74V45 Possibly 1973 - 1993

This is John Divola’s “74V45,” a photograph where the artist intervenes in a space. The palette is muted, almost entirely grayscale, which pushes us to focus on the relationships between the objects within the space. Divola brings together elements that are temporary and elements that are more fixed: the geometry of string, a black triangle, and the distressed and broken floor, which creates a tension between what is performative and what is inherent. I’m drawn to the string, how it’s tied from point to point, creating a delicate web. It’s as if Divola is mapping out a constellation on the floor, connecting disparate points in space. There’s a lightness to it that contrasts with the weight of the black triangle. It reminds me of Robert Smithson’s work, in the way that he also used photography to document transient interventions in a landscape, only Divola focuses on interiors. Ultimately, the photograph becomes a record of a moment, a fleeting interaction between the artist and the space. It’s a beautiful meditation on impermanence and the traces we leave behind.