One of the challenges for any photographer is creating images that at first can appear simple, but make the viewer do a double-take and think about what they’re looking at. A few weeks back I was in Detroit and over by Michigan Central Station – again – where I found someone had posted this sign on the gate in front of the shuttered entrance to the station.

At first I chuckled at the sign, but then when I really looked at it in its context, it became the powerful image that you see here. Put the haunting song Bring Me to Life by Evanescence in the background and I’m not sure you could find a more profound statement that applies to anyone or anything facing a significant struggle.  MCS stands as the unofficial mascot for everything Detroit was and now is. Just as there is a movement to have this building preserved and restored, in the same way efforts are being made to revitalize the city that it sits in.

Here, the haphazard order of the letters on the sign mesh perfectly with the decay behind the razor fence – the broken double layer windows over the entrance, the shoddy work of the wood now concealing the entrance, and the partially scrubbed stains on the front of the building. At the same time the grand details of the old world construction still shine through – just look at the detail revealed in the columns and arch over the main window – detail that tells why it should be preserved.

In any event, I’m happy I got it when I did – the owners removed the sign less than a week later. Now this statement is preserved only through this photograph. Offered in 10×12 size for $275. See Ordering Art Prints for further information, or click the button below to process your order through Etsy.

UPDATE 9/16/10 – this image was featured in Smashing Magazine, selected for a worldwide photo contest that they were conducting featuring unique signage.

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