Perhaps what is so striking to me about these images is that there are no people in them. Is this a choice about protecting the dignity of those who find themselves living outside of the "American Dream"? The images themselves do not immediately render themselves llegible to me as subjects of "toxic vulnerability." A more amplified textual analysis would bring the power of the images home. Are there toxic living conditions within the shelters as well? By "toxic," I do mean in a chemical or heavy metal contaminant -- because of the effects of NIMBY, whether it is a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, detention center or prison, these structures tend to be housed on or near to landfills, Superfund sites, or otherwise polluted areas. The images here are so clean... so perhaps the analysis might also entail how sanitary cartoon images of pain and distress are disseminated.
