These two photos are not much alike (except for the fact that I took them). The one above depicts a now-empty apartment building out near Golden Gate Park in process of repainting. There is some story here, unknown to me, but I know enough about the City of San Francisco (and the cannibal capitalists who run the world) to infer the permanent displacement of middle-income renters, whatever the particular circumstances. But then again, perhaps this inference is tinged with paranoia.
Daybreak above and an East Bay fog bank at sunset below (resembling the backdrop for a murky, ambiguous opera). Sweep aside the fog – and the Golden Gate Bridge would become visible, centered in the far distance. Since we cannot see the invisible bridge, a dark bird in mid-flight (on some vital errand of its own) has volunteered as focal point, centering itself at the top of the sky, barely inside the frame.
And that is why these two photos are less unalike than they first appear. They both suggest all kinds of things but keep most of what they know concealed. .
