Zuma #8 1977

This photograph, Zuma #8, by John Divola is a real scene, but it feels like a painting. The space is like a stage, an interior derelict and facing out to sea. The smashed windows are like a proscenium arch, presenting a world outside – the ocean and the sky. What I love about this is how it uses this strange duality: interior vs. exterior, destruction vs. beauty. The light of the image feels soft, like it's just before dawn or just after sunset. You can imagine the sound of the waves, maybe the smell of salt air mixing with the mustiness of the abandoned room. The work reminds me of other artists who stage scenes, like Jeff Wall or Gregory Crewdson. They share an interest in fiction and reality, and the way that photography can capture both. It’s like Divola is having a conversation with them, across time and space. Each artist inspires and challenges the others, to see and feel in new ways.