Thematic Photographic - Signs

For the next week, Carmi's Thematic Photographic will be exploring the theme of SIGNS:

I love the signs you find on Mexican and Central American businesses in Los Angeles. They are particularly wonderful because so many of them are hand-painted - the sign-writer's art is still prized in this vibrant immigrant community.

They are also amazingly creative, with depictions of food treats and dishes, and elaborate lettering and decorations.

One aspect of these signs that strikes me is the cartoon-like depictions of the raw materials of the food being served - that is, the animals themselves - enabling their own demise and service to humankind. It's the Charlie Tuna Suicide phenomenon - I've always wondered why Charlie's goal was to be killed and eaten by humans.

Here, happy pigs willingly stew themselves for our carnitas, while their heartless brothers cheer on the slaughter while serving tortas.

This sign shows the trauma as death comes to a chicken - you can see the fear and bewilderment as the poor creature accepts its fate. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross has nothing on this profound depiction of life-and-death drama.

On the side of this taco truck a thrilling chase scene unfolds, as the dashing taco hero desperately attempts to escape his doom, only to be foiled by law enforcement.

There's no end to the assortment of signs you see if you visit East Los Angeles and other Latino communities in this city. It's wonderful to see the spark of human creativity expressed so vividly.