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Ricardo Romero’s latest piece, “Deep Freeze,” presents an evocative image of a floating woman, pasted onto the weathered side of an old steam locomotive. This powerful juxtaposition invites viewers to delve into a story of abandonment, nostalgia, and hope.
The steam locomotive, once a symbol of industrial progress and human achievement, now lies dormant, forgotten by time. After nearly a century of serving as a vital mode of transportation, it stands abandoned, resembling a ghostly relic of the past.
In Ricardo Romero’s “Deep Freeze,” both the woman and the locomotive exist in a state of suspension, capturing the essence of two lives intersecting yet distinctly separate. Just as the locomotive has become frozen in time—longing for repair, revival, or perhaps an opportunity for a second chance—the floating woman embodies a similar sentiment.
Image Copyright Ricardo Romero / Reference photo Toni Frissell
Ricardo Romero’s use of the reference photo by American photographer Toni Frissell adds additional layers of meaning. Frissell, known for her poignant depictions of human emotion and experience, lends a timeless quality to the work. The reference photograph used is ‘a woman floats in Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida, in 1947’.
“Deep freeze“
A steam locomotive, after almost a century of circulation, sits abandoned, lost in time.
It became frozen, unusable, waiting… for a rescue, reparation, an intervention?
The woman floats, so as the locomotive, both drifting…
Two “ghosts “ held in time waiting for redemption. 1924/2024
Image Copyright Ricardo Romero, reference image copyright Toni Frissell
The combination of past and present evokes a sense of shared history, reminding us of the fleeting nature of existence. The timeline presented in Ricardo Romero’s “Deep Freeze,” which subtly nods to the years 1924 and 2024, adds a cyclical dimension to the work. It invites reflection on a century of change, loss, and resilience. As we stand at the precipice of the future, we are reminded of the past’s lessons and the ghosts it leaves behind.
Image Copyright Ricardo Romero Reference photo Toni Frissell
