geometry of death, originally uploaded by deborah lattimore.
Science, religion, philosophy and thought have always been thought to start somewhere. Buildings are constructed on a foundation, branches come from trees, most religions believe that life started with some form of God, and geometry is based on angles. Photographers take angles into account when snapping their next million-dollar-shot. However the angles in this photo appear geometrically sound as a triangle–an angle with much symbolism.
This photo, Geometry of Death, is extremely symbolistic of the United States’ ongoing war in Iraq. As the gravestones are equally spaced one can only see so far until the stones make a blur of white representing the thousands upon thousands of casualties of the war.
Immediately the human eye recognizes the geometrically shaped gravestones as a triangle, a shape which starts at one point and grows as wide as it extends deep. This triangle directly represents the casualties of the United States’ war in Iraq because it begins with one and extends to cover a field so large that the eye cannot see just as far nor as wide.
As the first death in Iraq may be known, the thousands upon thousands of soldiers will not go unrecognized and will not be forgotten. This politically strong picture brings one question to mind: Is it worth it? Or is the war a modern version of vietnam? Vietnam is a very colorful place, moreover, it has not been remembered in the same fashion. This photo, taken by Deborah Lattimore, suggest that death caused by war is a dark place judging by the lack of color and the increasing amount of saturation leading to a white blurry gravestone row. It is hard to focus on any one gravestone in particular as the rows widen with white caused by the perception of the eye and the increasing amount of surrounding stones. The trees are black, the grass is patchy and struggling, and the stones stand with dirt representing hard work.
The cold grey months are considered depressing due to the lack of color and warmth, this image shows very similar properties contrary to spring. The sky remains colorless without glory and there is no warmth. Peace is symbolized by color, nature, and happiness. War is symbolized by this. It is nearly impossible to view this photograph without feeling sorrow for those buried in the dark colorless ground surrounded by colleagues who fought together. These bodies will not be unnoticed nor forgotten.
What do you think about the Geometry of Death?
