https://www.pressreader.com/canada/times-colonist/20240204/281651080001370
An extraordinary picture.
Pause for a moment. Look closely. What do you see? People just living their lives and maybe their dream; sunning themselves, playing paddle ball, looking out to sea, walking about without a care… and, oblivious, a massive dark fire-caused fume nearly above them. At least 131 people dead plus 300 missing. A few blocks away and whole neighbourhoods are still burning. Crisis?
What metaphors can we create from this image?
Climate change is kicking our collective ass? But politicians bow to economic interests and put off the intent to do anything that matters. Can anyone spell COP?
Two wars and multiple vicious skirmishes being played out around the world? Claiming the humanity they know in themselves but cannot recognize the same in their neighbour whom they are killing?
Life is short; go to the beach; it’s not your problem? What can you do?
The umbrellas as metaphor for ‘if I don’t look, it isn’t there’?
Life really is short; if I don’t look, its not hanging over my head.
This attitude reminds me of two other images.
The first is a genre of images: the Dutch golden age painters who created magnificent still lives of flowers https://www.art.com/gallery/id–a25453-b1915/jan-bruegel-the-elder-flowers-posters.htm There is beauty abd wonder in them and also a statement that beauty fades, life is swift. The Dutch golden era was called such because of the wealth pouring into their country (the usual rape and pillage of the Americas and Africa by Europeans).
The other image was this: https://www.google.com/search?q=supertramp%2C+crisis%3F+what+criss%3F&oq=supertramp%2C+crisis%3F+what+criss%3F&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDc5NzVqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8. -a 1975 cover of an album by Supertramp: Crisis? What crisis?
Indeed.