Clean room, University of Lille, France Possibly 1989 - 2006

Editor: This is Lewis Baltz’s "Clean Room, University of Lille, France," potentially captured between 1989 and 2006, and employing photography as its medium. I'm struck by the strong geometric composition and how the colors seem almost artificially enhanced. What jumps out at you? Curator: The strength of this image lies in its rigorously formal construction. Note the interplay of horizontal and vertical lines, the careful arrangement of objects within the frame. The colour palette is not naturalistic, it calls attention to itself, doesn't it? Do you notice the textures? Editor: Yes, I see how the hard, smooth surfaces contrast with the soft, diffused light from the fluorescent fixture above. Is the apparent artificiality of this tension of textures also intended? Curator: Precisely! The image rejects traditional notions of photographic beauty. It seeks instead to examine the structures of space, form, and light themselves. Consider how the receding lines create a sense of depth, despite the relatively flat surfaces depicted. Editor: So, it's not about the subject matter, a clean room, but about how the photograph represents it? It is an examination of structure, pure and simple? Curator: Exactly. Baltz has captured the interplay of space, the formal relations taking place inside that space, and stripped them back to their bare essentials, compelling us to see the very essence of line, light, and surface. Editor: I hadn't considered the careful arrangement before, but now I can really see how intentional the geometric interplay seems. It’s quite striking! Curator: Agreed. Its impact emerges directly from its precise formal arrangement.