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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Three: Expressing human values > At the Westward Ho, Phoenix, Arizona, 2009
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21-NOV-2009

At the Westward Ho, Phoenix, Arizona, 2009

Residents of the Westward Ho, a low-income senior housing complex in downtown Phoenix, seem to congregate around its main entrance. They enjoy passing time with other residents, and sometimes bring a snack to enjoy as well. While on a shoot in Phoenix with one of my tutorial students, I found this woman sitting a few feet from the glass entrance door. The light strikes her from the side, and when she turned towards the entrance, I made this image. It speaks of relaxation and contemplation, two very common human values. The banana in her hand symbolizes nourishment, still another human value. The reflection on the floor underscores her contemplative manner.

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Phil Douglis23-Jun-2010 18:36
Thanks, Luko, for your own interpretation of the human values present in this image. The beauty of expressive photography is that it allows each of us to interpret an image in terms of our own perceptions and context. I saw this woman as a resident of a retirement home, a person who has a lot of time on her hands. To me, it is a contemplative issue, to you it appears as a moment of tension. And that is as it should be. Both contemplation and tension are human values, and perhaps there is a mixture of both here. I did not see alienation, which is another human value -- but I can see how you might feel that she is isolated and alienated, given the fact that she lives a life that is obviously circumscribed by her situation. I see nutrition as a positive value here -- she is eating a banana, which is not trash food. I appreciate your comment and your own impressions of this image -- if it can stir the imagination, the intellect, and the emotion of its viewers, it will be hopefully of value.
Luko G.-R.22-Jun-2010 22:38
Doesn't say the same things to me, Phil.

It speaks more to me about isolation, more even : alienation to the world. It speaks about health, trash food issues (large cup of sugar and carbs), and th eresult as being alienated from a certain standard. it could be an illustration on the growing issues of overweight in the western health system.
th efeeling is enhancd by your composition, tucking her into the upper corner of the frame, just like she was trying to escape from it and being invisible.

You say relaxation but I do not see any for me as her movement his still hanging... hesitating? and therefore creates a certain tension. If you look closely at her face, she has that look that says she'd rather elsewhere, either outside or not in front of your camera whih she has noticed. Clearly not comtemplative.
Phil Douglis02-Dec-2009 04:47
The image is full of contrasts, Rose. Frowning and flowers, dark and light, soft reflection and sharp subject, sneakers and dress, plastic and fabric, lunch and contemplation.
sunlightpix01-Dec-2009 22:56
The lines around her mouth turn downward into a frown, yet she wears a dress with a bright floral design in contrast to the darker surroundings. Perhaps she turns toward the light hoping to see a friendly face.
Phil Douglis01-Dec-2009 19:05
I sensed that vulnerability as well. Most of these residents have faced challenging situations in their lives. We can read it on their faces and in their body language. The poignancy here comes from the human values her expression and appearance suggest -- there seems to be a touch of sadness in her contemplation here.
Tim May01-Dec-2009 18:52
I find this to be a very poignant image - for me the strongest human value is the human - there is a vulnerability in her roundness and her eyes that speak of life or hard knocks.
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