View, Cedar City, Utah 1977

Joe Deal made this black and white photograph, 'View, Cedar City, Utah', and honestly, what a view. I wonder what he was thinking when he framed it like this? The stark contrast between the buildings and the arid landscape makes me think about the built environment and our relationship with the natural world. It’s like he's asking us, "Hey, what kind of mark are we making?" You can almost feel the dry heat radiating from the ground. Look how the rooftops are arranged. Notice the shadows creating a geometric rhythm against the organic forms of the landscape. It makes me think of other artists, like Ed Ruscha and his gas stations, or the New Topographics photographers, all looking at the everyday and finding something extraordinary. It is all about how one way of seeing is connected to another way of seeing.