Ice Machine, Los Angeles 1978

Max Yavno created this photograph, "Ice Machine, Los Angeles," capturing an ordinary object imbued with symbolic weight. The word ‘ICE’ is emblazoned on the machine, its letters bordered by melting forms. This stylized melting evokes transience, echoing the vanitas motifs of northern European painting, where melting candles and wilting flowers symbolize the ephemerality of life. Consider the journey of such symbols: from memento mori in Dutch still life to a roadside advertisement. Here, in Yavno’s photograph, this symbol has resurfaced in a mundane setting. The melting form, once a reminder of death, now merely advertises a refreshing commodity. Yet, the subconscious power remains; the photograph engages us on a deeper level, hinting at the fleeting nature of our desires and the inevitable decay of all things. The dripping motif, divorced from its original context, carries echoes of its past, reminding us of time's relentless flow.