I think that something needs to be weird in order to have real beauty. – Carine Roitfeld
This week we all have the opportunity to share our weird and wonderful images in the challenge! I am sure you have some in your archives that would fit the bill – or why not go chasing new ones?
I will start out with one of my favourite artists, Salvador Dalí. I was fortunate enough to visit his home in Figueres some ten years ago. And, I was not disappointed. More of strange architecture – this autumn when visiting Denmark, we came across a gigantic cone in the forest. I am quite sure it hadn’t fallen from one of those trees…because you could go inside it to admire the construction.
This summer I finally got to visit the ARoS museum in Aarhus, Denmark. The building itself is a piece of amazing architecture and inside you will find some amazing art.
The Australian artist Ron Mueck’s sculpture Boy has become one of the landmarks of the Aarhus Art Museum. Measuring 4.5 metres in height and weighing in at 500 kg makes it impressive, but also rather weird – and wonderful. He looks so real. Displayed all over the museum entrance hall are the gigantic crochet sculptures by Portuguese Joana Vasconcelos: Valkyrie Rán.
So far, artists, architechture and art – but then there are also more natural, but still somewhat weird, phenomena –
Finally – of course it is possible to make things and places even more weird and wonderful than they are in reality…here I have played around with the Nik collection and photoshop. The installation of mirrors is real.
Special thanks to Patti for her Street Art – a much loved theme for both participants and readers! It’s been a joy to see how much good street art you have beautifully captured! Now we are looking forward to seeing your weird and wonderful images too. Please link to my original post, and be sure to use the Lens-Artists tag. Stay cool and careful navigating out there.
Leya 
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This was a great blog posting. Keep up the good work!
https://www.futurestarr.com/
Thank you.
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Hi Leya
This is one of the best-ever challenges and I see you have had some fantastic responses from people. I hope its ok for me to sneak one more in for this challenge under the wire?
Here’s a final one from me for this challenge with a weird and wonderful Goose:
Best, Babsje
🙂
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Here is mine for the week
Thank you, Nora!
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These are amazing. Humans can be very creative
We can – if we want to!
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Another excellent challenge, Leya!
Thank you, Lindy, happy you enjoy it!
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Am from Europe and have seen much art (so I may sound a little critical) Love the first piece on the left, and the
installation of the mirrors – although it’s not a very novel idea. Thanks for sharing. A pity about the buried church…
Thank you for commenting.
Wonderful theme and images Ann Christine.
Thank you, Rupali! I loved your post – but are the images from India somewhere?
They are from Norway.
Ah, thank you.
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This whole post so was intriguing. I would have loved to stumble across the pine cone in the forest, and to go in it must feel like you have landed in a fairly tale. The sand covered church has such an interesting history, and while also beautiful, I loved that there is a person sitting on the bench across from it for perspective. In the day is was quite a large church and how the managed to salvage JUST the tower was a feat. The boy sculpture was a favorite. Kinda of eerie to look at the face too long, but was an amazing piece of art. Have a nice weekend. Always a pleasure to see your work. Donna
Thank you so much, Donna! I have understood that the Boy is a favourite with many – but weird he is. And for the church – yes, it was essential to have a person sitting outside for understanding the size.
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Here’s my entry for the challenge:
https://photopoeme.wordpress.com/2021/10/27/carved-trees/
Thank you!
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What a cool looking museum! The Boy sculpture is so impressive.
Thank you so much – and yes, it is.
I love your examples of ”weird and wonderful”! The ”Boy” sculpture reminds me of a sculpture outside the British Library. I bet it’s by the same artist.
Thank you so much – Boy is really special, yes – and maybe you are right about the artist.
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Oh I so adore your photos for this week. YOu really have some weird photos. The mirrors are real cool.
I hope you like what I came up with. I wasn’t very creative.
I liked them very much, Cee – weirdest ever was the toilet graveyard! Glad you liked the mirrors – I could have stayed forever watching …
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Here is my take on this challenge: https://chava61.wordpress.com/2021/10/27/lens-artists-challenge-171-weird-and-wonderful/ (Again I am not ready yet to join challenges regularly at this time.)
Thank you, Chava!
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Hi Leya
Thanks for the great challenge and the awesome photos in your collection. I like this challenge of yours so much that I wanted to submit one more photo. It is an installation by Patrick Dougherty who creates weird wonderful and beautiful stick sculptures.
Best, Babsje
I just saw it – love it, Babsje! Looks like a windblown installation. Wonderfully made.
So glad you like it. Your photo of the Pine Cone in the forest reminded me that I had seen his installation. Here are more that may intrigue you: http://www.stickwork.net/
Wonderful! Thank you!
You’re welcome. You find and share such amazing things from your travels. 😊
😀
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My contribution
https://philosophyviaphotos.wordpress.com/2021/10/26/art-can-never-exist-without-naked-beauty-displayed-william-blake/?preview=true
Thank you, Philo!
You are welcome AC
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We remembered the art that we found at the 21c Museum Hotel Lexington. I think you’ll agree it’s all pretty weird and wonderful! https://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2021/10/26/lens-artists-challenge-171-weird-and-wonderful/
I DO – absolutely wonderfully gorgeously weird!
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Absolutely fabulous images here — what great examples to lead off this week’s challenge. I love that Boy — no wonder it is a landmark for Aarhus. I’m heading to my stash of photos now to see what weird, wonderful things I can find!
Ah, I am very pleased you like them! Looking forward to seeing your pieces!
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Hi Ann-Christine
As I mentioned in my earlier reply to your post, this is an engaging topic from you.
I am still enraptured with your photograph of that mirrored installation. Just think! To be an artist and conceive of – and successfully execute – such a piece! What a life that must be. Surely that artist is not glued to the boob-tube or frittering away hours on PlayStation ( or whatever is hip & happening in the game world )
Anyway, here’s my take nbr 2 on the LAPC Weird and Wonderful challenge this week with a couple of weird and wonderful experiences at the lake:
https://babsjeheron.wordpress.com/2021/10/26/beautiful-great-blue-herons-guest-humans/
Best, Babsje
Thank you, Babsje.
Ann-Christine makes me want see Denmark again . And I love seeing that Sculpture Boy staring at you . LOL .. Here is mine .
😀
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Weird because of the ‘middle thing’ and beautiful because the sea front of Norfolk is a beauty of a natural habitat: Wellls next the Sea https://chrisbreebaart.com/2021/10/26/caught-in-the-middle/
Thank you, Chris!
This is an interesting challenge Ann-Christine!
Here is my entry:
Thank you – glad you found it interesting!
😊
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I really liked the theme of the week. Here’s my entry for the same. Posting the link here also. Thanks for such a lovely post.
https://soulnspiritblog.com/2021/10/26/lens-artists-weird-and-wonderful/
Thank you for joining in!
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Motion and Movement for Weird and Wonderful:
https://davidmsphotoblog.com/2021/10/26/motion-and-movement/
Love them, David – thank you.
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oh, how I would love to see for myself the weird and wonderful you have showcased here!
You are welcome to Scandinavia!
Oh I would come in an Instant…..!!
;-D
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I agree what a fun post. Great collection you have! I decided to go with one plant I had posted last year, but I have new photo of it and then a new image from this weekend. 🙂 Here’s mine, https://tblsite.me/2021/10/25/lens-artists-71-weird-and-wonderful/
Thank you, Lily!
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What a fun theme, AC! I love your photos here. The mysterious buried church has been lingering in my mind. I’d love to see it. The ARoS museum looks wonderful! Another place I’d like to visit. The Boy sculpture is weirdly wonderful, too. A great collection this week and a great inspiration. I also hope you have a great week, too. Here’s a link to my post;
Thank you, Patti – so glad you enjoyed my collection! And I know you would have loved ARoS. Hope you are having a great week too!
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Thank you for this theme and your wonderful examples, Leya! It will be interesting to see what others find wonderfully weird.
As I say in my post, half of my posts could be titled Weird is wonderful. 😀 Probably there are less photos on my blog that are not weird. Here is a compilation of 20:
Haha, I knew you would like the theme, Manja!
Hello again Ann-Christine, Eivor and Pearl’s contribution for this week’s lovely challenge is here: https://whippetwisdom.com/2021/10/25/haiku-roots-of-life/
Thank you Eivor and Pearl!
You’re very welcome! 🐾💛🐾 xxx
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Found you in my spam???
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Found you in my spam today! Thank you so much!
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A weird view from a train https://chrisbreebaart.com/2021/10/25/train/
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Good ones. A church tower without the church is definitely weird. You can depend on Dali to pull beauty out of the weird (or is it the other way round?). The eggs are a wacky idea, and look strangely good, especially since he uses the same matte pinkish white as many hen’s eggs. I’m not sure that I can stand in the same room as the boy for long, but I would love to walk around and take lots of photos of the mirror installation.
I see that my pingback has not made it. In any case, here’s the link.
Thank you – and I agree with your points. The mirrors are very fascinating – visited some years ago too. There are indeed endless photographic possibilities – and I stood watching them for half an hour.
Wonderful images, Leya 👏 Love the Dali home, that is so special 😃 Here’s mine with a slightly tenuous link to Wierd & Wonderful: https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2021/10/25/waters-of-the-past-water-water-everywhere-100-fan-of-131-and-pastsquares/
Thank you, Jez – and I’m happy you could stretch it to us as well!
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Salvador Dalí is one of my favorite artists too. I love your final photo with the mirrors!
So glad you enjoyed it – Dalí is fascinating and I had great fun with the mirrors!
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Here are my weird photos, found closer to home and on a much smaller scale. 🙂
janet
😀 Thank you, Janet – and I greatly enjoyed yours!
Thanks!
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Love your weirdly beautiful public art.
Here is mine for this week. https://mywanderings.travel.blog/2021/10/25/weird-wonderful/
Thank you!
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Your photos are wonderful, Ann-Christine. The ‘Boy’ sculpture does look like a real boy.
Of course, as a fiber artist, I would adore seeing the gigantic crochet sculptures. It seems
like an interesting museum to visit. Thank you for hosting this weeks challenge. A bit of the
odd, weird and wonderful fits with the upcoming Halloween time. Have a great week … Be safe
Isadora 😎
I am glad you found it interesting, Isadora, and those crochet sculptures were fascinating – hanging through the whole building! A visit you would have enjoyed, I am sure.
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My favorite weird one was the eggs on the roof!!
So silly!!
Haha, yes – spectacular, weird and wonderful!
Weird often is wonderful….as seen in your images!
Thank you, Sandy – I agree weird is often wonderful!
Those mirrors look intriguing – I can imagine that people wander around them for ages, watching how images shift. And they must be great to photograph! I like the look of the Boy too, even though he looks rather unsettling – or maybe because he looks unsettling?
I’ve unearthed a memory of a weird cafe/cultural centre in Ecuador for you: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/weird-and-wonderful-forbidden-culture-in-cuenca/
Thank you, Sarah – yes the mirrors were very popular, and lovely photographing of course. I do agree about the Boy – really unsettling. Standing right under his arms looking up at his face didn’t feel that good…he looks too real.
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Amazing images Ann-Christine and I love what you did with your capture of the mirrors! I’ve found some weird and wonderful natural phenomena for this week’s fun challenge: https://tranature.com/2021/10/24/silent-sunday-shapes-in-flowing-water/
Thank you, Xenia! And your water demons are just wonderful!
Thank you! 💜
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These images have captured your theme splendidly, Ann-Christine. They are truly weird and wonderful. The giant Boy is awesome and I love the mirrors!
Thank you, Sue! Happy you liked them – and I must admit…Boy made me feel uneasy…
The ping back monster did not seem to work …… so here two entrees to the weird and wonderful (which is a wonderful weird theme):
https://chrisbreebaart.com/2021/10/24/cinema/ waiting for Bond
https://chrisbreebaart.com/2021/10/24/view-on-scheveningen/ looking at Scheveningen on a rainy day
😀
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Well it appears my tag didn’t make it. My response, focused on some weird nature, is here https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/2021/10/24/lens-artists-challenge-171-weird-and-wonderful/
♥
well Ann-Christine, you have DEFINITELY found some weird, wonderful examples! I loved them all, especially the story of the sand church. I did find the ”boy” rather off-putting and will google it to see why it is so famous. It’s a strange world we live in!
Thank you, Tina! I had fun with this one – but must agree about Boy – I felt a bit uneasy in his company. The sand church is really strange when you come close. You can walk into it as well – but it is only a tower…
Ugh!
Hi Leya
This is a great topic for the Lens Artist challenge you’re hosting this week and I am blown away by the installation of mirrors you have photographed. Where is that located? The gigantic pine cone in the forest is also wonderful, such a whimsical creation!
Here’s my bit of weird wonderful silly nonsense for this week:
Best, Babsje
Thank you, Babsje – all in Denmark they are…
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Love the sculpture boy!
Glad to hear – I really felt a bit weird looking at him…
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Nice photos as always.
I think these are all interesting. If I had to pick one I like the most, it would be the tower due to the composition and the colour balance, but these all provide something worth looking upon.
Here’s mine for this one.
Thank you, SH.
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I just loved this theme and even more so your photos. And the story of the sand-covered church, it’s perfect.
Here is mine:
So glad you enjoyed the theme, Sofia! And I loved your Scottish park!
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Weird and beautiful. A odd couple !!! I love your post and, of course, Dalí is a great example.
Thank you, Ana – I quite like odd couples!
Really weird and wonderful not to forget fascinating art works… Thanks for sharing
Thank you – yes, fascinating. I felt a bit uneasy in the company of Boy in fact…
Such an interesting post Ann-Christine. I really like the mirrors. The boy is very weird, reminds me a bit of Gollum in LOTR.
Thank you, Jude, and you are right – a bit of Gollum. Anyway I felt abit uneasy in that room. Glad you liked the mirrors.
WOW! this is a great collection of the Weird and the wonderful.
Glad you think they fit in, Anne! I had fun choosing them, but it was Boy that sparked the idea – truly weird looks to me.
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:pts of weird and wonderful Ann-Christine. The church is amazing and would have liked the whole church to be buried to make a great story. I might even ”steal” some ideas 🙂
😀 Glad you want to steal some ideas as well, Brian;-D
The ‘boy’ really looks real and strange. I love the mirrors. Thank you for the images, AC.
Thank you, Miriam – and yes, Boy is a stgrange piece of art.
What a weird challenge, A-C! 🙂 Loved all your choice although that ”Boy” is more than a bit weird as far as I’m concerned. 🙂 Have to see what I can come up with but probably not today. Headed over to my parents’ house shortly. Hope you’re enjoying the weekend.
Janet – I am looking forward to seeing your findings! And yes – Boy feels rather frightening I think.
Thank you, AC for introducing these wonderful artworks. These are fascinating! The mirrows are creative and beautiful, my favorite.
Thank you, Amy! Happy you liked the mirrors, they are fascinating. And I do believe strange things are sometimes more wonderful than others.
Thank you, John! Happy travels!
Wonderful! You are egging us on. 🙂
Thank you, John!
It is difficult to choose a favourite from such a great selection of weird art but, although ‘m not convinced it is really weird, I’m really taken with the boy sculpture. You’ve given us food for thought here.
Thank you, Mari! Well. I think we all might have different ideas about what is really weird. This Boy was weird to me in many ways – he looked so real, yet he is far too gigantic, and you could see different expressions in his face depending on where you were standing . An outstandingly intelligent artist who made him. So glad you appreciated this!
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Wow, some wonderful art installations. Thanks for sharing
Thank you, Pam!
A great theme. I’m in London and computerless, so may not play officially, but it’s one to think about for later.
Ah – hope you are enjoying London, Margaret! Glad you think it is a great theme too! I am hoping for very interesting entries – sorry you cannot play this one.
Very weird and very wonderful, A C!
♥♥♥
What a great theme – the boy sculpture is a work of art!
Thank you, Nora, yes, the Boy is famous. But it is a very clever, strange and weird work of art! I believe really good art often is a bit weird!
Excellent choice for a challenge and your choices are wonderful. The pine cone is my favorite image. Hi A-C …. I hope all is well.
All well here, Frank! Great that you loved the pine cone – I think you arw the first one to mention it!
🙂
Wonderful art, thanks for sharing.
Have a nice evening.
Thank you! Art is…isn’t it? Hope you are having a lovely weekend!
weird and ”weally” wonder filled, Leya – I like Dali’s eggs the most (and be back soon with my entry)
♥ I am looking forward to seeing your interpretation!
😊
These are all wonderful! I love the Sand-Covered Church!
Thank you, Beth! It was strange to see it standing there, and thinking about the whole building once being under the sand.
Good evening, dear Ann-Christine,
thanks for showing us this weird art. Maybe the best art is always seen as weird in the beginning before it gets mainstream.
Keep well and happy
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you so much, Klausbernd, and of course you are right. And I don’t even think the art has to become mainstream – only the world must be ready for it. look at Gaudí for example. Sometimes they are just ”before the world”, and others will have to catch up
♥♥♥♥.
Oh dear, dear Ann-Christine, we don’t like Gaudi’s architecture at all. We like the minimalism of Mies van der Rohe or the clear lines of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Bauhaus artists like Walter Gropius.
We wish you a great Sunday
❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
I think I remember you didn’t like Gaudí. FLW I know about, but I will have to look up the others! Thank you for the tips.
what a wonderful idea, Ann-Christine. You found a great variety of weird kinds of art. I remember some of the images from older posts. Especially the giand captured my attention. Great collection! Mine is here: https://solaner.wordpress.com/2021/10/23/lens-artists-photo-challange-171-weird-and-wonderful/
Happy you liked the idea! I guess we all find different things weird, but I also guess many of us like it that way! And yes, one of the pictures I had posted before, Dali´’s house.
Ah, ok, I have to admit, I forgot the context, although I remembered the giant sculpture
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