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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Ninety: 101 ways to interpret Bolivia > Office workers, La Paz, Bolivia, 2014
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26-MAY-2014

Office workers, La Paz, Bolivia, 2014

White-collar workers are relatively inconspicuous on the streets of La Paz, even though the city is the capital of Bolivia. To see two of them waiting for transportation was a rare event. Even more important to my interpretation is the graffiti-laden setting behind them. Graffiti is all over La Paz – its defaced walls are the stuff of anarchy, while people who wear suits, jackets, and ties are almost always tied to the establishment – essentially Bolivia’s government and its corporations. This image is interpretive because it juxtaposes and contrasts social symbols to tell its story. One of the men holds a heavy briefcase in one hand and scratches his face with the other. He does not even see the other man, who stands just ten feet away and is having a telephone conversation. They may share similar status as white- collar workers, yet they do not acknowledge each other’s presence, and ignore even looking at the chaotic words that shout at them from behind.

FujiFilm X-M1
1/420s f/9.0 at 50.0mm iso400 full exif

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Phil Douglis17-Jul-2014 19:51
I saw that as well, Rose. You were able to isolate the world "corrupt" and then relate it directly the fellow standing underneath it. However when I made this image, I saw that word as simply part of a chaotic graffiti covered wall behind these men. For me, the word "corrupt" is part of an overall barrage of protest here. It fascinating to me that you see an entirely different message in this image than I intended. I am delighted when any of my images can create an interactive language. I encourage each viewer to discover their own meanings in my pictures, and those meanings will add to the ultimate value of each of my images as a potential message. And that is what is happening here.
sunlightpix17-Jul-2014 00:20
Amazing! I look at the man on the left and above his head is the word "corrupt." Vote!
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