Rooftop (Rooftops Series #2) 

This photograph by Edward Ruscha captures a Los Angeles rooftop with an old advertisement sign. The faded sign evokes the palimpsest, a manuscript where old layers are scraped off to make room for new text, yet the original remains visible. Similarly, this sign carries layers of history, a ghostly trace of commerce past. It’s not unlike the ruins that sparked the Renaissance. The sign points to the cyclical nature of commerce, and the way brands can be resurrected. Consider the caduceus, an ancient Greek symbol featuring two snakes winding around a staff. Originally associated with Hermes, the god of commerce, it became the symbol of medicine. Like the caduceus, the rooftop sign reminds us of the fluid, non-linear progression of symbols and how they resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings throughout history. It acts on our subconscious, engaging us with a deep connection to memory and time.