Real Estate #906515 1990

Henry Wessel captured this color photograph, "Real Estate #906515", on a sheet of film that's about 8 x 10 inches. I wonder what Wessel was thinking when he chose this house— with its brown trim and pale yellow walls—as his subject? I can imagine him walking around, snapping shots, trying to find the right angle. Maybe he was drawn to the way the light hit the house, or how it sat there, a bit worn but sturdy, against the bright blue sky. Look at the patch of dry grass in the front yard, and that rickety antenna in the background. It's like he’s saying, "Here it is, folks, this is real life.” Wessel’s got this knack for finding beauty in the everyday, like those New Topographics photographers. It’s not about grand landscapes or dramatic moments, but about the quiet, overlooked corners of the world. And it makes you see things a little differently, doesn't it?