Henry Ford 1918

Fred Hartsook made this portrait of Henry Ford, but someone else has been at work on it too, adding marks and circles and stuff. It’s like the photo itself became a site of inquiry. I’m curious about those white calligraphic marks scrawled around Ford’s head. Were they made by Hartsook, or someone else, later? I can imagine someone trying to figure out Ford's aura. What were they thinking? Were they trying to undermine Ford's power? Was this a playful gesture, or was it an act of defacement? The surface feels like an arena of debate, a wrestling match of intentions. You know, the physicality of the medium – in this case, ink or paint on a photograph – is very important. That original gesture communicates feeling, intention, and meaning. I see the marks and think of Cy Twombly, or even graffiti art – all these conversations across time. It’s like everyone is riffing off one another's creativity, right? There is no fixed meaning, just ongoing exchange.