Monday, January 7, 2008

rorschach


It seems that lately I've been revealing far more than I mean to, committing the visual equivalent of Freudian slips. In recent comments, perceptive readers Magpie, Beck, and Charmedgirl have kindly pointed out the in-retrospect-far-too-transparent symbols that lurk in my photos.

So tell me, o internets, what's the hidden message here?

edited to add: I love the various interpretations people have given to these photos. While I didn't have any particular meaning in mind when I posted them and objectivity is notoriously elusive, if I had to come up with an analysis, I'd say that, taken together, they represent my general approach to the world at large -- open up a tiny bit, then run away as fast as I can.

28 comments:

E. Phantzi said...

I see a slightly open door, although what's beyond it is unclear... the car clearly indicates motion, although again the destination is unclear. There is motion forward, there is perhaps an iota of hope, changes, intersections, the opposite of stasis.

Amelie said...

I'd say there have been a lot of round objects, bulgingly round... and much that is out of focus, but that I assumed is photographical art and not of Freudian nature.

charmedgirl said...

i'm running away in my hot yellow getaway car, but my back gate is unlocked so hang out, enjoy the graffiti, and wait for me?

Bea said...

Whoa.

Dr. Grumbles said...

The chair of my dept would kill me if I appeared to endorse any Freudian concept, so I must be the one to see a door ajar, and a blurry yellow car on the move.

But...I may still check back to see what others see.

Aurelia said...

Something you care about has been stolen, and this is the gate the thief left through.

The yellow car represents L. going on sabbatical and taking off to see other places and leaving you alone?

And I seriously think that orange looks like a breast, nipple and all.

thrice said...

The blue letters on the door "exone." Expecting one? And then in the white scribble next to it -> a pregnant woman, with a fetus in her expanding belly.

I've never done well with these "tests."

Anonymous said...

Sometimes a car speeding around the corner is just a car speeding around the corner.

Maggie said...

Is the gate opening? Or closing? Because if it is closing and the car is speeding away from you...well, that's one message.

christina(apronstrings) said...

that you're really a tagger. hey, are you the one who tagged my office building!?!?!?

Tash said...

trapped in your car.

Or, you need to fix your door. I'll let others ponder the deeper ramifications (or reproductive ones, apparently) of both.

Sarah said...

in the door picture, all that metal, it's very confining, and the door ajar, to me it felt like a prison break, an opportunity.

i have nothing very meaningful on the second one, it just reminded me of the movie the italian job. somehow the blurry focus and street-level perspective turned what is probably a very ordinary car into something hip with an international flair. that one just says "niobe's got style and a fantastic eye!" but we knew that already.

c. said...

Always leave your door a little open as you never know when a little yellow spitfire might drive by?

Yeah, I suck. I'm waiting for the inkblot, if truth be told ;o)

The Goddess G said...

Oh...I just suck at this stuff. Gonna have to copy off someone else's paper...;)
~Carole

E. Phantzi said...

illegibility

missing_one said...

I didn't even realize it was a gate until other people said so.
My immediate thoughts about the first photograph was that my eyes were drawn to the welding and I thought maybe it looked no quite right or maybe even broken

in the second photo, although the car is a bright obvious yellow, I kept trying to read the signs on the ground and kept thinking they said stop, but then trying to read them and couldn't make it out enough (it's probably yield though with the traffic circle, eh?

So I guess if this were a real test, maybe I'd look kind of broken and have stop plastered all over my forehead...weird.

Aunt Becky said...

I'm a completely "what you see is what you get" kind of person. I've never noticed anything in any picture, even if it's totally obvious.

I am, however, awesome at those "what's different in these two pictures" games.

Sorry, niobe, I'm denser than dense.

Chris, Renae & Annie said...

It looks to me like the door hinge is broken - perhaps you are unhinged and life is passing you by too fast - hence the blurry yellow car.

Oh wait, this was supposed to be your hidden meaning, not mine. :)

thirtysomething said...

Heh. To me, your photos are eye-catching and brilliant. The images always stand out and bring a sense of mystery, as is intended I assume. I am no good at reading symbols or trying to find hidden meanings, subconscious or not, so I will not venture any sort of guess, but reading some of the others above was entertaining I must say.

EmmaL said...

I love this! I don't have any commentary on what it means - but I love reading these!

Nicole said...

I'm not that bright, please don't make me think.

Anonymous said...

I agree with missing_one, I totally saw the broken welding first.

So come on. Spill :P

Bon said...

unlocked door, busted open...and a disconnected but profound urge to flee in an ugly yellow car?

or the sense of being caught in traffic too fast-moving even while the signs say "stop"?

Niobe, you entertain me immensely.

Anonymous said...

Sauder hinge and ironic a space that is open,

A Car that looks like it speeding down wrong way.

So do tell what the meaning?

char,

Anonymous said...

sorry for miss spelling of words

char

Suz said...

Transgressions. Someone going through a locked door. The car zooming through a pedestrian walkway, whose presence is reinforced through repetition.

Christine said...

i am too late as there was not particular meaning in these i guess.

Running on empty

Julia said...

excellent shots, as usual. I love the shots with sharp and blurry in them.
And I am not going to try interpreting, since I am late, and you already gave such a revealing answer yourself :).