Red by Chipka
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Description
It rusts in the company of others: trucks purchased and then left to Nature and her capricious elements. Moss has not yet grown on the cloth coverings of the driver’s and passenger’s seat, but in time, the interior of the cab will support its own ecosystem. The truck in question is impossible to photograph. It is surrounded by other trucks, by stacked wooden pallets not yet returned for recycling, and by the growth of weeds. It is a challenge to approach, but its color—more than anything else—in the truck yard is vibrant and appealing to the camera.
It is, from what I can gather, a pickup truck, modified. The cab is green and rusty. The rear bed is green and rusty as well, but an enclosure has been built from solid forms of heavy metal. It is strange to the eye, appealing. It is a truck in abstract form: dead, I assume, as I’ve never seen it move.
I’ve tried—for more than a year—to capture the essence of this vehicle, and for a year it has defied my efforts. On the day that I found furniture resembling alien monoliths, I saw the truck again: red and green in the colors of an acidic Christmas. I approached as nearly as I could—picking my way past a growth of thistle and other plants of dubious pedigree. Poison Ivy? Poison Oak? Something alien and unidentifiable? I wouldn’t be surprised. There are green things in the truck-yard that will draw itches across human skin—plants, I imagine that have drawn antifreeze and other toxic truck drippings into themselves and sweat them through their leaves. Insects, I have noticed, do not eat everything that grows amid dripping trucks that spew clots and clouds of oily black smoke when the ignitions turn and rattling growls emanate from their engines.
It was hot on the day that I made this photo, but I wore long pants—a good thing, I reckoned, as I picked my way through pallets and weeds, spiny, hooked seeds like porcupines, like hedgehogs. I was satisfied with one successful capture. It reveals nothing of the truck in a literal sense, and yet, it is the truck as I’ve always seen it. Garish. Eye-searing. And dabbed here, there, and there with small encrustations of rust.
I may attempt future captures of this truck, but only time and circumstance will reveal whether such attempts are successful, and as it stands, I am satisfied with this image: the abstract truck.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting—and if all goes right later today, I’ll be able to catch up on the commenting I’ve woefully missed.
Comments (23)
tamburro
Great textures and photo, excellent shot my friend!!!! Hugs:)
durleybeachbum
Powerful and striking! an excellent composition, essence of truck.
kgb224
Wonderful capture my friend.
helanker
Another danish mailbox-colored image. WOnderful vibrant color and the story behind this lonely dead truck is awesome.
MrsRatbag
What a great capture; essence of red steel, glowing with wasted life...a true Chip shot!
auntietk
Oooooohh! You know how much I like to see PARTS of things. ALL of something is often just a thing, and not a piece of art. THIS is art. It has depth and light and color and LINE(!) and presence. Wonderful image!
lick.a.witch
I rather like to see abandoned metal rusted. It is somewhat reminiscent of a symbiotic relationship which at least signifies a sort of usefulness. This really is a striking piece of work. ^=^
danapommet
I knew that Tara would like this but she commented first. I like the patterns in shots lik this and your narrative passes on the ability to visualize the larger item. Dana
aksirp
love this kind of picture, love machines to... they make all you need if you are good with them, love things mostly construct from men, make womens life lighter and better.. love flowers, art, music, aeroplanes, big fat and small bikes, - and some time its only a simply truck, usefull to all people...
FriedaFelicia
Love the vibrant colours. Rust is such an amazing subject. What makes this shot extra special is the beautiful lines. One minor remark is that I find the top left corner a bit distracting from the essence of this image. However, really do like this powerful work.
sandra46
SUPER COOL IMAGE!!! GREAT WORK!!!! I LIKE THE WAY YOU TRY TO CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF THE TRUCK, YES THIS IS DEFINITELY ABSTRACT!
paul leatham
Chromatic and Graphic.
blinkings
Great lines and colour Chip.
flavia49
fantastic!!
KatesFriend
Red, is the perfect name for this one. The colour just leaps off the screen. No doubt the iron oxide of the rust which is not unlike the iron oxide that gives blood its colour. Perhaps its an instinctive chord over the colour of blood that makes abandoned vehicles and buildings so mysterious to us. They seem to evoke such melancholy feelings of loss and forgetfulness. Maybe because they are slowly bleeding to death. Once upon a time, maybe a generation ago this truck was new, shiney, reliable and doing its part for the nation's industry. One probably can not even imagine that that life ever happened now. Did this vehicle and others like it ever function? One wonders. Now, they almost seem to have grown out of the ground rather than off an assembly line. No doubt mollusques would have a different emotional response to this scene since their 'blood' is copper based. Ah, but to view a patina covered roof.
anaber
Strong image!Colour and struture.I like the play with ligh very much.
minos_6
This is a great attempt at capturing an obviously difficult subject. I really like the lighting you captured it with, and the pov adds a little tension to the image - I'm reminded of an old Spielberg movie, Duel. Unfortunately for me, I'm not able to enjoy this picture in all of its assumed glory however, as I'm red/green colour blind..... You have definitely captured character and even personality, though. Excellent work!
jmb007
bonne photo!!
lucindawind
excellent ..red is hard to capture
beachzz
red--oh yeah this is RED--great shot; you really nailed it!!
Meisiekind
This truck seems to resemble me at the moment! Dusty, rusty and the crap keep being piled up! Wonderful thought provoking image Chip!
jocko500
wonderful lines and colors. love the rust too
icerian
Wow, simply shapes and vivid colour. Well done!