In this photograph, William Christenberry offers the viewer an unconventional landscape. The chosen composition seems spontaneous; the projecting corn sign and telephone pole break the rules of a traditional landscape. The form and colors of the corn-on-the-cob is echoed in the intersecting rusting tank behind it. Like much of post-war middle America, the banal location derives meaning through its signs; Christenberry captures an oasis of memory within a landscape of potentially endless farms. Symbolically, the items in the photo have deep links to the American midwest. Corn is an agricultural staple, the tank is a mark of industry, and the Coca-Cola sign is an icon of American culture. The dark clouds of an approaching storm add an ominous atmosphere to the scene. The rusted, time-worn quality of the structures underscores the passing of time and the frailty of life.
-Elizabeth Gouin
‹ Return to Exhibition | Learn more about William Christenberry ›