Explore the eerie intersections of art, history, and crime in "Toward the Assignment of Meaning: Seventy-one Cold Cases in Denver," a profound photographic journey through the unresolved shadows of the past. In this thought-provoking work, the author delves into the heart of Denver, uncovering the GPS coordinates of seventy-four cold case murders spanning three decades, from the turbulent seventies to the brink of the new millennium.

Eschewing all other details, the focus is placed squarely on the locations themselves—each site captured in stark, high-resolution images that strip away context to invite deeper reflection. This book is not merely a documentation of crime but a philosophical exploration of place and memory.

The author navigates the city's geography as both a literal and metaphorical map of transient and permanent marks left by acts of violence. Through the lens, mundane city scapes are transformed into poignant sites of historical significance, challenging the viewer to reconcile the serene imagery with their brutal legacies.

"Toward the Assignment of Meaning" is a rule-based documentary endeavor that refrains from curating or altering the reality of each site. The collection ranges from the banal to the visually complex, intentionally unfiltered to preserve the authenticity of the viewing experience.

This approach allows the most striking images to emerge as powerful testaments to the unspoken narratives embedded in everyday locales. The book also engages with broader artistic and philosophical dialogues, drawing on influences from Ed Ruscha to Roland Barthes, and examines the evolution of public perception regarding the aesthetics of documentary photography.

It questions how beauty can be perceived in places marked by tragedy and how time alters our connection to the spaces we inhabit. Ideal for readers interested in photography, urban history, and criminology, "Toward the Assignment of Meaning" offers a unique lens through which we can view our surroundings anew, prompting introspection on the impermanence of human experiences and the persistence of memory.

Unlock the stories that lie hidden in plain sight and challenge your perceptions of what it means to remember the forgotten. .