“Signs of Life: Nashville”

Part I

When I first put a specialized lens on an infrared camera and started taking the first shots of Nashville’s iconic signs immediately following Middle Tennessee’s devastating flood, these signs began to show themselves in an entirely new light. Familiar colors and features melted away, revealing weathered details long-forgotten or possibly never really seen at all. Some of these signs have world-wide, nearly “rock-star” recognition. Others have a nostalgic and equally special appeal to local residents who often have strong memories tied to each one. What they all have in common, however, is that they undeniably pulse with the life-force of Nashville’s past, present, and future. The images from Part I of the series have an understandably darker and “muddied” appearance, symbolic of the reflective and challenging times we endured after the water and mud receded. I invite you to take a closer look, beyond that first glance of familiarity, and look for those signs of life.