Pivot Agriculture, San Luis Valley, Colorado 1990

Editor: This is "Pivot Agriculture, San Luis Valley, Colorado," a 1990 photograph by Emmet Gowin. The first thing that strikes me is how geometric it is; it's almost like crop circles. What do you make of it? Curator: Well, the aerial view itself signals a certain kind of relationship to the land, doesn't it? We're immediately distanced, placed in a position of observing the organization and manipulation of the landscape. Think about what it takes to create these circular fields using mechanized irrigation. What kind of labor is involved? Editor: It looks like intensive farming, requiring a lot of resources. Curator: Precisely. Gowin is not just capturing a scene; he's documenting a specific agricultural process dependent on specific materials: the metal of the irrigation system, the water pumped from the ground, the seeds, the fuel. This system transforms the land, turning it into a commodity. And, critically, what is missing? Where are the human figures? Editor: That’s true, there’s no human presence, but that kind of stresses this… almost mechanical aspect to it. How this scene shows our industrialized relationship with nature. Curator: Indeed. We're left with the impression of a system driven by production and consumption. Editor: I never really considered it that way, it's a different perspective. I suppose these circles represent food as commodity. Thanks, this has helped me understand Gowin's image in a totally different light! Curator: You're very welcome. Considering the material aspects really opens up new ways of seeing and thinking about art.