An apple tree

An apple tree 1. (The hand) by Ildikó Szilágyi-Nagy

An apple tree 2. (Letting go of the ball) by Ildikó Szilágyi-Nagy

An apple tree 3. (The arks) by Ildikó Szilágyi-Nagy

If on the hand there is no wound, one may carry even poison in it. Poison does not affect one who is free from wounds. For him who does no evil, there is no ill. (Buddha, Dhammapada IX. 124.)

About

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Tranquil garden, Under a plum tree

Tranquil garden/Csendes kert is a series of still lives showing the simultaneous tranquillity and constant flowing of built nature. The photographer found each picture almost ready. She completed the scenes with some objects like an apple, a ball, and she supplied water, motion and other elements. Some pictures were taken with a medium format film camera, others with a digital one. 

Ildikó Szilágyi-Nagy, writer and photographer, is an author of two books. She published a third novel in her blog in Hungarian, which is in the 'top 10 most-read blogs' in the Hungarian art portal, prae.hu. Her photographs have been displayed since 2009 in collective exhibitions and in an individual one (The depression/A depresszió, New York, USA, 10 Thousand Steps Hungarian Bookstore, 2009). website: www.szni.hu

An empty plastic pool and its double

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Tranquil garden, An empty plastic pool 1.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Tranquil garden, An empty plastic pool 2.

The lotus and the blue ball

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the blue ball 1.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the blue ball 2.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the blue ball3.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the blue ball 4.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the blue ball 5.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the blue ball 6.

An Indian proverb says: If you want to be happy for an hour, eat a decent meal. If you want to be happy for a year, get married. If you want to be happy for a lifetime, create a garden.

I spent two summers with still life pictures, entitled Tranquil garden. This summer is the third season I work on it. I made a significant change, I switched from my middle-format film camera to a digital one. Some of my older photos in the topic of garden can be seen on my website.

Switching to the digital way gave me new realization of my ideas. 'Motion' and 'water' were my two main points last summer with black and white film. I am fond of lotuses, too. But working with such a popular flower has a great risk of making a commonplace. I had been thinking a year until I found Buddhist symbols as my assistants. After this brief history of my efforts, here they come – the pieces of work in the summer 2012.

The lotus and the scissors

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the scissors 1.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the scissors 2.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the scissors 3.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the scissors 4.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the scissors 5.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, The lotus and the scissors 6.

Damask rose on water

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Damask rose on water 1.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Damask rose on water 2.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Damask rose on water 3.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Damask rose on water 4.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Damask rose on water 5.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Damask rose on water 6.

Early spring (Magnolia)

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Early spring (Magnolia)

Bicycle

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Tranquil Garden, Bicycle 1.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Tranquil Garden, Bicycle 2.

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Tranquil Garden, Bicycle3.

Young dog (Portraits of a dog as a puppy)

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Tranquil garden, Young dog with his ball

Szilágyi-Nagy Ildikó, Tranquil garden, Young dog with clovers