Iran, Untitled 2014

Gohar Dashti made this untitled photograph in Iran. It’s got these soft, neutral tones that make you feel like you're looking at a memory. I imagine Dashti out there with her camera, scouting this desolate landscape. What was she thinking as she framed this scene? The pale sky, the rolling hills, and then, this small group of people gathered on what looks like a picnic blanket. There's a sense of stillness, a quiet interruption in the vastness of the land. The texture of the earth seems rough, almost palpable, while the figures in the center are soft and intimate. It's as if she's playing with scale and perspective, inviting us to consider our place within a larger context. Photography can be a conversation between the artist and the landscape, with an open dialogue about identity, place, and belonging. It is a continuing exchange of ideas across time, inspiring creativity and new ways of seeing.