Okay so think might be a little far out there but i'll give it a go and you can let me know what you think of this thought. I've always enjoyed people watching... not in a creepy way... i hope. I'm just curious about how people express themselves visually and the variety of people their are in the world. I guess I just really find people in general fascinating. So i was thinking... religion and or spirituality is such a crucial part of most peoples psyche even if they themselves don't realize it. So... how much can you tell about their spirituality by their physical physic or clothing? Theres obviously the really noticeable things like wearing a cross or a yarmulke, but what about the really subtle things that even they don't realize is attached to their beliefs? I spent some time in paris over spring break and when i was there taking pictures of the sights i decided to my own little project where i could take portraits of all the interesting people i saw in Paris. "The Faces of Paris" i call it. Even though they say that as a whole, Paris or most of europe is not that religious, you can definitely see some individuality of spiritual expression within their visual presence. So heres a few of those pictures and see if you can image or figure out what sort of believes, connections, associations, or symbols they support visually that can be interpreted into spirituality.
First of all you are a creeper, (haha no just kidding I right there with you). I always play this game when I'm waiting for the buss. I try to tell a person's life story by their mannerisms, how they dress etc.... Usually it comes down to how they think and what they believe. There is alot of spiritual expression out there no matter what their religion is, be it a pot head or a bible thumping christian. nice post
ReplyDeleteI really like your pictures, especially the one of the man sitting on the bench with his arms wrapped around it. His body language is very noticeable- It looks awkward but must be comfortable for him.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder if the things I do out of habit, such as crossing my arms, wearing certain clothes, or even how I "hold" my face, give off impressions that I mean or don't mean to.
I know that doesn't have to do with spirituality, but that picture of the man got me thinking about how we feel vs. how the world sees us.
I love this thought!!! I do this all the time! Most definitely do we see people's thoughts and religious, and spiritual beliefs in how they act. How people act is directly related to how they want the world to see them, which is directly related to how they believe the world to see them, and thus, what they believe. I think that this can be directly to spiritual or religious beliefs. Good post!
ReplyDeleteFantastic thought. I too enjoy people watching, I think that is completely relevant to religions. People often times represent themselves with clothing, symbols, etc. But actions speak louder than words and I think you hit this point right on the head. Bravo.
ReplyDeleteI also like this a lot, but would add that in other cultures the religious symbolism would jump out at you. A photo from the streets of Cairo could be mined for lots of information. So it seems like the absence of religious expression is particularly notable. Although you seem to be suggesting a glimpse of personal spirit too.. which is an interesting idea..
ReplyDeleteWhile this is indeed an interesting idea (and one that has been studied in depth outside of America), I hesitate to jump on the bandwagon.
ReplyDeleteWhether physical appearance reflects spiritual/religious identity is a tricky topic... I think that in America (and some European countries) this notion will not hold up. For example, there were (maybe still going on, I don't know) a group of people in my high school who wore crosses as a means of mocking religious symbols.
Just something to think about...
I love people watching too ali :) not creepy at all lol
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