It was Patti this week who got us to search our photo files for unusual items for the 182nd Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Interesting Objects. Turned out to be really fun since so many places we’ve visited have been interesting — for one reason or another.
Art is continually working to take the crust of familiarity off everyday objects.
Rudolph Arnheim
Take, for instance, the sculptured babies (one at top and two below) by artist David Cerny. Babies are everyday subjects, right? But when enlarged and place out in the open near an art museum in the Mala Stana section of Prague, they become . . . well, interesting. (To say the least.)

Something else of interest caught our attention while driving through a subdivision in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. A simple red basket became a safe nesting place for a baby white owl. (Can you see him in the basket on the right?) We weren’t even considering a better, closer shot of it once we spotted the mama owl nearby, but we all agreed it was clever of the neighbors to help mother owl protect her little one.



In Hanoi during Chinese New Year, many small furnaces were for sale but had no idea how or for what they were used. We later found that they’re for burning paper in tribute to loved ones who have gone before. As the smoke and bits of paper waft upwards and away, it’s an interesting way of expressing love and respect.

On our recent trip down the Elbe River for the Christmas markets, we stopped at Polabske Muzeum in Czechia. After roaming through numerous outbuildings filled with antiques, implements, and Christmas vignettes, we came upon this set of mannequins representing beloved Christmas figures. But behind them were what we had heard of but really hadn’t fully processed: frighteningly dark figures intended to scare children into being good so Santa would come to visit on Christmas Eve. (I would have been good as gold to avoid these scary guys.)

Another object — a simple flower — caught our attention as we were returning from the beach at Pawleys one especially hot, still afternoon. What made this sight so interesting was the emergence of a colorful, little blossom, growing deep inside cracked concrete asking nothing in return except to be noticed!

And finally, a trip to the bathroom after a bountiful breakfast at Tally’s Silver Spoon in Rapid City, Iowa, brought us squarely in front of a couple of doors marked “Whichever.” Perhaps now that the volatile controversy over who potties where has calmed down, this wouldn’t attract much notice at all. But when we first saw it three years ago, we definitely did a double take.

Thanks for taking a look at a few objects of interest that we’ve encountered in our travels. And for more, please go to Patti’s PilotFish Blog to see what others have posted.
Travel interestingly,
Rusha & Bert
Leya
Very interesting choices indeed! I think I like the babies anyway…but the toilet sign is really hilarious and inventive!
Oh, the Places We See
Just a couple of things that made us smile, too!!! Hope your weekend is unfolding beautifully. Thanks for commenting.
Leya
Thank You!
kzmcb
Very entertaining. My father was from Poland and told us of the visits on Christmas eve of a devil (he was struggling to find an English equivalent)and St Nicholas. If your parents said you’d been naughty you would be spanked by the devil and if good, then you’d get an apple. I thought an apple was a bit of a jip, but he said fresh fruit at Christmas was rare.
Loved your ‘whatever ‘ toilet sign.
Oh, the Places We See
What an interesting story. I hadn’t heard of these “Dark Santa’s,” but a friend told me about them. Whatever they are, they’re pretty spooky!
And we were told the same thing about fresh fruit that you heard. Maybe that’s why my mom always put an orange in the toes of our stockings!
Thanks for commenting.
pattimoed
What fun, Rusha. The “whichever” sign is great. I had heard about burning the red papers, but never saw it in a photo. Thanks. Now I’m wondering if the giant baby in from of the MFA in Boston is also by the same artist. A great post!
Oh, the Places We See
I’m not sure about the baby in Boston, but they are large and controversial in Prague! Thanks for your comments!!
pattimoed
Controversial! Interesting!
Amy
Wonderful selections, Rusha. These are interesting and fun. 🙂 The burning paper … is a great way to express love and respect. The Whichever sign is quite different and creative. 🙂
Oh, the Places We See
Glad you enjoyed these images. Looking for them was fun as well!
JohnRH
Great selections, but, is it art? I always wonder. When in need, ‘Whichever’ works for me!
Oh, the Places We See
Whichever works for me as well!!! Thx for taking a look.
Toonsarah
Those crawling babies are certainly interesting and would have captured my attention for sure! I love that people are helping that little owl chick, and of course the toilet sign made me smile 🙂 An interesting selection indeed!
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks for taking a look and commenting. I guess there are interesting things waiting to be photographed every day!
Valentina
That “whichever” is the mirror of our time. Great photos and memories.
Oh, the Places We See
Love your comment!
philosophy through photography
Beautiful objects!
Love the ‘whichever’ sign
Brought smiles!
Oh, the Places We See
It made us smile as well!
thehungrytravellers.blog
That toilet sign is a cracker! Interesting shots that capture the theme really well
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much for taking a look! We find interesting things all over the place!!
Pit
I LOVE that flower in the crack of the concrete!
Oh, the Places We See
I did as well. It was right beside our rental house, and I just had to take a picture of it. It must have been at least 97 degrees outside that day and that little flower just kept smiling!
PGo
I enjoyed the babies and the boy/girl sign. I hope you both are staying healthy. I really need to get back to my blog.
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks for taking a look. There are lots of interesting things everywhere you look!