The faded orange shipping container makes a return appearance, this time as a demonstration of verticals. Although the image is wide, rather than tall, the repeated design element is the perpendicular lines beginning at the rusty door jamb and marching along in evidence of perspective. From them the viewer locates herself at the corner of the container, even if there is no other visual cue.
I am conflicted, however, about whether the failure of the verticals to counteract the impressive latch means that the photograph fails as a manifestation of the concept of verticals. My inclination is to argue that the black line makes an effective response to the latch. One cannot probably take this as far as saying that the latch functions as an ornament on the array of uprights, but the idea might have some plausibility if the camera had been even a foot or two further back.
The tritone, as the previous image taught me, brings out gradations and even highlights not apparent in full color. It also reminds me that I remarked, apropos a classmate’s photograph this week, that it looked like the entrance to Hell. If that was its entrance hall, it could be that this is its gate.
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