Barcelona’s La Rambla is known for the street performers that earn a livelihood along its curbs. This “living statue” seemingly carries on a cell phone conversation in absolute silence. The green and white paint that covers everything but his phone is an incongruous touch, making into a figure of “living concrete.” I focused closely on him with my 400mm telephoto lens to bring up detail, and remove all conflicting details from the frame. I wanted to make a “silent” image, and I think I’ve achieved it.

This large sculpture of the mythological winged horse Pegasus was on sale in Acre, just one of many figures in a yard full of ornamental décor for sale. What makes it incongruous is the rider, whose head is thrust deeply into an overhead palm tree. The classically draped rider not only looks backwards – it also seems to be lost in the greenery. I found such an incongruous juxtaposition amusing, and shot the picture from an angle that intensified the rider’s predicament.

A somber woman, hands pressed close to her chest, peers out from her door upon a rain-swept street, and in doing so, she tentatively extends one foot over the doorsill. A poster in the adjacent doorway of a shoe store draws a comparison to the figure of an exuberant model that appears to be dancing. While considerably smaller in scale, the dancer seems to be urging the staid woman at left to unclasp her hands and enjoy herself. The extent of that woman’s exertion seems to be extending a toe to take the measure of the rain; she remains incongruously oblivious to the comparison.

A beauty shop and a parked motorbike offer an incongruous environment for a elderly village woman dressed in a traditional Andean costume and hat who passes her days by sitting on the square of this small village just outside of Cuenca. My eye travels between the picture of the glamorous model on the beauty shop’s hanging signage, and the impassive expression of the lady who takes possession of the steps below it. The sleek motorbike adds a contemporary counterpoint to the incongruous comparison.

This mime seems to be precariously balanced on a ledge of Cuenca’s cathedral, an incongruous position in itself. Actually he gives the illusion of cleverly floating in space, well away from the wall, with only the large pole for support. His brilliantly colored clothing, featuring the primary colors of yellow, blue, and red, add a touch of gaiety to the image. I also include a woman holding a small child, seated at the base of one of the cathedral’s doors. Her pink pants seem to glow in response to the mime’s performance. A closer look at the woman, however, finds her in tears. She holds a handkerchief to her face. She sits between the randomly placed graffiti on the door, and the small table holding a donation can. She seems to be in great distress, an incongruous response to the illusionary performance overhead.

This beach is part of a work of public art in the Phoenix Convention Center. It is an incongruous work in itself, since the beach is set in a desert environment with no water in sight. Among the beachgoers is a fellow wearing flippers who is incongruously half buried headfirst in sand. Behind the beach, an escalator carries convention visitors from floor to floor. In this image, a conventioneer adds still another incongruous touch as juxtaposition to the work of beach-art. I link him to the beach scene by emphasizing his illuminated hand, which is aimed directly at the hand of the beach figure in the foreground.