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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty: When walls speak and we listen > Warehouse, Phoenix, Arizona, 2006
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10-MAY-2006

Warehouse, Phoenix, Arizona, 2006

I was drawn to this wall by a strikingly incongruous gouge symbolizing the life and times of the structure itself. This building dates back to the arrival of railroad service in Phoenix in the early 20th century. Time has opened a wound in it that reveals its history. The bricks may be part of its original wall. Succeeding layers of stucco suggest modernizations leading up to its present glowing green surface. This wall seems to be painfully speaking to us, telling us of its past. My image, made up primarily of the currently green surface, suggests that this building may be living on borrowed time as it approaches its second century of service.

Leica D-Lux 2
1/100s f/4.0 at 6.3mm iso80 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time10-May-2006 10:50:04
MakeLeica
ModelD-LUX2
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length6.3 mm
Exposure Time1/100 sec
Aperturef/4
ISO Equivalent80
Exposure Bias
White Balance (10)
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis03-Sep-2006 18:57
That makes a lot of sense, Esme. If we are essentially stripping away layers of time here to go back to origins, "wombish" is a perfect term. Thanks.
Guest 03-Sep-2006 04:12
This has a very wombish quality to it.
Phil Douglis16-Aug-2006 00:20
Beautifully put, Rodney. You are saying that what we see in that gash is this building's DNA -- like all of us, it is the sum of its past.
Guest 15-Aug-2006 22:58
A wonderful photo that speaks volumes. It speaks of a lesson we, as human beings, should always keep in mind: We can become "better" or change over time, but ultimately, we are what we are. That which we are today is built upon what we were. History is always a part of us, no matter how deep it is buried.
Phil Douglis31-May-2006 18:42
You make a wonderful point, Lorraine. If society itself learned the lessons taught by history, many a war might have been avoided. This image does indeed serve as a reminder of our origins, and a look at how we move through time. Thanks for making this connection.
Guest 31-May-2006 14:02
Very powerful image.The building is reminding us of its creation before it crumbles away."If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development" This comes to mind as to connect with a building is to understand its history.
Phil Douglis19-May-2006 18:44
Thanks, Celia and Kal, for adding to the dialogue on this picture. Together with Xin and Shirley, you both
continue to expand the scope of expression here for me. This image proves its expressiveness for you, Kal, in making you wonder about the cause of the damage. And for you, Celia, it tells an essentially human story. This picture makes you see the green wall as ignoring or trying to escape from its own past. If it make you "feel for this wall" it is doing its job as expression. Thank you both for these fascinating thoughts.
Cecilia Lim19-May-2006 18:22
This is a striking image about vulnerability and the inevitability of change. The stark contrast in texture and colour, and your choice to dominate the image with green, speak effectively about how far its green walls are trying to get away from its past. Were these changes brought on by shame, disagreement or adaptation? You've managed to evoke our thoughts and make us feel for these walls... You have an amazing eye and way of making things speak to us Phil!
Kal Khogali19-May-2006 15:29
Love the contrast of the colours. Makes me wonder what caused the damage...and if it should be called damage. K
Phil Douglis13-May-2006 23:27
Good point, Shirley -- the original brick wall is not only "better" than the fixes, but as you say, it makes a stronger historical symbol than a green stucco wall would. The bricks appear to look more solid, and more primitive in nature than the newer wall. They are at the core of the wall -- holding the building up, while the textured green stucco seems to be merely decorative. Thanks for making this point.
Shirley Wang13-May-2006 23:19
I like this image a lot because it tells history and I like bricks. The change of layers tells me that the original is better than the fixes, symbolic in this nature.
Phil Douglis13-May-2006 06:57
Thanks, Xin. As usual, you make a great contribution to this dialogue by raising the point about observing things that are almost oblivious to others. If we are to be expressive photographers, we must be able to recognize the expressive value in our subjects. A hole in a wall hardly seems to be the stuff of meaning, yet as you see, when isolated in the frame of a camera and given both verbal and visual context, it can indeed be effective as an abstract symbol. My job is helping you learn how to see as a photographer - and by recognizing the value of such subjects as this, you are taking a giant step.
Sheena Xin Liu13-May-2006 06:17
Amazingly beautiful color and contrasts. "Time has opened a wound in it that reveals its history. " . Phil, you always stunned me by those highly insightful observation and condensed remarks about something that is almost oblivious to others.
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