Not For Sale - By Marcus Armstrong
This photo was taken on a road trip to Prince Edward County, Ontario. As I was driving, a peculiar house on the side of the road caught my attention. From a distance it looked like what could only be described as a mountainous heap of scrap metal, wood and string lights. Upon closer inspection I could see that this was a house brimming with what must’ve been thousands of antique items.
The owner of the house greeted me and we started to talk about what exactly I was looking at. She explained to me that this entire property was her work of art. Collecting antique items across Canada for the better part of 30 years, she had used this inherited house to set up shop for her entire collection.
Intrigued, I decided to explore more. As I made my way to the back of the house I was stopped in my tracks by a small statue of a little black boy, sitting on a porch, wearing red overalls and holding a sign that read “NO SALE”. An artifact both frozen in time and echoing through the present, I could only imagine the untold stories this item must hold.
This piece is a ghost of Canada’s not so distant past. A past that many would find easier to forget than to face head on. I took many pictures that day, but as a black artist, this one spoke to me. This image stands as a reminder - urging us to confront our history while we strive for a brighter future.
This photo was taken on a road trip to Prince Edward County, Ontario. As I was driving, a peculiar house on the side of the road caught my attention. From a distance it looked like what could only be described as a mountainous heap of scrap metal, wood and string lights. Upon closer inspection I could see that this was a house brimming with what must’ve been thousands of antique items.
The owner of the house greeted me and we started to talk about what exactly I was looking at. She explained to me that this entire property was her work of art. Collecting antique items across Canada for the better part of 30 years, she had used this inherited house to set up shop for her entire collection.
Intrigued, I decided to explore more. As I made my way to the back of the house I was stopped in my tracks by a small statue of a little black boy, sitting on a porch, wearing red overalls and holding a sign that read “NO SALE”. An artifact both frozen in time and echoing through the present, I could only imagine the untold stories this item must hold.
This piece is a ghost of Canada’s not so distant past. A past that many would find easier to forget than to face head on. I took many pictures that day, but as a black artist, this one spoke to me. This image stands as a reminder - urging us to confront our history while we strive for a brighter future.
This photo was taken on a road trip to Prince Edward County, Ontario. As I was driving, a peculiar house on the side of the road caught my attention. From a distance it looked like what could only be described as a mountainous heap of scrap metal, wood and string lights. Upon closer inspection I could see that this was a house brimming with what must’ve been thousands of antique items.
The owner of the house greeted me and we started to talk about what exactly I was looking at. She explained to me that this entire property was her work of art. Collecting antique items across Canada for the better part of 30 years, she had used this inherited house to set up shop for her entire collection.
Intrigued, I decided to explore more. As I made my way to the back of the house I was stopped in my tracks by a small statue of a little black boy, sitting on a porch, wearing red overalls and holding a sign that read “NO SALE”. An artifact both frozen in time and echoing through the present, I could only imagine the untold stories this item must hold.
This piece is a ghost of Canada’s not so distant past. A past that many would find easier to forget than to face head on. I took many pictures that day, but as a black artist, this one spoke to me. This image stands as a reminder - urging us to confront our history while we strive for a brighter future.