Burned area at Tallgrass Prairie Preserve 1999

Terry Evans made this photograph, Burned area at Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, using a camera, and what you see is the result of a process, not just a snapshot. The tones are muted, yet there's a clear divide – a line that cuts the image into fields of gold and brown. The texture here is all about the earth, and the implications of land management. The burn area, that lower field, looks almost velvety, like a worn carpet, contrasting with the untouched golden expanse above. Notice that strip of unburnt land, like a pause in the action. The whole thing reminds me of Agnes Martin's grids, but instead of lines, it's about land, nature, and this odd, controlled burn. It’s nature doing something man made. Like much great art, this photograph is about more than one thing at once.