January 5, 2005
seeing the streets as texts
I realized recently, as I was once again cruising the streets with my camera, that I have trained myself to read the streets, through my camera, as texts.
This started when I began making my phoku. I took a bunch of photos and then realized that there was no space in which to artfully place my haiku texts. I learned from that to take pictures in such a way as to leave space for my texts.
I've also become very intrigued by the texts that are already there on the streets, because other people see the streets as texts as well, which they are compelled to write upon. So I take pictures of those texts as well.
I've begun to see with a double-vision as well. I saw the image immediately above first (and took a picture) and then saw the one above that (the chalk drawing) and took the picture mainly because I thought it would make a nice double-exposure shot with the first image. Thus:
I've taken two texts and made a completely different text ("contra el sistema," or "going against the system," is equated with a children's drawing on the sidewalk: think about it).
So I read the streets as texts, as a place for my texts, and as a place where various vantages can be combined together. Of course, if I keep reading the streets this way, I may get run over a car one of these days.
Here's one more image/text, inspired by my reading experience on the streets:
