Tract House #24 1971

Lewis Baltz made this gelatin silver print, Tract House #24, using a darkroom process that was fairly standard in his time. Yet, the result is far from ordinary. It depicts a stucco wall, punctuated by a few uninviting details, all in stark black and white. The image almost seems to deny any artistic intention. Its power lies in the deadpan approach to its subject matter, a reflection of post-war American suburban development. Baltz was interested in the poetics of place, and the socio-political implications of architectural construction. He photographed the built environment with cool detachment, emphasizing the uniformity of these mass-produced homes and the unglamorous reality of modern living. This aesthetic is the key to the work's meaning. By using the objective medium of photography to document these unlovely buildings, Baltz prompts us to consider the social and economic forces that shape our surroundings. He asks us to look beyond the facade and to consider the ways in which the built environment reflects our values and priorities.