Untitled, from the series Dingbat 1982 - 1983

Judy Fiskin took this photograph, part of her ‘Dingbat’ series, with a small camera, creating an image that's almost like a visual haiku. It’s a humble, everyday scene rendered with such care. I can imagine Fiskin wandering around LA, pausing, framing these unassuming buildings. What was she thinking when she pressed the shutter? Was she drawn to the flat facades or the quirky ornamentation? Or was it the tension between the generic architecture and the hint of individuality? Look at the grainy texture, the way the light flattens the space. It reminds me of Ed Ruscha's deadpan photographs, but with a softer, more intimate feel. Like Ruscha, Fiskin elevates the mundane to something worthy of contemplation. And the size, it’s so small! I love that. It demands close looking, a kind of quiet attention that feels increasingly rare. Artists, we're all just riffing off each other, trying to make sense of the world in our own way.