API 4303716180 Ismay, UT 2012

Mishka Henner made this image, API 4303716180 Ismay, UT, using satellite imagery to create something akin to a landscape painting. It's like he’s found a new way to explore that age-old tension: what does it mean to picture the land? The palette is subdued—earthy browns and muted greens, all flattened by the aerial perspective. But then, there's this stark, almost violent, focal point—a splotch of bright color that draws your eye right in. It's as if he’s saying, "Look closer, there’s more to this picture.” What does a mark mean, how does it work, and why do we need it? I'm thinking about how Henner is tweaking what we expect from landscape art. He’s not just showing us a pretty view; he's digging into the layers of how we see and what we choose to focus on. It's a conversation, you know? Artists talking to each other across time, messing with ideas, always pushing the boundaries of what art can be.