Untitled 2009 - 2011

This photograph, made by John Gossage, presents a seemingly mundane street scene in, judging from the street sign ‘Via Nullo’, Italy. The composition centres on a white car, partially obscuring a child peering out from the back seat. Gossage's work often explores the overlooked corners of the urban landscape and how the photographic institution has shaped these subjects. This image is interesting because it asks us to consider the social dynamics at play. Is it critiquing the role of the automobile in society, perhaps, or the experience of childhood within modern urban environments? The child in the back could be seen to represent a kind of disenfranchisement. To understand Gossage's artistic choices more fully, research into his other projects and interviews would be valuable. Studying the urban development of Italian cities, or perhaps a more focused study on the history and planning of the Via Nullo, might shed further light on the social and cultural context that informs the image. Ultimately, the meaning of this photograph is something we construct through our own interpretation.