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

This photograph by Richard Misrach was taken in 2005 and is part of a series documenting New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. The orange spray paint seems so temporary against the red brick, as if the message is being swallowed even as it's declared. I keep looking at the word “Miss”, the double “S” a kind of snake slithering away. The bricks themselves form a grid, a solid structure disrupted by the chaos around it. There’s a contrast between the human desire for order and the messiness of life – or in this case, nature reclaiming what was once built. The way Misrach captures the texture of the brick, the dull sheen of the paint, it’s all about feeling the weight of this place. The dried detritus at the base of the wall speaks of abandonment, yet the raw emotion of those words lingers. Think of Robert Rauschenberg, his use of found objects, and how he made paintings that weren't just pictures but records of being in the world, grappling with what's left behind. This photograph is less about answers and more about sitting with the questions.