Advertisements from Natchez, Mississippi of a popular malaria cure 1935

This photograph by Ben captures a building in Natchez, Mississippi, plastered with advertisements for malaria cures. The image, seemingly simple, reveals a complex and layered approach. It reminds me that art-making is a process of accumulation and a dialogue between intention and accident. The texture and surface of the building is rich with the residue of past messages. The peeling paint and weathered wood tell a story of time and decay. The advertisements themselves, boldly proclaiming cures, contrast with the building's dilapidated state. The number '666' is repeated, creating a strange and ominous rhythm. I find myself drawn to the contrast of the peeling posters on the doors and the man walking past. He seems to be in a hurry, and it makes me wonder where he’s going. Ben's work reminds me of Walker Evans, another photographer who found beauty in the everyday. Like Evans, Ben transforms the mundane into something profound, reminding us that art is not just about what we see, but how we see it.