Day Care Home, Phillips Ranch, California 1984

Joe Deal took this photograph, "Day Care Home, Phillips Ranch, California," in black and white. It's a scene of suburban life, so straightforward, it almost feels like it's not “art.” But that's the thing about art, right? I'm thinking about Joe standing there, framing this shot, maybe seeing something in this ordinary scene that others might miss. The way the light hits the driveway, the open garage revealing a car and strollers, the group sitting casually on the concrete. You can almost feel the stillness of the moment, yet there's also this sense of ongoing life, of the everyday rhythms playing out. It reminds me a little of the Bechers' photographs of industrial structures. Both show a kind of deadpan observation. But there's something about the human element here, the hint of connection and community, that makes it different. It’s like Deal is saying, "Look, this is what life looks like here, now." And in that simplicity, there's a whole world of meaning.