Urban Shrines, 2006
Urban Shrines was a series of images created specifically for the exhibition Street Repairs, held at SPACES Gallery in 2006.
They seem to appear overnight, constructed by unseen hands. Some vanish within a matter of days. Others linger, abused by time and the elements. We notice them alongside the road, in public parks, in abandoned lots, even nestled on residential lawns. We pass these landmarks regularly in our daily routines.
Shrines erected by the roadside commemorate traffic accidents, acknowledging tragic occurrences and needless deaths. In yards and parks they may possess an overtly religious theme, depicting effigies and icons from numerous faiths. Often, the original intent is all but forgotten, and what remains is a tattered mass of wood, ribbon, and wire.
These urban shrines act as humble testaments to spirituality and reminders of faith and mortality. In the hustle of day-to-day life in the city, these makeshift devotionals give us pause to reflect on our own humanity.
They seem to appear overnight, constructed by unseen hands. Some vanish within a matter of days. Others linger, abused by time and the elements. We notice them alongside the road, in public parks, in abandoned lots, even nestled on residential lawns. We pass these landmarks regularly in our daily routines.
Shrines erected by the roadside commemorate traffic accidents, acknowledging tragic occurrences and needless deaths. In yards and parks they may possess an overtly religious theme, depicting effigies and icons from numerous faiths. Often, the original intent is all but forgotten, and what remains is a tattered mass of wood, ribbon, and wire.
These urban shrines act as humble testaments to spirituality and reminders of faith and mortality. In the hustle of day-to-day life in the city, these makeshift devotionals give us pause to reflect on our own humanity.
