Tract House #1 1971

Lewis Baltz made this gelatin silver print, Tract House #1, with photography. I’m drawn to the interplay between light and shadow here. It’s as if Baltz is mapping out a visual problem, where each tone and texture contributes to a larger, somewhat unsettling harmony. There's a stark contrast between the smooth, almost sterile surface of the wall and the rough, indeterminate space seen through the window on the right, versus the black void of the left pane. That window frame has such a precise geometry. It's hard to tell whether the smears and streaks are on the glass or part of the scene beyond, but it creates a sense of depth and complexity that belies the apparent simplicity of the image. It almost feels like a Gerhard Richter squeegee painting, in photographic form. Baltz, like the New Topographics photographers, was exploring the everyday built environment with a neutral eye, questioning our relationship to the spaces we inhabit. The work embraces ambiguity, prompting us to see the beauty and strangeness in the ordinary.