Discovering the “infraordinary”
Rule #1: Keep an eye out
On Instagram I’m part of a loose-knit, unincorporated, unofficial club/fellowship/gang of professional and amateur photographers who seek and snap pictures of fading vintage signs and weathered abandoned buildings.
Until just a day or two ago, I had no idea that there’s a term for what we hunt.
I was at the George Museum of Art, checking out the latest exhibitions and paying my regards to a few longtime favorite works.
A framed photograph (see above) by one Arturo Soto caught my eye because it looked like something that I or one of my Instagram pals would post.
I leaned in close to read the annotation posted alongside the photo.
It said that Soto draws inspiration from French writer Georges Perec’s concept of the “infraordinary” — “mundane elements of everyday life.”
The photo of the boarded up Cool Delights shop is said to represent “discarded remnants of the built environment and the recurring consequences of human industrial advancement.”
Isn’t art talk a hoot?
Still, I love it, this discovery that I am an infraordinarist.
And here’s the thing: You can be one too. You need nothing more than a decent digital camera, even a cell phone, and the discipline to start paying more attention to your surroundings when you stroll or drive.
Those “discarded remnants of the built environment” are everywhere, and they’re often beautiful.
Here are a few of my favorites:
They’re out there. Look.
All photographs by the author, NWH.
