Weld County, Colorado Possibly 1981 - 1988

Robert Adams made this photograph, "Weld County, Colorado," sometime in the twentieth century. The restrained palette of grayscale tones emphasizes the quiet simplicity of the scene, a quality I always admire in art. It feels like a really focused and direct response. The texture in the photograph is subtle. The flat plains are balanced by the detailed leaves and the dynamic sky above. I keep returning to the crown of the tree itself, where all the energy is concentrated. The forms remind me of a drawing, a sketch of an idea, or a feeling. The image sits somewhere between observation and abstraction. Like a sketch it simplifies and emphasizes the artist’s particular perspective. There is also something very human in this work: a delicate balance of light and shadow, a starkness of tone. It makes me think of other photographers like Bernd and Hilla Becher, who also found ways to make the everyday sublime. Ultimately, it’s about seeing the world in a fresh, almost innocent way, and letting the art emerge from that process.