Tarnowski Building, Duluth, Minnesota Possibly 1977 - 1989

Frank Gohlke made "Tarnowski Building, Duluth, Minnesota" using photography, freezing a moment in time and space. The image has a stark, almost documentary feel, yet there’s something deeply personal in the way Gohlke frames the building against the vast expanse of the lake. It is beautiful! Look at the telephone pole, how it slices through the sky, kind of like a brushstroke, and the wires form this delicate, almost musical score above the scene. The texture of the brick, the way the light catches the edges of the building, all these details contribute to the overall mood, which is quiet, contemplative. Gohlke reminds me of the Bechers, with his interest in architectural forms and their cultural significance. But where the Bechers were all about systematic cataloging, Gohlke seems to be after something more elusive. Like all great art, this photograph invites us to slow down, to really look, and to find beauty in the everyday.