A Corner of Zuni 1903

Edward S. Curtis made this photograph, A Corner of Zuni, using a photogravure technique. I love the ochre color and how it brings out the warm tones of the desert, like a dry pigment rubbed into the paper. I imagine Curtis carefully preparing the plate, etching the image with acid, and then inking it to create this print. The image feels like it was built up, layer by layer. It's like he's showing us not just the buildings, but also a way of life. A way of being. The ladders reaching up to the sky, what do they mean? Is that figure sitting on a rooftop looking out onto the horizon? It reminds me of Agnes Martin and her own approach to portraiture. Curtis finds something deeply profound about the everyday. Each artist is in conversation with those who came before, and those who will follow. Each artwork an invitation to slow down, look closely, and find the extraordinary in the ordinary.