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Midwest Cliché #4/Ride with Traffic
© Larry Torno, 2009
All along these two-lane, rural roads, you find makeshift memorials to people who have accidentally lost their lives. Sometimes it's a handmade cross with a name painted on it and a pile of stuffed animals or artificial flowers at its base. Occasionally there's a special item like a favorite hat, beer can or other memento relating to the deceased.
In this image, do we see the state's way of warning people to be careful? Or is it a Sign-of-the-Cross memorial with a cryptic message just waiting to be personalized?
Clever & Complex. At first, the off-kilter signage gives us an immediate laugh at an out of context message casually caught by a camera. The visually straightforward and simplistic foreground tricks the viewer into thinking that's the whole story. Peer further into Larry's image and the scene unfolds into a stratification of complicated visual design, symbolism, and contextual intrigue.
ReplyDeletePerhaps one of my favorite photos I have seen you do Larry. Magnificent!
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