Remission of Sin

Taken in 1981 in Fort Worth near Rosedale Street. I'd seen this woman

several times before in a seemingly endless, determined battle against

weeds. Her neat, spare home stood out against the surrounding homes

that had fallen to neglect. I never knew her but she's one of my heroes.

Indeed a masterpiece illustrating the constant effort required for neatness and cleanliness.

But, to me, it is the artistic geometry that is captivating -- the linearity!! Her 90 deg. bend, the vertical and horizontal lines in the bricks, ornamental iron and steps; all contrasted by the angle of her rake or hoe.

There are a few works of art that transcend the media of their creation, such as the late string quartets of Beethoven, which have been aptly described as being "beyond music." 

This photograph is one these rare, transcendent works.

Thanks, Mark (and Frank).  Looks like this is another photo from which my original replies vanished during a system glitch a year or so ago.

I'd hoped the photo conveyed the visual elements and messages described by both Frank and Mark.  It's among the handful of photos I took years ago that I'm still satisfied with.

Unfortunately I misplaced the negative after several moves over the years.  At the very least I should probably scan the print again - this scan doesn't quite hold the highlight details I see in the print.  The print has held up surprisingly well considering it's on Kodak RC paper, and my darkroom habits weren't very consistent when I printed it around 1981 or '82.

Without reading the description of this photograph, and the neighborhood in which it sits (sat?), I am engaged just by the moment and the seemingly simple action of a woman weeding the front of her home.  Nicely done.

Thanks, Steve.  It's good to know it works on a more purely visual level.  This photo has become such a familiar, almost intimate, part of my foundation as a photographer that I tend to over-analyize it and attribute subtext and narrative that isn't necessarily what other viewers may see.

Superb! Congrats! Love the sepia on this type of image.

One of the best I've seen. It's going into my favorites.

I have been pleased that you have been putting up some new and interesting work lately but when I come back to your portfolio from time to time this is the image I come to. It is difficult to explain why other than it is familiar to me, my experience. I don't know the dedicated lady though I feel I do. Never been on that street but I feel I know my way around that home.

It seems she runs a tight ship and with the neatly arranged furniture across the porch I like to imagine that there is/was no shortage of folks stopping by to bask in the glory of her small home, not a house but a home. She is maintaining a home, more difficult than maintaining a house.

I feel at home when I visit this photo Lex - a shame that you lost the negative.

Thanks, Lupo.  I have been reworking my photo.net portfolio over the last year, dumping a lot of older stuff (and putting tutorial illustrations into hidden folders), and replacing it with a few more current projects and themes I've been exploring.

I'm always surprised and glad to see how this photo seems to evoke a narrative in other viewers.

Lex I really like this image but why the title?

Frank, you may be the first person to ask that - and it's a very reasonable question.  Not to be coy or evasive, but I'd rather leave it to the viewer to interpret for themselves any specific themes or messages.  I will say that I chose the title to evoke my own experiences within the zeitgeist of the U.S. Southern culture.  I have no idea whether my own impressions and interpretations would translate well outside of my experience in this time and place during the past few decades.

Very successful. It has a timeless, FSA-like aura to it, yet there are clues to the time and place in it.

I'll confess the title put me off until I read your comments, but we sometimes grow oversensitive... Or at least I know I do. The image does stand on its own.

this image has a bit of a timeless quality about it-I really like it (sorry for all the technical jargon!).  regards, cb  :-)

P.S.  just noticed JDM's comment about timelessness as well so it must be true!