Roadside Monument, 1998

An ever increasing siting along roadways lately is the handmade personal tribute to a loved one who has recently died in an automobile accident. The practice is common in Hispanic tradition, and seems to be filtering into all American cultures. It would seem that, for whatever reasons, Americans feel compelled to vent their grief through something tangible and visible, much like teddy bears left at sites of tragic occurences, talk shows, and the providing of grief counselors in schools. This particular shrine was striking in its use of Christmas fake evergreen garlands to frenetically wrap the cross.