Flores, Guatemala 2006

This black and white photograph, Flores, Guatemala, was taken by John Gossage at an unknown date. The grayscale is delicious - it's like he's painted with light. Look at the way the utility pole slices the scene. It’s not just a pole, it’s a compositional element, guiding our eye through the urban landscape. And the wires! They're like chaotic brushstrokes against the sky. They speak to the layering and messiness of life in this place, and everywhere, really. Gossage reminds me of Ed Ruscha, who also documented the built environment with a sense of detached curiosity. It's like they are asking, "what does it mean to see and record the world around us?" The beauty is not always in the obvious but in the everyday, the overlooked, the slightly off-kilter. Isn't that what art is all about?