click here to read the full story. Story in Sarasota Magazine
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