Sunday, April 30, 2023

Broken Van

What happened to this van? 
 

Something tore a gash in the passenger side door, dug a crease into the side doors, broke the antenna, knocked off the bumper and bent all the panels.

As I sketch in ballpoint pen, pencil, gray marker, and calligraphy pen, I ask myself: Why am I attracted to things that are broken, damaged, abandoned, and decayed?

I suppose it's because all broken things tell a story.

In this case, the van was too damaged to fix, so they left it behind the gas station. The van once belonged to the "Villa Florist," according to the name painted in Copperplate letters on the side. Was it driving out to deliver a bouquet when the accident happened? What did it run into, or what ran into it? Whatever collided with seems to have been lifted up during the impact because the gash starts low and goes high in the middle. Whose fault was it? Did the driver lose his or her job?

1 comment:

  1. James,

    It sure looks to me like a T-rex escaped Dinotopia and attacked the van... Wonderful work, as always. You have a way of making ordinary, even utilitarian things (like transformers on telephone poles) appear beautiful.

    ReplyDelete

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