Zuma #18 1977

John Divola made Zuma #18 without a specified date using photographic materials. Look at how the light falls in this image, how it seems to almost blend the interior and exterior spaces. The textures here are amazing, right? The peeling paint, the rough wood, those subtle marks on the walls. It feels like the space itself is breathing, telling its own story. The light from the sunset almost clashes with the decay of the building. Then there's the ocean, so calm and endless, a stark contrast to the confinement of the room. That spray paint work to the right, those circular marks clustered near the corner - there's a real energy and playfulness to those additions, like a conversation happening between the artist, the space, and maybe even us, the viewers. I think of Gordon Matta-Clark when I look at this. Divola is clearly inviting us to consider the poetics of space, time and chance. There is an ambiguity here that feels honest and deeply human.