Ways of Seeing

In this photo, the numerous lines (from the window panes, bars, wire, and shattered glass) divide the picture into any number of isolated fragments. Each window pane could be taken as a whole, but the bars divide each pane into 2 or 3 segments, and within even that, the wire and glass shards divide the picture once again. All the lines, instead of clearly dividing the photo into individual segments, actually add to the chaos and disorder of the piece. Additionally, the lines prevent the viewer from easily seeing what is outside the window, making the window the focal point of the picture, instead of it merely being the frame in which to see the outside world.

Photo by John Shearer. http://www.life.com/image/53379340