Phoenix, Carefree Highway and 7th Street, Looking West 1999

Allen Dutton made this gelatin silver print in Phoenix, Arizona, of Carefree Highway and 7th Street. It's got this hazy, almost dreamy quality, which is partly due to the blur of the moving truck. I love how the grayscale gives everything a timeless feel, like it could be from any era. The texture is amazing, you can see the grain of the film, the rough edges of the signs, and the scruffy desert brush in the foreground. There's this one sign that's listing a phone number, which is also advertising the sale of a house with a pool, with the word 'pool' clearly visible. I think it says everything about the kind of desperation that is associated with development, and the kind of lifestyle on offer, somewhere between promise and threat. Dutton’s work reminds me a bit of Stephen Shore's photographs, both capturing the ordinary, almost banal, landscapes of America. But unlike Shore's vibrant colors, Dutton's monochrome palette gives it a stark, documentary feel. It leaves you wondering about the stories behind the image. It's a picture that asks more questions than it answers.