This day there were no dead creatures or footprints and the
edge was messy and ill defined. But no matter what, there is always shoes on
the beach.
Okay, for those that have never been to the beach on the Texas
upper coast it requires some explanation. We do not have the pristine white
sands sheltered by palm trees. We have debris laden, black stained sands—the refuge
of storms and inconsideration. For some that is a problem. It is a problem if
you go looking for a Florida beach or a Hawaiian beach you are going to be very
disappointed. If you go looking for what the sea has left behind for you to
discover today—then you might find the upper coast of Texas to be very
interesting.
Back to shoes. Shoes are not my favorite abandoned clothing.
There is nothing exciting about shoes unless you might have a foot fetish, I
don’t. But still I wonder why there is always shoes abandoned on the beach. Do
people just forget to wear their shoes home? That would be odd because it is
not often that you find a pair of matching shoes. I don’t think there are that
many one footed people that go to the beach.
One time I did find a fairly new pair of Nikes in the
parking area which looked as if the person sit down in the car, removed their
shoes and then swung their legs around and drove off. This day I found a
matching pair of hightops about fifty feet from each other. Maybe this is not a
story that resonates with you but I can’t seem to help wondering the whys of
things and this one is a mystery to me. So I photograph shoes. I have done this
a lot. It has never supplied an answer as to why, but I still do it.
`
Addendum: Not that this has any significance but while trying to proof this I got to thinking about my beach themes. The Edge is about the beginning; Dead Creatures is about the end; Footprints and Abandoned Clothing are about the person in between the beginning and the end. None of the photographs are about what is in the photograph. I doubt that many will grasp that or even care if they do. It is all metaphorical. Don't know that I had consciously thought of the themes that way before.
ADDENDUM TWO: The reason why I photograph abandoned clothing is still
in question. Maybe Avedon is right, all photographs are about the photographer. Just now browsing through these photographs the shoes in the
photographs give me a feeling that correlates with life. These shoes are not
always abandoned because they are old or they are no longer of value, but
something has happened that causes these shoes to be separated from their mate,
to be deposited alone, useless and abandoned to rot away the remainder of their
days until the sand overtakes them and they like the human body becomes again
dust. In some ways it is a sad commentary on life. Almost daily we see people
who have become like these abandoned shoes. How does that happen? Why does that
happen? Is it the fault of the individual? Is it our fault? Somewhere, I can’t
pull the quote out of my head right now, but somewhere there is a poem by
Vashel Lindsay that is applicable here. I’ll have to find it…
Found it.
The Leadened Eye
Let not young souls be smothered
out before
They do quaint deeds and fully flaunt their pride.
It is the world's one crime its babes grow dull,
Its poor are ox-like, limp and leaden-eyed.
Not that they starve; but starve so dreamlessly,
Not that they sow, but that they seldom reap,
Not that they serve, but have no gods to serve,
Not that they die, but that they die like sheep.
---
At the age of 51, Vashel Lindsay drank a bottle of Lysol.
They do quaint deeds and fully flaunt their pride.
It is the world's one crime its babes grow dull,
Its poor are ox-like, limp and leaden-eyed.
Not that they starve; but starve so dreamlessly,
Not that they sow, but that they seldom reap,
Not that they serve, but have no gods to serve,
Not that they die, but that they die like sheep.
---
At the age of 51, Vashel Lindsay drank a bottle of Lysol.
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