Monday, February 9, 2009

Abandoned

.
There is a walking/biking/rollerblading trail along the Mississippi, starting a kilometer or so north of the Arch. Most of it is wedged onto the strip of land between the floodwall and the river. The area is scruffy, to say the least. The "posture" of this scooter along the path and the color of the grass reminds me of Andrew Wyeth's famous painting, Christina's World. Maybe there's a metaphor for Christina Olsen's paralysis in this broken toy.

WHAT SILLY THING I HAVE TO DO TODAY:
drive two hours each way for one lousey hearing. *#%@!&^ judge.


TOMORROW:
it's measured in joules.

12 comments:

Antjas said...

Before I even read your comments, the vast expanse of dried grass in the foreground reminded me of Christina's World. The bike seems to have a yearning to keep going just as she did. Nice capture. Did you see that image as you were taking the picture or did it appear to you after it was "developed?"

Olivier said...

un sentiment d'abandon, de ville fantôme, bravo
a sense of abandonment, ghost town, bravo

Janet said...

Makes one wonder what happened to the owner of the scooter! He or she must have left in a hurry.

Karoliina Urso said...

This is a poster in itself. Well done!

Virginia said...

"Run along on your scooter sweetie. And oh, don't forget your switchblade!"

Geessh Bob. How hard up for a walking/bike trail would you have to be to use this one? Desolate or better yet, DANGEROUS comes to mind.

Great shot though. Love the composition.
V

brattcat said...

Yes, I too thought about christina's world the moment I saw this in the portal. This is a fantastic shot. So full of social reflection.

cieldequimper said...

Desolation captured.

Bob Crowe said...

A bit of explanation: yes, the area is a little desolate but there are cyclists around. From the junk lying by the scooter, I think this is a left-over artifact from Artica, a fringe art event held along the river in late summer. I deliberately positioned the beat-up scooter in imitation of Christina's World. By the way, the tan grass color seems to vary greatly among monitors.

Anonymous said...

I'd never heard of Christina's world, so I enjoyed learning of that painting. Yesterday's photo and theme was amazing. I'm not sure I'd want to live there...

Shutterup-Shutterbug said...

Fantastic shot, Bob!! It's very eerie though. Makes me wonder where in the world that child is. . .it brings up very emotional feelings when you look at it. Well done.

Janet Kincaid said...

Wow. Love the composition on this one, Bob. If that scooter could talk...

PJ said...

I think Christina didn't have a wheelchair and so she used a chair to "scoot" about. I've often thought about what it took for her to get to that field and what she felt like as she looked back at the house. The scooter needs a Christina. Always making me think, Bob.