Untitled (Cowboy) 1989

Richard Prince made this photograph called ‘Cowboy,’ and its dreaminess comes from the way the image sort of dissolves into a field of blue. It's like he's painting with light, pulling us into a space that feels both real and totally imagined. Look closely, and you see how the texture is almost like a memory fading at the edges, a soft blur that keeps you from pinning it down. The blues that make up the sky create a real mood of nostalgia, but also something kind of melancholy. I keep thinking about how the details kind of melt away the longer you look. It reminds me of some of Gerhard Richter’s blurred paintings, the way they mess with perception, making you question what you're seeing. Like, is it a snapshot, or a feeling? Art's not about answers, it's about the questions you ask along the way.