Winter, northwest across dunes and tidal marsh inside the South Jetty, Clatsop County, Oregon 1990

Editor: Here we have Robert Adams’s 1990 gelatin silver print, “Winter, northwest across dunes and tidal marsh inside the South Jetty, Clatsop County, Oregon.” It's strikingly bleak, and yet, there’s something compelling in its starkness. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This image, to me, speaks volumes about the intersection of human intervention and the natural landscape. Adams often photographed the American West in ways that exposed the scars of development. What kind of commentary might he be making by showing us this coastline, marked by both the jetty and that fence-like structure, under such a heavy sky? Editor: So, you're suggesting it’s not just a landscape, but a statement about our impact on the environment? Curator: Precisely. The monochrome emphasizes a sense of loss or perhaps a cautionary tale. Where is the untouched wilderness? And consider the social context: in 1990, environmental awareness was growing, yet unchecked development continued. Editor: I see what you mean. The contrast between the wild sea and the controlled land feels very deliberate. Is that a kind of dialogue Adams sets up often? Curator: Absolutely. His work often reveals a tension between romantic visions of nature and the reality of its exploitation. He invites us to question what we value and what we sacrifice in the name of progress. What does that stark, seemingly endless landscape make you feel? Editor: A little hopeless, maybe? But also...determined. It's a reminder of what's at stake. Curator: That's a powerful reading. Perhaps that tension—between despair and the will to act—is precisely what Adams sought to evoke. Editor: It’s fascinating how a seemingly simple landscape photograph can hold so much layered meaning. Thanks for sharing that. Curator: My pleasure. It is always vital to consider how artworks function as calls to accountability within socio-political dialogues.