Air France, Sophia Antipolis, France Possibly 1989 - 2006

Lewis Baltz took this photograph, ‘Air France, Sophia Antipolis, France’ sometime in the late 20th century. I can imagine him wandering into this scene and being struck by the dull, grey, and sterile environment. It looks like an early vision of technological advancement. Baltz was interested in the way technology and industrialization were transforming the landscape. I imagine him thinking about the power structures embedded within these spaces, the anonymity and alienation of modern life. The photograph is so still; you can almost hear the hum of the machines. The composition is balanced, almost symmetrical, which adds to the sense of order and control. It makes me think about other photographers who documented similar subjects, like Bernd and Hilla Becher, with their typologies of industrial structures. All these artists, in their own way, were grappling with the changing world and trying to make sense of it through their art.