Explorers Column, Cañon de Chelle 1873

Curator: This is Timothy O'Sullivan's stereograph, "Explorers Column, Cañon de Chelle." A fascinating piece, produced as part of a survey expedition. Editor: It’s stark, almost haunting. That towering rock formation dominates everything. I feel so small just looking at it! Curator: The canyon was a contested space, desired for resources. O'Sullivan's photographs served to document, almost claim, the land for governmental purposes. Editor: It’s beautiful, but now you point that out, it feels burdened with that intention, doesn't it? I wonder what the indigenous population made of these 'explorers'. Curator: Precisely. It prompts us to consider the politics inherent in landscape photography of the era. Editor: Art can be a loaded weapon, and this feels like one such case. I am left to consider the intentions of the image, more than the image itself.