Frame Houses in Virginia 1936

Walker Evans made this gelatin silver print, "Frame Houses in Virginia," and you can really see his interest in the act of looking, and more specifically, the act of documenting. It’s like he’s saying, “Hey, check this out. These houses, this ordinary scene—it's worth noticing.” What strikes me is the texture, especially the way the light catches the horizontal clapboard. It’s a kind of abstract pattern, right? A play of light and shadow that flattens the space, yet still gives a sense of depth. Then there’s the starkness of the tree branches against the sky, almost like a drawing. It reminds me of some of the New Topographics photographers who came later, like Lewis Baltz. There’s a similar deadpan approach, a refusal to pretty things up. It’s not about beauty, but about observation, about seeing the world as it is, with all its quirks and imperfections. It's Evans' way of showing us that beauty is always there if we remember to look.