Longmont, Colorado 1982 - 1992

Robert Adams made this photograph, Longmont, Colorado, with gelatin silver. It’s a black and white shot of what looks like an ordinary backyard, but there’s something about the light, and the way everything is arranged, that gives it a strangely melancholic feel. I can imagine Adams out there, early in the morning, waiting for the light to hit just right. There’s the washing line strung across the frame, the clothes hanging like ghostly figures. And then there’s that dog sitting so still on the edge of the porch, looking like he's lost in thought. It’s a deceptively simple scene, but there’s a lot going on. The textures are so rich, from the rough bark of the trees to the soft petals of the flowers. The whole thing is suffused with a kind of quiet beauty. And yet, there’s also a sense of something lost or forgotten. It's as if Adams is trying to capture a fleeting moment, a feeling that’s already fading away. And maybe, that’s what all artists are trying to do, in their own way.