TNT Storage Igloos in Pond, Point Pleasant, West Virginia 2010

Editor: This is Joshua Dudley Greer's photograph, "TNT Storage Igloos in Pond, Point Pleasant, West Virginia." The reflections create a sort of eerie symmetry. What do you see in the piece? Curator: Notice how the horizon line is placed almost exactly at the center, bisecting the image. It’s a visual strategy that arrests the viewer’s gaze, preventing easy entry into the pictorial space. Editor: So, it's a barrier? Curator: Precisely. The careful arrangement of tonal values further reinforces this sense of restrained access. The muted grays and browns, almost monochromatic, flatten the depth. What does that flatness suggest to you? Editor: I guess it emphasizes the surface quality and the patterns. Curator: Indeed. Greer masterfully uses formal elements to evoke a feeling of quiet, unsettling observation. Editor: I hadn't considered that before. Thanks for the insight.