Decode

The more you stare close-up at tree bark, the greater the likelihood that you will see things that didn’t appear to you initially. Sometimes it’s a contour map of some imaginary island; other times it’s a distorted, cartoonish face; or perhaps it’s a landscape.

 We look at an ambiguous image and push to turn it into something understandable at least, preferably something familiar. That may be why the shots of tree bark entice us to interpret, explain.

 The reality is that these are images of tree bark and we allow their ambiguity to lead us on a neurological adventure – seeing the image, attempting to decode it, and, usually, coming to several interesting, if faulty, conclusions.

That’s the fun of it for me. Of course, I know what the image really “is.”  What attracted me to this image is that it is evocative but not clearly of any particular thing.

So, I can see what it’s not with little idea of what it is – except a small section of sycamore bark! Yes, that feels like fun for me!