San Quentin Point, no. 40G Possibly 1982 - 1985

Lewis Baltz made this photograph, San Quentin Point, no. 40G, using black and white film, and you know, that choice right away sets a tone – a kind of starkness, but also a real focus on form. What grabs me is how he’s handled the textures; the way the gravel in the foreground crunches under your imaginary feet, versus the softness of the weeds and distant hills. It’s a study in contrasts, right? Your eye bounces between the sharpness of the foreground and the haziness of the background. I find myself drawn to the lone barrel on the right; the way it’s been worn by weather and use. I like how Baltz lets it sit there, almost like a character in a play. Thinking of other photographers, the Bechers come to mind, with their similar attention to industrial landscapes. But Baltz has his own eye; it’s like he’s saying something about how we look at the world, the beauty we miss in the everyday, and the conversations we can have with it.