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

Richard Misrach shot this photograph sometime in 2005 in and around New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, as part of a series documenting the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The muted palette creates a feeling of desolation, like the world is holding its breath. It feels unresolved, like a work in progress. The photograph captures a roadside shrine or memorial. The boarded-up plywood bears a graffitied message of hope and resilience: "Keep the Faith, We Will Rebuild." This text, scratched onto the surface, becomes a visceral expression of the community’s pain and determination. Misrach’s work reminds me of the photographs of the Bechers, Bernd and Hilla, who also documented the aesthetics of industrial landscapes. But where the Bechers work with repetition and order, Misrach embraces the chaos of the everyday. Art offers no easy answers but invites us to see, feel, and reflect on the complexities of our world.