DocumentaryItaly

The light step of time, the present becoming past and vice versa

A few days ago, passing through Piazza delle Vaschette, in Rome just behind my house, I noticed an old Volkswagen Beetle, evidently stationary for quite some time, around which luxuriant burdocks and other wild grasses were growing between one cobblestone and another.

Time hedges in front of the beetle’s eye. Rome, Piazza delle Vaschette, July 24th 2024.

As I duly photographed it, and went back to pick it up again a few days later, some rather obvious and somewhat melancholic thoughts about the passing of time, its linearity and unidirectionality, in short, about growing old, were going through my mind.

Overlapping eras. Rome, Via del Banco di Santo Spirito, July 12th 2024.

Then on reflection, it seemed to me that this business of time passing is much more complicated and ambiguous: it is very true that time flows like Heraclitus’ river in which the same water will never pass through the same place twice, but it is equally true that any object, any memory, whether personal or collective, any trace of the past by the very fact of existing here and now, is part of our individual or collective present and all the more so of our future, together with the present moment in time of becoming past.

So I put together a few images relating to this continuous overlapping, using the Beetle as the guiding spirit of this work.
While I was putting together these images and the accompanying text, I happened to pass by that square again and the Volkswagen Beetle was no longer there, probably taken for scrap.
I hope this counts as an epitaph.

Hodie mihi, cras tibi, loop: yesterday, today, tomorrow. Rome, Via Giulia, June 25th 2024.
The graceful step of centuries. Villa Adriana (RM), July 7th 2024.
Nature in full bloom besieges the old beetle. Rome, Piazza delle Vaschette, July 19yh 2024.
Caged bird, time stood still. Rome, Ponte S.Angelo, June 25th 2024.
Hermes & Athena. Ercolano (NA), Archaeological park, June 16th 2024.
The fire extinguisher room. Villa Adriana (RM), July 7th 2024.
Overlapping eras n.2. Ercolano (NA), Archaeological park, June 16th 2024.
Contemplating the passing of time. Rome, Piazza delle Vaschette, July 24th 2024.
Support PRIVATE Photo Review Support us today →

Pietro Coppa

Nato e vissuto a Roma, fotografo per antica passione.

Related Stories

Leave your opinion:

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Check Also
Close
Back to top button
×