The Push and Pull

N

ew projects are always exciting. This is one that I’ve photographed on and off over the last billion decades or so. It’s about the end of things. Buildings, cars, places. Just about everything

We talk about recycling. We talk about limiting plastics. That whole thing is a ridiculous notion. Have you ever driven across the country? There is junk everywhere.

Abandoned buildings. Abandoned houses. Piles of rusting cars. Old tin cans in gullies. Stuff dumped in streets. In New Orleans East there is a road completely blocked by ruined tires. The city removes them only to find that more have been dumped there a week later.

Humans. That’s what we do .

Use it. Use it up. Toss it in the nearest place.

Once, when I lived in The 7th Ward I just finished cleaning the street. I emptied out the catch basin. My street was so clean that you could eat off of it. Along came an old woman, she had a bag full of junk. She dumped on my newly cleaned street and said, “I don’t know how you people can live like this.”

I replied as only I could.

Two big Black brothers started to get in my face because I jumped bad on a Black woman. I smiled and said, don’t come closer or I’ll drop you where you stand. That catch basin tool made a good weapon.

WTF?

I’ve seen that on all of my travels in The United States. It’s time to document it. Everywhere. It’s time to take long road trips looking for it everywhere.

This is going to take a long, long time. Doesn’t matter. It’s my last dance.

I promise not to get into a position where I feel the need to defend myself.

But, I will get into some positions. They’ll be fun. I promise you that.