Dana Point #2 1970

This is a photograph by Lewis Baltz. It’s called Dana Point #2, and it was printed on a sheet measuring about 20 by 25 centimeters. Just imagine Baltz, setting up his camera to capture this scene—a stark concrete wall, stained, with the sign “Point Realty” affixed. What was he looking for? What did this mean to him? You see the way the light falls, almost clinical. His work often zeros in on the overlooked edges of urban spaces. There's a tension there, a quiet rebellion against the visual noise we usually tune out. It's like he's saying, "Hey, look closer." And that act of looking, that's where the magic happens. We start to see the beauty in the mundane. The photograph becomes a site for contemplation and invites us to reflect on our own way of seeing. The best art makes you ask questions and that's what Baltz did.