Wabash Street by Chipka
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Description
It is a city of glass. It is a city of steel. Its roots sink deep into the earth, finding reinforced, artificial supports as the city itself is built on the ruins of a swamp. Tunnels meander below the surface: proof that another city stood here—the same city, but with a flaw that has since been corrected. What remains of the old city is little more than a historical footnote, and a justification for municipal pyrophobia. There is rubble in those tunnels: burnt wood, bottles, fragments of glass from obscure and arcane sources. There are spent bullets. And, as always, there are rats. It is a city of rats, after all, though no one admits this.
It is a city of shadow. It is a city of grime. There are whole streets that receive only the reflection of sunlight. Taxis meander along the grid-worked streets, hustling for fares, while maintaining their quiet war with unwary pedestrians. The homeless beg for change, for handouts, for work, as the cabs move by, like clumsy, dim-witted sharks in some shallow and frigid sea.
Night is the city’s element, though by day an odd grandeur meets the human eye. This grandeur is—in part—shadow and reflection. When morning’s commuter’s smog has cleared from the air and sunlight pierces tattered clouds, the glass of monster towers catch such light and hold it for only a moment. It topples—this light—from airy heights into the clutter of streets below. It becomes something else: an artificial thing, a colder, less-energetic thing. It loses color or takes on the color of glass. It smears itself over concrete and asphalt or appears as alien grime on the faces of those who walk through its dance with shadows. There is beauty in this, though such beauty may ultimately live as little more than a prosaic contrivance: the city’s interpretation of light (and shadow) but not light (or shadow) in the truest sense.
As with any city, this is the domain of strangers: if there are interesting faces, you do not know them. Questions linger in the gazes of those who look at you. More often than not, you—and every other stranger—escapes attention. People are little more than furnishings here: a part of the grand set design. They move through the streets alone or in pairs, in triads, or small, self-contained clusters. Strangers. You may never learn who they are. Even as you encounter them daily, you will know nothing about them. Those you know—those members of your ever-shifting group—are strangers too: but of a different sort. They are intimate aliens—beings you will never know or understand fully.
This is the nature of the city as determined by steel and glass, by taxis in quiet war with pedestrians and with rats scampering through tunnels that never see the light of day.
***
As always, thank you for viewing and reading and commenting. It always means a lot. I have a lot of catching up to do, and I'll get back to all of that fun and more engaged viewing and commenting just as soon as my crazy work/sleep schedule reorganizes itself this week.
Comments (19)
beachzz
There is a Wabash street near me, but it sure doesn't look anything like this, nor does it bring to mind a story such as this. Great shot, and of course, your words work so well!!
shayhurs
There is a Wabash back in Terre Haute IN where I grew up--doesn't look this though. Cool pic and dialog.
zulaan
Beautiful artwork dear friend !
Meisiekind
I think there is a Wabash Street in every city and in every person's past! Somehow we all lived or are living through a Wabash! Great narrative and an awesome picture Chip! You work is always deeply touching and inspiring! :)
durleybeachbum
This is a great evocation of the loneliness of city life. It describes accurately why I hate inner cities so much.
kgb224
Stunning capture and a wonderful story my friend.
yons
Many different messages could be construed from this one
thecytron
Interesting photo manipulation!
MrsRatbag
Wonderful image and as always your musings are engrossing!
helanker
WOW ! Your story here makes me think about a computergame my son wanted me to try out. LOL! It was exactly as I came back to that game LOL ! You have a fantastic way of making us see what you have in your mind. I love it. And the way you work on your images fits perfect into the atmosphere and mood. I hope youe time will be less stressful soon. :-)
watapki66
Wonderful photo, love the postwork!
flavia49
fantastic image and text!!
auntietk
I want you to come here so I can see this area through your eyes. Will you see flat light and plastic consumerism? It's here. It's also sand and birds and water and mountains, huge trees and drizzle. Hmmmmm ... Today I just saw the plastic and missed the trees.
romanceworks
A great shot and truly wonderful prose. I experienced this city through your words. What I do not miss is the absence of sunlight in the city. In the city one is humbled and shadowed by the mountains of skyscrapers. In the mountains one is humbled by the sky and sunlight, and the massive vistas. But I believe loneliness is everywhere, only not quite so much amongst thousands of towering trees and all the hidden and not-so-hidden creatures. CC
blondeblurr
Such a typical city scene, wherever skyscrapers are abound and people unknown to each other...spent bullets ? WOW - that conjures up dangerous games played by some; rat's I can understand 'cause they are nocturnal, maybe they don't like the city noise during the day and prefer the night's to scamper around for some delicious morsels, which they will find ! but the best part is, the bit you write about Taxis, moving like clumsy and dim-witted sharks...which had me smiling, on the inside. well observed, BB p.s. hard work ? are you planning to build an empire ? or just saving for a ticket to return to the city of your dreams ?
EBSPhotographic
I really like the overall tone of this shot. As well I really like your POV and all the different lines you got going on. Cool shot.
Alex_Antonov
Very nice!
bmac62
I have been a lot of places Chip...I know you have been too. I've seen this in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, BIG TIME in St. Louis. I've seen it in Las Vegas recently. You are right it is in every city. But there is some cut off between city sizes when it comes to people. I live in a city of 25,000. You can still greet people on the street here and get human, almost warm interaction with strangers. Not so much in Kansas City with 450,000...but still a lot more in KC than in the big cities of NY and Chicago. I experienced a hometown friendliness in small towns in Germany...but the remote blank stares of aliens in their large cities too. Again, thanks for getting me thinking. Maybe we can call this, "comparative cityography". Where can you live as a human versus an alien? Your photo has motion in it...I think it comes from the movement inherent in the tires marks on the street. You've pictured the couple busily going somewhere in a hurry. You've got the steel and the glass. It is a perfect illustration. And it all makes me think. Well done.
myrrhluz
With several people claiming their own Wasbash Street, I was curious and looked it up. I found this: "From the Indian word Uuabache, "cloud borne by an equinoctial wind" or, according to another authority "white water" (http://www.sacklunch.net/placenames/W/Wabash.html) There is a great deal of griminess and inhospitality in this image. As Bill said, the pedestrians seem to be in a hurry to be some place else. The slight tilt to the image gives the impression that the area is pushing them to be on their way. The haziness of the reflections add to the gritty atmosphere. The place has a personality and it is not particularly friendly. I like the orangey area on the right. It not only counterbalances the large area of green, but also seems like a large stain across the silver and pastel copper. Excellent image and great commentary on modern cities.