Untitled [New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, 2005] Possibly 2005 - 2010

Richard Misrach made this photograph, Untitled [New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, 2005], at some point after the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The cool palette, especially that pale sky, creates a very somber mood. I'm drawn to the sign saying, "State Farm, call me!" This is the sign of our times, isn't it? So much damage and destruction, and then the clean-up, and then, of course, the insurance. Misrach captures the realness of the situation and how so many people had to deal with insurance companies after the hurricane. The texture of the debris piled up in front of the house is really important. These material aspects shape our emotional experience. This work reminds me a little of what Robert Rauschenberg was doing in the 1960s. It embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations over fixed meanings. I'm reminded that art is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time.