Untitled (Behind Don's Gas Station, Randolph, Wisconsin, May 1981) 1981

This photograph was taken by Lewis Koch in Randolph, Wisconsin, in May of 1981. It’s a black and white image of what looks like a very ordinary American scene. I can imagine Koch finding beauty in the mundane, framing this collection of mowers and a small building against the backdrop of silos. What was Koch thinking as he pressed the shutter button? Perhaps about a moment in time? Or was he thinking about how rural America functions? I can sense Koch's wider practice of capturing overlooked, and often humorous, subjects. There is something about his choice of perspective that makes me think about artists like Robert Frank, known for his documentary-style photography. The composition has a rough-around-the-edges beauty that invites us to consider our relationship with the landscape and everyday life. It is interesting that artists can have a conversation across time.