San Francisco's tawdry nostalgia

san francisco, originally uploaded by escott sukotto.

There is a certain tawdriness to San Francisco, especially when the sun is shining. But it's an honest tawdriness- a tawdriness of historical reference. It's a nostalgic tawdriness - so maybe not honest at all, or as honest as how Kodachrome convinces you of its veracity; preceding and replacing even your memories like some Bualdrillard thesis. It's strange because it doesn't have the brick and mortar of sturdy midwestern nostalgia - a nostalgia of the turn of the century, the depression and the new deal. It's a clap-board nostalgia of cheaply remodeled facades that have worn into a kind of patina of mid-century modern reminiscences. It's a weathered time capsule of an era that was never elegant, or sturdy. It's a nostalgia for a discarded era of plate glass and strip malls, plastics and frivolous pursuits. But it's also more than fast cars, surfing, bikini movies and mirrored wall tiles - it's also a nostalgia for a cast off disposable reality that promised a new future when the old one was tired and worn. It's interesting that what's left is a tired and worn reminder of what was never replaced.