It might as well be blood that streaks the roof and oozes down the hood of the battered Buick Century that Baltimore photographer Christos Palios captures in “Roadside Obsolescence.”
The rust-colored substance in the image blends seamlessly with its bleak surroundings and the heavy skies above it. Palios stumbled upon the setting for a real-life horror scene during a trip out West, in the middle of nowhere just over the Colorado border.
During his trip he wanted to expand his portfolio of panoramic photographs, which focus on forgotten places and celebrated landmarks. His photographs, rich in light, color and texture, allow viewers to see in one eyeful a 360-degree view.
“The conditions while shooting [?Roadside?] were exhilarating,” Palios says. “The 50-mile-per-hour wind gusts were crazy. The wind is pretty dangerous there. Trailers tip over because of it and there?s a really deep wind chill. I didn?t expect it and had to shield my equipment with my body without moving the equipment. But it was really just beautiful being out there by myself.”
In an hour and a half, Palios shot about 250 images to overlap for one composition. “It might look like a painting, but I shot them in such a way to simulate what the eye would see if you were there, so the lighting and colors would be authentic,” Palios said.
You can see a 36-inch square version of ?Roadside? printed on canvas in Spoons Cafe.
“?Roadside? and a lot of [Palios?] work is desolate and beautiful at the same time,” said Cathie Rice, who owns a reproduction of Palios? signature piece, “Bus Retro.” “I met Christos a couple years ago at Artscape and became an instant fan. His pieces are unique and really capture a place?s character.”
Baltimorean Susan Kern was blown away the first time she saw Palios? images in an exhibit this year, she said. “I had never seen anything like it. I?ve recommended him to other people and they all say, ?My God, if I hadn?t seen it myself, I wouldn?t have believed it.? ”
IF YOU GO
Roadside Obsolescence
Spoons Cafe
24 E. Cross St., Baltimore
