italo calvino wrote about signs marking space. without a sign, the space is insignificant because it is unmarked...unremarkable.

a sign marks a place, so that place can be found or recognized by its sign. without the sign, space is vast and meaningless. with a sign, the space becomes visible.

the meaning also comes from the fact that there is a certain sign in a place. i might see the space by noticing the sign, but i also look for the space to find the sign.

the sign belongs to someone and i can judge that someone by the sign that they created to mark the place. so it also marks the maker of the sign.

of course ther are so many signs and the signs are replicated, immitated, destroyed and erased.

anything can be a sign as long as it is visible in the space -- graffiti of course, billboards, but also spots on a leopard, a crack in a sidewalk, a burning car, a blog.

here is a picture i took of operation TOPOFF, a mock terrorist attack in seattle. it's very small, but its linked to a whole bunch of pics that can be viewed larger. if you click on it, it will take you to there.