The Long Arm c. 20th century

George Davison made "The Long Arm", currently on view at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, using a photographic process that I can only imagine involved a lot of standing around, waiting. There's something about the way that lone tree reaches out, almost touching the crest of the hill, that's kinda heartbreaking. It speaks of resilience, survival. I wonder if Davidson saw something of himself in that tree, standing alone, bending but not breaking in the face of the elements. When you’re an artist, you’re not just capturing an image, you're also projecting a mood. The muted sepia tones and soft focus give the scene a timeless, dreamlike quality. Artists are always in conversation, borrowing and riffing off each other. That long arm reaching out reminds me of a Cy Twombly gesture, the way he would reach across a canvas, making these beautiful, swooping marks. It makes you think about the passage of time, how artists build on each other's work. It's nice, huh?