"Each city and district within Japan have its own manhole cover design. Stunning, beautiful designs. I couldn't help looking down at my feet when I went traveling around Japan. I would pull over on the side of the road to photograph a new cover design. I started forming a photographic collection of the manhole covers during my three years of living in Japan.
The round manhole cover reminds me of the circle windows in many zen gardens within Japan. I would sit in the cool, darkened pavilion and gaze out through the silhouette window at the bright, colorful flora.
The bright colors against the black design and background remind me of the stained glass windows of ornate cathedrals and churches of Europe.
My enhanced manhole designs are like I'm lifting off the cover to reveal a wonderful world underneath. A world overlooked. Perhaps a world that is not appreciated in all its small details. I mean, we walk over manhole covers. We drive over them. They're dirty. Why put in so much thought and effort to design something that's functional, and dirty most of its existence? Because we can. Because it raises up our aesthetic and our sensitivities. Because it makes our soul sing as we carry on about our day. "
Evelyn Espinoza is the artist behind Evelyn Curry Art. An artist inspired by her travels. Evelyn takes photographs of all the things she sees along her travels, using these images to create Digital Photo Montages, or digitally manipulated photographs.
Each finished piece is made up of anywhere from 15 to 40 photographs; all taken by Evelyn. It can take several days of processing to complete a Photo Montage.
Using Photoshop, Evelyn cuts, layers, erases, and arranges photographic pieces together to create a new image, celebrating her memory of being in that place. Often memories are embellished and exaggerated in some way. That's exactly what Evelyn's Photo Montages are.
You can find out more about Evelyn, her Manhole Covers of Japan, and her world of Montage Memories through her website: www.evelyncurryart.com Instagram@evelyncurryart and Facebook@evelyncurryart
More info: Instagram
Kingfisher Wisteria River
In Japan, each season has many flowers to enjoy, and there's usually a festival to accompany the blooms. The wisteria is one of my favorites. Wisteria ice-cream is delicious, in case you were wondering.
Ginkgo Flower Bird
The Autumn in Japan celebrated the golden Ginkgo leaf.
Fuji Bird Blossom
All the images behind this Fuji manhole cover design are of the perfectly symmetrical and pleasing view of Mt. Fuji.
Koinobori Fish River
The fluttering carps of Koi fish fill the world behind this manhole cover design. The carps look like the rippling water.
Couples Kimono
Pieces of kimono and Yukata fabric light up the Izu Peninsula's manhole cover design.
Bird Blossoms
The world famous Sakura blossoms.
Autumn Koi Leaves
All the colors of a Japanese Autumn peeking through this manhole cover design of Koi fish and Maple leaves.