Edger, County Village, California 1984

Joe Deal made this black and white photograph, titled ‘Edger, County Village, California’ without stating the date, leaving us to imagine the time and place. I’m always curious about what an artist is thinking when they create something like this. Is it a comment on American suburbia, or simply a study of form? Perhaps it's a bit of both. I sympathize with the artist, trying to capture the mundane in a way that reveals some hidden truth. Look at how Deal uses light and shadow to create depth and texture. The way the sunlight hits the car, the house, the lawn – it all feels very deliberate, very intentional. And then there's the person in the yard, edging the lawn. What does it mean to tend to the edges, to define the boundaries? It makes me wonder if there is a connection with Robert Adams’ work, and his black and white photographs of the changing American West. Ultimately, 'Edger, County Village, California’ invites us to slow down, to observe, and to find meaning in the everyday.