The Rodeo, no. 2 1993

Nancy Andrews made "The Rodeo, no. 2" without a specified date using photography, and it really throws you into the grit and the dust of the scene. It's black and white, which simplifies everything, forcing you to focus on form and texture, the real stuff of making. Look closely, and you’ll see how the light catches on the mud splashed across the cowboy's back and jeans; it’s thick and clotted, like dried paint. The textures Andrews captures with her lens make the image so tactile, you almost feel like you could reach out and touch it. I keep coming back to that little detail on the back of his shirt – "Lite All The Way". There's something ironic about it, this corporate slogan amidst all the hard work and mess. It makes me think of Robert Frank's photographs, that same raw, documentary feel, capturing a slice of American life, not always pretty, but definitely real. Art’s like a rodeo, isn’t it? A wild ride, full of dirt, where you’re just trying to hold on tight and make some sense of it all.