Stratton, Ohio 1993

Editor: Andrew Borowiec's photograph, "Stratton, Ohio," from 1993 presents a black and white view of a small town, primarily featuring a house juxtaposed with industrial structures. The contrast in textures and forms is really striking to me. What do you see in this piece, from an art historical perspective? Curator: As a formalist, my attention is drawn to the structural relationships within the photograph. Note the geometry: the rectilinear forms of the house, shed, and electrical transformer dominate the composition. This is cleverly complicated through the diagonal emphasis given by the overhead wires and the ladder against the shed. What is the effect of Borowiec choosing to use a monochrome palette, do you think? Editor: It strips away the distractions of color, emphasizing the starkness and the textures, maybe suggesting a documentary feel? What about the light and shadow, how do they impact your reading? Curator: Precisely. Light in the image operates in two contrasting ways: direct in some parts while softer in others, resulting in both highlight and shadow that accentuate form. Think about the relationship between these contrasting zones, in which one element accentuates another... Do you note any specific dynamic relationship, there? Editor: I see how the shadows emphasize the lines and angles, creating a sort of geometric puzzle between man-made elements and the softness of the landscape. That little playhouse is also striking, framed by this geometric rigor, as if to offset it somehow. It adds a weird dissonance. Curator: Indeed. The image presents formal juxtapositions; the artificiality of suburban architecture, against industrial infrastructure, mediated through compositional rigor and grayscale to further heighten their visual interaction. Have your feelings about the photo changed, through this formal exploration? Editor: Definitely. Seeing it in terms of line, form, and light reveals layers I hadn’t immediately noticed. Thanks, that's really helpful. Curator: A careful consideration of form gives us new depth. My pleasure.