Mesa County, Colorado 1978

Robert Adams captured this photograph of Mesa County, Colorado. Adams, working in the late 20th and early 21st century, often turned his lens toward the American West, a region steeped in myth and burdened by the realities of environmental degradation. In "Mesa County, Colorado," we see a landscape framed by a muted sky, mountains, and trees. This photograph invites us to consider the complex relationship between nature and culture, a tension that is particularly acute in the American West. Adams once said, "I think that what is beautiful in the West is that one is aware of both the beauty and the destruction at the same time." Through his poignant compositions, Adams challenges us to confront the difficult truths about our impact on the environment. But he also encourages us to seek out those places where beauty and hope persist, even in the face of destruction.