With the fence, feelings of isolation, segregation, and division are evoked along with looming danger, as for what other purpose does society necessitate a need for a barricade?  Friedlander’s images then pose the question: a barrier to what and from whom, and why?
 
Enthusiasts of Friedlander will be pleased to note that the collection employs the photographer’s familiar motifs of buildings, signs, pick-up trucks, and of course fences all cleverly cloaked in issues of race, sex, religion, and nature. All calculated, the subjects behind the fence range from animals (both dead and alive), people, churches, construction sites, monuments, and statues.