Dave's Jacket Possibly 1991 - 1997

Jim Goldberg made this photograph of "Dave's Jacket," and it looks like the kind of thing you might wear to a poetry slam, or a punk show. It's a denim jacket covered in writing, like a collaborative doodle. The marks on the jacket are urgent and layered. The words tumble over each other in a way that feels both chaotic and deliberate. The texture of the denim, worn and faded, adds another layer to the story. You can almost feel the fabric, stiff and rough against your skin. I love how the writing becomes part of the jacket's identity, transforming it into a kind of personal manifesto. The phrase "Every Rose Has Its Thorns" stands out, scrawled in a looping script down the left arm. It's a cliché, sure, but in this context, it feels raw and honest. This piece reminds me a little of Jean-Michel Basquiat, in that it shares the same kind of raw energy and poetic sensibility. It’s a great piece about how clothes can carry our stories, our hopes, and our fears.