The Suggestion Box

Voting Dadaism

The twenty-sixth instruction of the Street Photography Now Project (2010-2011) came from American photographer Carolyn Drake. She said, “If you’re not sure it’s a picture, shoot it anyway”. So there I was, wandering through Hamilton’s Beasley neighbourhood when I came across this sight. Oh-oh!

Canadian politics hardly seems relevant to most Canadians. The bristly-faced old man behind this sign was one of the minorities of exceptions. Everyone who walked or drove by him couldn’t help but do double and even triple-takes. He stood there for at least a couple hours, likely much longer, in his one-man demonstration or presentation.

So, I asked him to explain his sign. The man kept trying to hide his face away from me, and not say anything but realizing that I just wasn’t going away that easily he relented. “It’s about the election.”

Of course! On March 26, 2011; the day before, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that the next federal election would take place on the upcoming May 2 . . . yawn!  I asked the man what aspect of the election? Was he for the election . . . against the election?

“It’s kind of ambiguous, isn’t it?” was his response. I totally agreed with him, and agreed to leave the situation as it was. I moved on before I developed any regrets.

That experience, and this image still inspires me; nevertheless to keep exploring, keep questioning. That’s why I’ve set up this page. Just to invite readers—artists and non-artists alike, to make suggestions on what visual art topics they’d like to see explored on this blog. So c’mon! Sock it to me!