Longmont, Colorado 1982 - 1992

Curator: Robert Adams created this gelatin-silver print, titled "Longmont, Colorado," sometime between 1982 and 1992. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is the incredible intimacy, despite the rather mundane setting. There's a real quietude here. Curator: Absolutely. Adams was deeply interested in the banality of suburban landscapes and our relationship with them. He documented the American West, specifically its changing social and environmental circumstances. His unflinching eye presented difficult issues of gender identity within idealized spaces. This photo might invite consideration of such questions. Editor: True. And this is visible through the subjects and composition. The portrait is composed in monochrome that lends a timeless quality, even though it captures a specific place during a certain time period. Curator: Indeed. His choice to photograph in black and white deliberately rejects the often overly-optimistic representations often seen in advertising. What we get instead are portraits, like this one, of the often disregarded in a culture driven by spectacle. I think the setting does this quite nicely. Editor: Definitely. And perhaps the relationship between human and animal calls the very nature of our current state into question. What might this type of work offer us, culturally and politically? What can be done? What voices can be promoted, after seeing something like this? Curator: Those are exactly the sorts of questions Adams prompts us to consider. In its understated way, this photograph subtly critiques power structures, urging a deeper understanding of societal dynamics and promoting a vision of more justice. Editor: So, although appearing somewhat calm on the surface, this image packs a hefty punch. Curator: I agree. Hopefully visitors will contemplate some of these deeper meanings when viewing the photograph.