Pareidolia Pieces from France
Introduction to the new Pareidolia Pieces from France, Trip of Aug-Oct 2024
- These six pieces were inspired from four different locations in France:
- 10 Chem des Minimes, Old wall running adjacent to road, Arles France, 3x pieces.
- Abbey de Montmajour, on an outside wall of the Abbey grounds, 1x piece
- An outside wall of Entrevaux Cathedral, Entrevaux, France, 1x piece
The side of an old building at 1a Albert Schweitzer in Saint Remy de Provence, 1x piece
So, how do I come by the walls? In part, I am drawn to them, and in the other part I developed a curiosity on the potential for walls to have secret lives, when once I had seen what was within some of them. So, I go a looking.
In each case the pieces will be presented in the same way.
The first piece is the original view of the wall as it is today. Then by pressing on the right arrow, the view will fade into the rendered view, based on what I saw upon it. Going back and forth between the original and rendered views you can begin to see the rendered forms are there in the original.
I tried not to alter the original beyond establishing the contour lines of the figures discovered. I attempted to leave as much of the original composition of the wall as possible. In some cases, I did smooth out or lighten an area to better highlight the figures. The exception is the work I did with the wall in Entrevaux, here I inverted it in Photoshop and then drew into it.
As you view them individually you will be given the title, and the location.
The rendered figures will be listed and their individual locations in the composition given.
Then you have a chance to look for yourself, and see if you can see any of the figures of which I list.
Once you are ready, you then click on the right arrow and see the reveal (the rendered view).
I find the whole process magical, and I hope you do as well.
If you enjoyed the discovery, please share the experience with friends.
Rock Toboggan, Rider, and Friends
Location: The wall starts at 11 Chemin des Minimes, Arles France. To find the section of wall this art piece came from, put in the address above in Google Maps. Place the street view figure onto the red locating circle. Spin it around to look NNW, you should be looking at the gate, number 11 that starts the wall to the right. Now pivot the street view to the right down the road, you will see 4 cars parked. Move to view between the 1st and 2nd cars (a grey sedan and blue van). In the gap is the wall site.
Host of Figures: Note: this is from your perspective as you view the wall.
- Rock Toboggan Creature with face in profile facing left.
Human driver of Toboggan in profile with beret and ear muff facing left. - Duck behind the driver in profile holding on to him facing left.
- Beaver in profile behind duck facing left.
- Below Beaver is a head of a Rhinoceros in profile facing right.
- To the right of the Rhino is a French man in Beret winking his right eye facing out.
- To the right of the French man is a profile of a Hippopotamus head facing right.
- To the right and up from this group (all more or less riding the toboggan) is a profile of a horse facing left and pushing the toboggan with a raised left foreleg and hoof.
- Beneath the French man are the heads in profile of a Sheep and a Wolf, facing each other in peace.
- There is a turtle in profile below the rock toboggan facing left, and 3 or 4 figures unnamed.
- Additionally, there are 9 more unnamed figures to the left and right below the Turtle. One of which includes the artist in a yellow beret looking out from behind a wall. Clue he is small.
Boy Sitting on a Ledge on a Wall
Location: The wall starts at 11 Chemin des Minimes, Arles France. Note this will be near impossible if you are there to try and find it, because in order to create this piece I had to flip the wall upside down to see this. However, it is roughly in the middle of the wall, take a print out of the original view of the art piece and hold it upside down. This gives you a chance to find it upon the wall.
Host of Figures: Note, this is from your perspective as you view the wall.
- A boy (facing you) sitting upon a ledge on the wall wearing a jaunty hat, and with his left arm outstretched on another ledge behind him, while is right hand holds a salt shaker and he salts a wedge of cheese
- His legs dangle over the ledge
- On his large sweatshirt is the face of Winston Churchill complete with cigar
Lemur on a Rocket Above a Chimera
Location: The wall starts at 11 Chemin des Minimes, Arles France. It is approximately two thirds of the way down the wall moving from the 11 Chemin gate to the right down the wall. There is a cue on the wall to help you find it, a filled in square by itself in the middle of the wall. The art piece is to the left of the square.
Host of Figures: Note, this is from your perspective as you view the wall.
- A clothed Lemur riding side saddle on a rocket. Facing front and slightly to the right behind him.
- His right leg dangles off the rocket and is resting on the back of a Chimera
- The Chimera is composed of a Lions head, a goat’s body, and the tail of an alligator. It appears he is comfortable with the Lemur and the Lemur with him.
Knight Facing Off with an Orc
Location: On an outside wall at Abbaye de Montmajour, Route de Fontvieille. The abbey is about 5 miles NE of Arles France. To locate this intersection of blocks on the wall. I have included a picture of the wall, note the red box is pin-pointing the location.
Host of Figures: Note, this is from your perspective as you view the wall.
- On the left is the profile, head, and neck of a White Knight, he is in helmet with his visor up, and staring down the Orc in front of him. He is facing right.
- On the right is a Black Orc, he too is in profile head and neck, and he is also staring down the Knight in front of him. He is facing left.
Description:
In one sense, I see a figure of light, a champion of good, facing off with a figure of dark, and a champion of evil.
However, in another sense, at a more psychological level in the frame of Carl Jung, I see it as the “Self” facing his “Shadow.”
The Whole Self, the individuated self, must as part of its work and growth face his shadow and integrate the shadow into his whole self. In this framework there is not for me a distinction between Good and Evil. It is more Eastern, in that it is more in keeping with the Tao, the Yin and Yang, and that both are parts of life. One cannot exist without the other.
Mystic Knight of the Leaf
Location: On the outside North wall of the Entrevaux Cathedral, in Entrevaux, France. Specifically at an L shaped enclosure just prior to walking under a tower.
It fixed my attention because the pieces and colors on the wall invoked Calvin and Hobbs for some reason. And I was sure there was some treasure herein.
Note to viewer: this sequence between Original and Rendered is different than the other pareidolia pieces. Between the original and the rendered, the wall image was inverted in Photoshop (meaning the wall went to blues and greens, and was heavily saturated with color.
However, the wall itself, has not been altered except for a change in color. Its original form remains through the transformation; with the exceptions of the additions, I made in articulating the arm holding the jousting lance and the lance itself.
Host of Figures: Note, this is from your perspective as you view the wall.
- The visored Knight in lime and green colors in the center. Appears in profile facing to the left. His visor is up and his face is visible.
- The figure suggests that the knight is astride a horse.
- The armored arm of the knight holding the jousting lance.
- Down at the lower left, in the corner that is dark. There is a boy sitting on an edge of a cliff. His arms are at his side and his hands behind him resting on the rock. His right leg is dangling off the cliff. He is in awe gazing up at the knight.
- One wonders, is it the boy dreaming of becoming a knight, or a knight remembering the boy.
- Wonder, creation, and remember……all rolled into one.
The Man, Climber, and Giant
Location: 1a Avenue Albert Schweitzer, Saint Remy de Provence, France. To locate the wall, go to google maps with the address. Take the street view little man and place him on the red cue circle. It will put you on the avenue, point North to find a bus stop on the left side of the road. Across from the bus stop is the wall, marked well by an overhead street lamp (only one on the street).
Host of Figures: Note, this is from your perspective as you view the wall.
- At the top of the building wall is a Giant with a head, torso and two arms out to his sides. He extends half the length of the wall, and is facing out. Upon the tunic of the giant is a face, facing out, on his upper right side.
- To the middle and on the far left is a Climber holding onto a street lamp conduit rope with both hands. His body is twisted and he is holding on from the right side of the rope. He is hooded and in a one-piece robe.
- On the left and below the climber is a figure that morphs from the climber’s robe, it is a Medieval Priest. He is facing to the left. The climber’s robe makes a hood for him.
- On the right side below the middle of the building and below the tunic of the Giant is a man in profile facing out to the right. The Giant’s tunic makes for him a hat.
- Below the face of the climber is the profile view of the head of a bull or minotaur, he is facing to the left.
- Between the Minotaur and the profile of the man on the right side are two smaller faces, one in profile and one facing out.
- To the right of the man in profile facing right and adjacent to his lips is the head and neck of a Sprite, he is facing to the right.
- At the very top of the roof in the center is a figure of a small Boy with a cap on his head, facing right and leaning back on the top capping of the roof, he is reclining with the shingles. He is the child remembered within all of us.