Untitled (gnarled tree and granite face, High Sierra) c. 1930s

Curator: This photograph, by William Edward Dassonville, is titled "Untitled (gnarled tree and granite face, High Sierra)." It's quite striking, don't you think? Editor: Stark, almost desolate. The contrast is really intense; it's all about survival, nature's tenacity against a harsh landscape. Curator: Dassonville seems to be highlighting the monumentality of nature. These images became popular through camera clubs. Editor: True, the composition isolates the tree and rock, stripping away context and forcing us to confront their raw forms. It is an interesting slice of the sublime. Curator: It really makes you consider our place within a larger, timeless world, doesn’t it? Editor: Absolutely, and how we, too, are shaped by forces beyond our control. Food for thought, indeed.