Depending on your point of view, the photograph below could communicate either a sense of foreboding or optimism.
Looking east, a rainbow and glimpses of blue sky between heavy storm clouds imply a dynamic weather event, but is the weather changing for the better or worse? Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
The photograph above was made recently in the desert southwest. August and September are the monsoon months when weather patterns bring moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to the high desert. The moisture creates thunderstorms and heavy rain, which can bring destructive flash floods.
In the desert, there is either not enough water or too much.
The storm pictured was from the remnants of Hurricane Nora, which moved up the Gulf of California and into Arizona and Utah. Rain fell in the early morning hours at this location, then cleared. By midday, it was hot again with scattered clouds in blue sky.
By late afternoon, things were changing again as dramatic storm clouds moved in from the south. Shafts of sunlight passed between the clouds and refracted in the widely scattered rain, creating rainbows.
This scene was photographed as the storm clouds moved in from the south (the right of the photo). But if you hadn't been there to know, it is not clear whether the storm is approaching or receding.
Looking south, bands of rain are visible in the distance as the storm approaches. Heavy rain will fall at this location later this evening. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
That uncertainty doesn't change the dramatic elements of the photo, but it may change what the photo communicates to the viewer. An approaching storm conveys an ominous feeling, while a clearing storm suggests relief and hope.
Providing a title (Approaching Storm/Clearing Storm) will help guide the viewer to one interpretation or another, but even with a title, people bring their own biases to the interpretation of a photo. In hospital setting, photos are usually displayed without titles and the sone would leave too much to the imagination. In an environment of stress and illness, the darker interpretation of the viewer may prevail.
It's probably best then, that these images not be included in the section of Iris Arts that is vetted for all of healthcare. Perhaps the Corporate Art section?
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