Portrait of Notre Dame #3... This is an attempt to convey the magical dichotomy of the south side of the Cathedral. There is great mass, inconceivable weight and what aapear to be over-complicated, even questionable substrutures, but if you are crossing Pont de l'Arhevêché in late afternoon in November, it will all make sense. Somebody in the twelfth century knew that if (as with most things) you have patience, wait for the right light, find the right vanatge point, you will be rewarded.

The very construction of this image was an exercise in simulating the transformation that occurrs as fleeting appearances of the setting sun inspire the stone to release its intoxicating essence. It is granted relief from its own crushing weight and begins to levitate. If you are fortunate to witness this, your thoughts may be as mine were... that the architects were visionaries who understood that the emotional response to light (and colour) is the key to connecting with the spirit. (and yes, sound, but that would take us to the interior). I am not a religious person but the cleaning of Notre Dame felt blasphemous to me. I mourned the loss. In these images I try to return the third dimension once accentuated by time, return its own memories of wars and weather.

So how was this an excercise in transformation? The underlying image was shot on a grey dull day, the flatest light to afford the greatest imaging possibilities. The textures and light I have 'painted' on using my memory of several occasions on which I was rewarded for my patience (and obsessive note-taking of where to be and when). The result is a recreation of perhaps a combination of these moments... a small gesture of gratitude.