Wonder what’s inside, don’t you? This photo is a perfect choice for bringing abstract ideas to life in your presentation.
Susan says, “Here’s a great example of the visual depiction of an abstract idea. This bright red door with the massive handle says so much about keeping things safe, from public view, from escaping into the wild. Which of those very different purposes does this bright red door and its massive handle serve? Locks and doors are powerful metaphors for fear, safety, imprisonment, theft, privacy, escape, freedom.
Take a close look at the lock.
“But look closely and you’ll see that the lock on this door isn’t actually set. Right now anyone could open this door as the handle sits atop of the locking hasp which hasn’t been set over the handle and pulled tight. And look again. Even if unlocked, if you pulled the handle would the door open? I’m not sure. Where does the door meet the door frame anyway? (Any engineers/locksmiths in the crowd figure this out?) But still what an impressive handle it is with its myriad screws and bolts, springs and catches. And what a lovely red door. Even if neither serve a useful purpose like setting free the bird inside, or keeping safe the gold coins, the idea of lock and door is powerful.”
Lucia says, “Talk about a monochrome. This bright red door caught my eye, so I planned to fill the frame with its vibrancy. But the setting didn’t say much to me until I zoomed in on the handle. Then I saw the potential for telling a story or seeing an idea. Susan has already covered most of the abstract ideas that could come from this photo. But I found myself focusing on the chipped paint of the handle and its story. I thought about what it must have looked like when first painted and then how it slowly chipped away with use. Now it seems to be gathering dust and not used very much at all. In its heyday, it was probably opened and shut many times a day and now it’s a display of days gone by. As you can see, a simple photo can illustrate abstract ideas in your presentation.”
