Alpine Lake, in the Sierra Nevada, California 1871

Curator: Timothy O’Sullivan’s photograph, "Alpine Lake, in the Sierra Nevada, California" presents us with a landscape charged with nineteenth-century notions of the sublime. Editor: It hits me as melancholic, almost haunting. The monochromatic tones and the sheer scale feel… lonely. Curator: The lack of human presence reinforces the idea of the West as untouched wilderness, a prevalent, though problematic, narrative of Manifest Destiny. The photograph omits Indigenous presence in this space, thereby erasing their historical and continued existence. Editor: Hmmm. For me, the lake is a mirror, reflecting not just the mountains, but the layers of history and perception. It is a reminder of nature's indifference and power. Curator: It’s a potent reminder that landscape photography is never neutral; it's always embedded in complex social and political contexts. Editor: Right. Maybe beauty and discomfort can coexist. I mean, perhaps it's a picture of a feeling, an echo of something lost and something…enduring?