Tract House #17 1971

Lewis Baltz made this gelatin silver print, Tract House #17, sometime during his career. What strikes me is the way Baltz uses the grayscale to flatten the image. It's like he's saying, "Hey, look at this wall, it's not just a wall, it's a surface, a plane of existence." The texture of the wall feels almost palpable, doesn't it? You can practically feel the gritty stucco, the way the light catches on every little bump and imperfection. And then there's that door, a dark void that draws you in, promising something unknown beyond. The arrangement of elements - the window, the vents, the electrical panel – feels so deliberate, like Baltz is composing a visual poem about the mundane. It reminds me a little of the New Topographics movement, with its focus on everyday landscapes. It makes me question why we elevate certain subjects over others in art. Isn't there beauty to be found in the ordinary, too?