A Design of the Desert 1938

Karl de Laittre, Jr. made this gelatin silver print, A Design of the Desert, at an unknown date. It's the kind of image that makes you feel like you're walking into a dream. The texture is just incredible; it’s almost like you could reach out and feel the feathery softness of the Pampas grass. The way the light catches the plumes, it's like each one is a tiny explosion of light. And then the contrast with that dark, solid Cypress tree on the right, it's like a conversation between different kinds of presences. Look how the light bleeds into the plumes, creating this halo effect. It reminds me of the way Georgia O'Keeffe painted flowers; there’s that same sense of monumentality. Both artists capture this sense of these ordinary things becoming extraordinary. This image isn't just a snapshot, it is the artist seeing the world as a continuous exchange of energies.