I know little about poetry, and there are only a handful of modern poems I can recall. Yet Bian Zhilin’s “Fragment” has always stayed with me… During this brief trip to Spain, whenever I saw one of these exquisite little balconies, its four short lines would begin echoing through my mind.
© Richard HuangI don’t know whether this is also true of other European cities, but Spain’s little balconies made a deep impression on me. Each combines the functions of door, window, and balcony—a three-in-one design that lends the building façades a clean, orderly appearance.
© Richard HuangSimplicity, of course, was hardly the chief concern when it came to the mansions of the wealthy. This is a balcony at Casa Milà.
© Richard HuangThis is Casa Batlló. Both were designed by the celebrated architect Antoni Gaudí.
© Richard HuangIlluminated at night, they take on a charm all their own.
© Richard HuangIf rows of repeating balconies reveal what they have in common architecturally,
© Richard Huanga closer look at the things inside them offers glimpses of each resident’s individuality.
© Richard Huang
© Richard HuangMany balconies are filled with greenery and flowers; others hold personal belongings—bicycles, suitcases, toys, and the like.
© Richard HuangSeen from another angle, a balcony view can also mean the view looking down from one.
© Richard HuangYou can watch all kinds of people making their way along the street…
© Richard HuangYou can watch traffic streaming through the busy streets…
© Richard HuangAnd you can even see things that cannot be seen…
© Richard HuangYet a balcony without people can hardly be called a view. It is the presence of people that gives a balcony its singular vitality.
© Richard HuangNo wonder the sheeting wrapped around this famous building during its renovation was covered with painted balconies populated by all sorts of figures.
© Richard HuangEven this sealed doorway had figures painted on it.
© Richard Huang
© Richard HuangHowever exquisite the tiles on this mansion’s façade, however vivid the carvings around its doors, they can show only its opulence. But with workers restoring the railings, the owner’s devotion to caring for the grand old house becomes part of the scene.
© Richard HuangThe sight of a couple sitting idly on their balcony lends the scene an added air of languid tranquillity.
© Richard Huang
© Richard HuangI took this at Madrid’s largest flea market. Centuries old and sprawling across more than a dozen blocks, the market offers a vast array of goods and teems with people. My companions scattered in search of treasures, while I, as usual, sat by the street and waited. Looking up, I saw this old woman gazing down over the market. The bustling world below clearly no longer belonged to her. She saw me; I watched her. We were both equally bored. When I raised my camera and took this photograph, she noticed—and vanished without a trace…
© Richard HuangWhen photographing people on the street, I try to ask first whenever possible. I very much wanted a picture of this heavily tattooed man, so I pointed to my camera. He understood and had no objection. In fact, he struck several poses for me, blowing out a long plume of smoke as he did so. I quickly took a few shots. When I was done, I gave him a thumbs-up, and he returned the gesture. Later, while selecting the photographs, I noticed the dried rose hanging on the wall.
Fragment
Bian Zhilin
You stand upon the bridge and admire the view;
From a tower, someone admiring the view watches you.
The bright moon adorns your window;
You adorn another person’s dream.
When we travel in search of scenery, we ourselves become part of the view…