Tract home, Security, Colorado 1968 - 1971

Robert Adams made this gelatin silver print, "Tract Home, Security, Colorado", in a place called Security, Colorado. The high contrast in Adams' black and white palette gives the photograph an almost graphic quality. The house almost appears as a drawing rather than a documentation. The tones and textures draw my attention to the surface of the building, and the driveway in front. In a way, the way the tones are flattened makes the house feel almost like a stage set. Take the garage for example, the trim around it is scalloped, almost like icing on a cake! The way the garage door is banded also reminds me of a cake or a pie, which I find quite humorous. Perhaps Adams is riffing on the saccharine ideal of suburbia here? I'm reminded of the work of Ed Ruscha, in the way that Adams' records the built environment with a melancholic eye. Both invite reflection on what the American Dream really means. Ultimately, this photograph resists any easy interpretation.