The Soul of Wine?
I’m not real sure what to make of Sondra Barret’s "microscopic portraits" of wine beyond the fact that she is completely sincere when she wonders if these art pieces truly are "expressions of style, personality, and perhaps the ‘soul’ of the wine."
A former medical researcher, Barret’s technique for exposing the "soul of wine" seems pretty straightforward. Apparently she uses a microscope to photograph wine on a molecular level, revealing what are some pretty nice looking images. However, I’m not sure they are reflective of anything beyond the microscopic image of wine. But then, we bring to art our own experiences and expectations so her work might mean different things to different people. Clearly, they mean something to Barret:
"As an educator to wine lovers, children, health professionals, and people challenged by health problems, I discovered that images through the microscope open a doorway for people to appreciate life at a deeper level. Living with large prints of the wine portraits, I became inspired by nature’s hidden beauty."
Clearly there are many different avenues for wine lovers to indulge their fascination with the drink. The
pace at which tasting room trinkets move out the door is just one confirmation of this. Some will see Barret’s "wine art" as nothing more than another tasting room add-on. And that seems a legitimate way to view her microscopic images. But some people, the ones Barret knows are out there, will look at these images and see something much deeper.
The Soul of Wine? Perhaps.
sorry, those microscopic images no more portray the soul of wine than a stave from a barrel the wine aged in. The soul of wine is in its color, smell and taste, its weight and character.
Fred:
I tend to agree…But the are really pretty!!!
Hey Tom,
Thanks for showing some of the wine portraits. What I am sure they reflect, the inner beauty of wine. With tongue in cheek, and glass, I’ve considered they tell something of the nature or character of wine. Using the images as symbols, as the ones above, some ones are much more aggressive in presentation, and portrait, like the Monte Bello Cab, some are less angular like the chardonnay, some are very smooth and rounded and look like neither. Do they taste like they look? Who knows – but they are ways to get into the essence and experience of wine.
How might your favorite wine express itself?
Cheers!