Real Estate #90637 1990

Henry Wessel shot this photograph, Real Estate #90637, sometime in the 70s, with a camera of course. Look how the world is composed of blocks of color and light. The faded red trim against the creamy walls is so very California. It’s not a glossy, vibrant red; it's more like a memory of red, sun-bleached and worn. It feels like it’s not just paint, it’s the past itself, clinging to the surfaces. Notice how the green of the bushes and grass contrasts this color combination, a very muted green that adds to the overall stillness of the image. I find myself drawn to the house number 2615, a bit scuffed and almost apologetic. It's a tiny detail, but it gives the photograph a sense of place. Like Ed Ruscha’s gas stations, Wessel’s photograph makes me think about the mundane in a new way. I can imagine someone like Stephen Shore taking a very similar photograph. They all make me think about how we see, and what we choose to look at.