Clearcut, Humbug Mountain, Clatsop County, Oregon 1999 - 2003

Editor: This is Robert Adams’ "Clearcut, Humbug Mountain, Clatsop County, Oregon," a gelatin-silver print from 1999-2003. It's stark...almost like a battlefield. What visual language speaks to you most in this piece? Curator: The landscape here acts as a powerful cultural symbol. We're so accustomed to idealized landscapes representing nature's bounty, but here, Adams presents a scene stripped bare, wounded even. Note the fragmented tree stumps and the overall sense of disarray. Do these shapes and textures evoke any other imagery for you? Editor: I see chaos, maybe. A disrupted ecosystem. It feels…unnatural. The black and white reinforces the bleakness. Curator: Exactly. The lack of color removes any potential romanticism. Think about the history of landscape photography: images of pristine wilderness were often used to promote westward expansion and resource extraction. Adams seems to be turning that tradition on its head, exposing the consequences of those actions. Is there a sense of foreboding you perceive? A warning, perhaps? Editor: Definitely a warning. Like, “look what we've done.” I guess I hadn't considered how directly a landscape image can comment on human behavior. Curator: Visual symbols operate on many levels. On the surface, we see a deforested mountainside. Dig deeper, and it becomes a meditation on environmental responsibility and cultural memory. Each tree stump silently narrates a loss. The entire scene is now imbued with cultural anxiety and longing. Editor: I’ll definitely think differently about landscape photography now. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Consider what is absent here. What emotional value might an empty space hold?