Neahkahnie Mountain, Oregon 2004

Robert Adams made this photograph, Neahkahnie Mountain, Oregon, using traditional black and white photography. Isn’t it funny how a photograph can also be about mark making? I mean, look at the edges of those leaves, they’re almost vibrating like a bad photocopy, or a drawing you’ve smudged on purpose to get a certain effect. I love how the greyscale flattens the image, making it almost like a collage of shapes rather than a realistic depiction of nature. You can almost feel the wind rustling through the branches, even though it’s just a still image. See how the light filters through the leaves, creating these abstract patterns? It’s like Adams is painting with light, using the camera as his brush. This piece reminds me a bit of some of the early modernist landscape painters, like Georgia O'Keeffe, who were also trying to capture the essence of nature in a simplified, abstract way. Art is always in conversation, right? We’re all just riffing off each other, trying to find new ways to see the world.