Some Swimming Pools and a Broken Crack Pipe by Zach Sebastian is a zine in homage to Ed Ruscha’s Nine Swimming Pools and a Broken Glass. Where Ruscha photographed beautiful pools filled with deep blue water Sebastian has photographed derelict decaying abandoned concrete holes in the ground. - These Days
The unavoidable comparison between the two photobooks spurs questions surrounding the subject matter. While Ruscha’s photographs were meant to be seen simply as they were presented, on a formal level, Sebastian’s empty and often dilapidated swimming pools cause a sense of wonder and curiosity for greater context. Why have these pools been abandoned? What does a deteriorating pool mean? What is the significance of pools more generally in the United States and what are the prevailing expectations and culture surrounding them? These books, put into conversation with one another, pose an interesting lens into societal values and traditions in America.