A History of Photography in USC Libraries Collections

“These are the thoughts that set fire to your city,” Hollywood, 1993

Thoughts. The whole purpose of this photograph is the concept of thoughts. Its importance stems from the thoughts that are created by this image of street art. When a person first sees this photograph, it immediately sparks a series of questions: What is it? What does it say? How big is it? Where is it? What is the meaning? The image has the power to engender self-contemplation. It is a perfect example of visual communication because it is sending a message through art. This image stands out because of the human outline that contains an array of colors and words.  The outlined technique is critical because it says that we, as humans, hold all of the thoughts and chaos inside us. The size of the spray-painted words in this image stresses the prominence and importance of what is said, and their handmade quality adds to the chaos theme of the image. The phrase used in this artwork, “These are the thoughts that set fire to your city,” is a very powerful form of visual communication, referring not only to the recent uprisings following the Rodney King verdict, but also to how our thoughts have the power to lose control and spread.

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