74V07 Possibly 1973 - 1993

John Divola’s photograph, *74V07,* captures a wall, perhaps in an abandoned house, covered in marks and holes. The paint is peeling. I imagine Divola entering this derelict space, camera in hand, a modern-day cave painter. He sees the wall not as a surface of decay, but as a canvas of potential. The spray paint marks are light and quick, but the dark dots are heavy, like tar or oil, and sink back into the surface. I’m reminded of Cy Twombly's graffiti-like scrawls, which are also a form of mark-making, a language of gesture that transcends words. Maybe Divola was thinking of Twombly, or maybe he was just in the moment, responding to the texture and tone of the wall itself. I get the sense he was in conversation with the wall, adding his voice to its already storied surface. Artists are always in conversation with each other, across time and space, riffing on each other’s ideas, and pushing the boundaries of what art can be. Divola's work is part of this ongoing dialogue, a testament to the power of seeing beauty in unexpected places.