Pipes and Gauges, West Virginia Possibly 1939 - 1970

Ansel Adams made this photograph, Pipes and Gauges, in West Virginia, and I wonder what it felt like to be there, in that space, maybe a bit claustrophobic? It’s got such a great, clanging, banging industrial feel to it. I can imagine Adams moving around these massive forms, trying to make sense of the scale and density. The composition is incredible, the way the light catches on the rounded surfaces of the pipes and gauges. It's almost sculptural. You get this sense of depth, even though it's a black and white photograph. And the textures! You can almost feel the cold, hard metal. I think it has to do with the way he's captured light. The way it illuminates some areas and casts others into deep shadow. Painters are always looking at photography, and photographers are always looking at painting. We’re all having this big conversation through our work, bouncing ideas off each other across time. Adams’ eye for form and texture feels super relevant to painting today.