Every Window Holds a Story

[Peter Roberts]

There's been discussion lately about meaning. There's no meaning as such in this one apart from where your imagination may take you.


Minolta XD7 / Rokkor 45mm f2 / Tri-X / Rodinal

 

[Beth Carter]

interesting building, reminds me of the simpsons episode where homer designed a car with 7 horns. let's put a window here, here, here and here, and doors there and there and...yea, there, too.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

There's a lo tot of meaning going on in your photo. It's a palimpsest of stories. It has a temporal layering of writing over pre-existing writings. Very interesting take!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Every window tells a different story. And I love the consideration shown in the holes in the lower-right door for mice to travel back and forth through...

No meaning, Peter? You must have had a reason to stop in front of it, and set up your shot. And meaning also in sharing it here. It must have at some point meant something to you, no matter how fleeting.

There is meaning for ourselves. Meaning for others. And meaning in itself, what Gianluca refers to: the many stories of its life, when the building held meaning for those who used it as owners and as visitors.

I’m thinking it must be very hard if not impossible to do something devoid of meaning…Hmm…?

 

[Brian Moore]

But for the lamp top right it has a Dickensian look. Very nice.

 

[Brian Moore]

reminds me of the simpsons episode where homer designed a car with 7 horns. let's put a window here, here, here and here, and doors there and there and...yea, there

Reminds me of a Johnny Cash song.

 

[Gary R. Smith]

At least there are directions on how to find coffee!

 

[Peter Roberts]

Every window tells a different story. And I love the consideration shown in the holes in the lower-right door for mice to travel back and forth through...

No meaning, Peter? You must have had a reason to stop in front of it, and set up your shot. And meaning also in sharing it here. It must have at some point meant something to you, no matter how fleeting.

There is meaning for ourselves. Meaning for others. And meaning in itself, what Gianluca refers to: the many stories of its life, when the building held meaning for those who used it as owners and as visitors.

I’m thinking it must be very hard if not impossible to do something devoid of meaning…Hmm…?

I think that perhaps I didn't phrase that very well.

To me there is a difference between 'reason' and 'meaning'. I took the shot for a reason: I found the building interesting and wished to document. I had no conscious intention of expressing a 'meaning'.

When I studied the resultant image I noticed something I wasn't aware of at the time. The building was actually projecting its own meaning to me. It was speaking. It was saying, "This is me. I proudly wear my history on my sleeve. Take me as I am and read the stories I have to tell, they're all there, make of them what you will."

It would be dishonest of me to say that I wished to impose that meaning on the building when I took the shot. Rather it was the building itself that imposed its meaning on me later.

All rather fanciful perhaps , which is what I meant by "where your imagination may take you." But perhaps not so fanciful if Homer Simpson, Johnny Cash and Charles Dickens have managed to get in on the act. What amazing company! After all its years of existence I'm sure that the building is broad minded and be flattered. I must make a point a telling it next time I see it.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Sorry, Julian. I thought it was a fine and interesting photo. I do go on at times - just ignore me!

 

[Peter Roberts]

Sorry, Julian. I thought it was a fine and interesting photo. I do go on at times - just ignore me!

No need to apologise, Whatsisname.
Rest assured I wouldn't dream of ignoring you.