Life.

Beauty doesn't need arts, she neither needs us, she doesn't need no beholder, quite the contrary. Gaping people steal something from her, the flame burns the brightest, where nobody is looking: wide landscapes without buildings, the act of the clouds during the early evening, the wa Read more...

Life.

Beauty doesn't need arts, she neither needs us, she doesn't need no beholder, quite the contrary. Gaping people steal something from her, the flame burns the brightest, where nobody is looking: wide landscapes without buildings, the act of the clouds during the early evening, the washed-out red-grey of old brick walls, barren trees in winter fog, cathedrals, the reflection of the sun in a puddle of oil, the glass towers of the island of Manhattan, the view from the window of a plane, right after breaking through the blanket of clouds, old peoples' hands, the sea at every time of the day and deserted underground stations like that one - the yellow light, the random pattern of cigarette butts on the floor, the flaking posters, still chattering in the airstream, although the train is long gone. - Daniel Kehlmann: F; own translation.

(Die Schönheit braucht keine Kunst, sie braucht auch uns nicht, sie braucht keine Betrachter, im Gegenteil. Gaffende Leute nehmen ihr etwas weg, am hellsten flammt sie, wo keiner sie sieht: weite Landschaften ohne Häuser, die Wolkenspiele des frühen Abends, das verwaschene Rotgrau alter Ziegelmauern, kahle Bäume im Winternebel, Kathedralen, das Abbild der Sonne in einer Ölpfütze, die Spiegeltürme der Insel Manhattan, der Blick aus einem Flugzeugfenster, kurz nachdem man durch die Wolkendecke gestoßen ist, die Hände alter Menschen, das Meer zu jeder Tageszeit und menschenleere U-Bahn-Stationen wie diese - das gelbe Licht, das Zufallsmuster der Zigarettenstummel auf dem Boden, die abblätternden Plakate, noch immer flatternd im Fahrtwind, obwohl der Zug schon lange verschwunden ist. - Daniel Kehlmann: F; German original.)

Concrete, glass and steel? Or mountains and blue skies? And no people? Perfect.

(If you are interested in my Munich underground stations series look here for all links up to station 50/100.)