"Yes, Columbus Did Discover America!", San Francisco Possibly 1938 - 1982

John Gutmann made this photograph, "Yes, Columbus Did Discover America!", in San Francisco. The first thing that strikes you is the chaotic energy – like a storm of opinions has been unleashed onto this one frame. The car is covered in these white, almost screaming pronouncements, each trying to outshout the other. The words aren't neatly painted; they're scrawled, urgent. It’s like the car itself is protesting. The texture of the chalk or paint is so present. There's a real physicality to the image. “Lies Are Falling Thick and Fast!” declares the left wheel arch. The phrase itself is a bold claim, but the way it’s been rendered, it really hits home. The letters almost feel like they're tumbling off the car. Gutmann captured a moment of raw, unfiltered expression. He reminds me of artists like Robert Frank, who found beauty and meaning in the everyday chaos of American life. It's not about answers, it's about embracing the questions.