Untitled (from the series Still Water (The River Thames, for Example)) 1999

Roni Horn took this photograph of the River Thames as part of her series "Still Water," and the piece captures a fleeting moment, a dance of light and shadow on the water's surface. I think of it as a dance, because Horn's work is often about seriality and repetition, embracing the idea that things are always in flux. The photograph's palette is subdued, mostly earth tones and muted browns. The surface is all rippling lines and textures with glimmers of light catching the water. There's one smooth, sand-colored patch in the middle, an island of calm. The piece is ambiguous, never settling into a single interpretation. But to me, that central calm patch offers a visual anchor, a reminder that even in the midst of change, there's always a point of stillness. Horn's whole project reminds me of Vija Celmins’ meticulous renderings of oceans and skies. Like Celmins, Horn takes an apparently simple subject and turns it into something deep, mysterious and meditative.