“There comes a time when silence is betrayal...” That’s how Martin Luther King began the speech that broke his silence on the war in Vietnam, and why what I’m writing now won’t be a story or really much of anything except pictures, but since I haven’t published anything here in three months those words started getting to me. I just want you to know I’m fine, still alive and very much on the job. Working harder than ever, in fact. During the last three months I’ve posted 579 signs on freeways here in the Bay Area.
And I’m pretty sure I did a little over 500 in the three months before that. Keeping it local cuts out thousands of miles of driving, and those extra miles weren’t actually doing any good. The reason I was covering so much ground was to maximize my audience, and with it, the chances I’d inspire copycats. I’ve inspired a handful of political ones, but for the most part the people who started copying me were using it for advertising, (which, I should mention, is not protected by the First Amendment.) Here in the Bay Area it’s been musicians and DJs directing people to YouTube and Spotify channels, So I guess it’s mostly a question of impetus.
There’s been so much that’s been needed to said to Republicans… to hold them to account for, but I’ve been keeping mostly to the GOP/Hammer& Sickle motif because, frankly, it’s short, and I need to cut corners where I can. Bear in mind that this is a job that was intended for a percentage of the population to be engaged in — probably not a large percentage, but, well… more than @suevisa and me, who are the only ones doing this that I know of. I’m sure there are others because of Ukraine now, but for the past few months it’s just been us two, so I’ve had to cut down on the long form material a bit.
Above and below are originals and retouching of pictures I took at night, which has become my new favorite thing to do. If you have to exit this diary early, scroll to the end first, I have a favorite picture there.
Another reason — there are lots — I’ve been doing so much of the GOP/hammer & sickle signs is simply hating how they’re allowed to get away with everything, and for me the Russia-sucking was just a bridge too far. All my life they’ve been ruining people’s lives with their anti-communist bullshit: the nukes, the McCarthy witch hunts, the billions of dollars of military spending and the rivers of blood in the third world — all because Republicans couldn’t stop shitting themselves over Russia. And now that they’re, let’s face it, on the payroll — all is hunky-dory? No. Fuck that. I will rub their noses in it until the day I die if I have to.
I’ll admit it did feel a bit weird, the monomaniacal aspect, but another part of this project is as an experiment, which I’ll have to explain later. But now, seeing them so openly embracing Putin? Let’s just say I feel vindicated. But vindication is something I’ve been feeling plenty of for a long, long time now. It’s weird seeing all your very worst prejudices turn out to be not only true, but actually generous.
By concentrating on 25 miles or so instead of the west coast, I’ve been able to really appreciate the art form. Instead of going far and wide I’ve been going deep, and even though I’ve been doing this former than twenty years it turns out there’s all sorts of stuff still to learn. And during the last few months the most amazing thing has happened, I’ve started enjoying doing this more than I ever have. I find myself getting impatient when trying to get other things done, I just want to go hit the road and look at the landscape as my canvas. There’s so much more to this than overpasses. And when I finally do finish whatever’s been keeping me, I’ll walk out to the car with my coffee and camera feeling like it’s a crisp, early morning in a field outside of Coventry. And when I open the door and climb in it’s like I’m getting into a Supermarine Spitfire, and when I turn the key, that’s just what it sounds like too… the engine’s old and has just the perfect kind of rattle to keep up that end of the fantasy.
Coming to the end, for now. Just three more pix. Same bridge. I wanted to say another thing I’ve discovered lately is something called “night.” You’re familiar with it I’m sure, it’s that part of the day where it gets all dark. I haven’t been using it for freewayblogging because of the photography, but it tuirns out you can take pictures at night too. And it’s a blast. So here’s the bridge during the day...
And here it is at night. I love this photo. Totally unretouched too. The photo below is the same picture but after messing with the contrast and color saturation etc. I’ve been doing a lot of these lately. It’s a whole new world.
I’ll be back soon, I swear.