It seems that almost every day, Black Americans are killed at the hands of the police. Why must our citizens walk down their own streets in fear of the people meant to protect them, simply because they exist?
by Scott Shapiro
All photos by Wendy Garrett
There’s something about those old, run-down gas stations, motels, and other spots we pass on the highway. Symbols of American iconography, glorified through film, music, and literature, these monuments and spaces become the stuff of legends and mythology; what were they, and what made them what they are today? Photographer Wendy Garrett explores these questions, traveling by car throughout Texas, New Mexico, and beyond to ask the viewer to look at these banal spots to uncover their respective mystery. Her photos – straightforward yet profound – simply display a specific location in its raw form. As a result, the viewer can pose their own questions: What happens to the things we leave behind? How does our past influence our future? While we may never be able to fully answer these questions, they certainly allow us to look more deeply at the mundane places that garnish the American landscape, letting our wonder fuel us.
We unfortunately have to accept that we can’t wholly address this issue with just one article, and that we can’t completely decipher or even entirely address it all at once. But we can start by stating the obvious: racism is ravaging our society.