Road Kill

I can't stop looking at this; it must be my morbid curiosity at work. I love the impression that the tire left as it rolled across this plastic-skinned thing, wringing liquid from its guts. It is beautiful to behold. It's plastic caught between concrete and vulcanized rubber. The dynamics of the pressing tire, the bulging of the plastic, application of irresistible force, the rupture and the vomiting forth of the innards, and the slow trickle of liquid toward the crack in the pavement can all be visualized in this one shot of the aftermath. It makes me glad that we have dominion over the earth and all the animals.

Thanks, Mark, for your comment. I think this was actually a Sunday Newspaper that was thrown into the street in the rain and run over. I used to be a paperboy when I was young. You'd have to get up at 5:00 every morning and deliver your papers. when it rained you'd put the newspaper in a plastic wrapper and you'd take care to get the paper up on the porch where it would be easy to find and protected from the rain. Of course there are no young paperboys anymore, just adults who toss the paper out of cars in the general vicinity of their customer's houses. When I say general vicinity, I'm not kidding. My brother takes the SF Chronicle and the delivery person makes no effort to get the paper on the porch; he just tosses it and keeps going. Time is money after all. You have to go down the steps and search the sidewalk within a house or two to find the paper. It's like a daily Easter egg hunt. If it lands on the street, as the one in the picture apparently did, well, that's life. I'd better stop now or I'm going to sound like a ranting old fool....again!

Great shot, very creative and very funny! By the way, I just posted a picture dedicated to you. I saw it in Santa Barbara. All mysteries best, Mitch.

Hello dear friend. It has been a while, as I have been away but hard at work taking some pictures which will take me some time to choose and process. I hadn't seen this enigmatic (again) "stuff". However, it has not only the obvious marks of tires but more deeply, the texture and smeared color at the top of the "thing". Your title is just brilliant, as it is actually not a "kill", but you terming it so gives it a whole different dimension. A very special and unique trait of yours. Receive my best personal regards. DG