Long Island, New York 1978

This photograph of Long Island, New York, was taken by John Gossage. It’s a black and white image, depicting a mundane scene of what seems to be a construction site. I think Gossage is interested in the poetics of the everyday—a kind of beauty found in the overlooked. I imagine he's like, okay, let’s make art from what’s not typically considered art-worthy! The grey scale pushes this even further, stripping the scene of any inherent drama that colour might provide. It’s kind of radical, right? The composition is simple; there's nothing spectacular—just buildings, trees, and a pile of bricks. But within that simplicity, there’s an honesty that I find super appealing. It invites us to consider what we usually ignore. Maybe Gossage wants us to contemplate the unglamorous realities of life and the subtle beauty in the ordinary. Photography is about seeing, and seeing is about thinking.