Road to Paradise Valley, Arizona c. 1926

This is George Elbert Burr's "Road to Paradise Valley, Arizona," an etching produced during his extensive travels in the American West. Burr, working in the early 20th century, found himself amidst a complicated narrative of westward expansion and the romanticization of the American landscape. His image presents us with a seemingly untouched desert scene, yet this belies the history of indigenous displacement and environmental transformation. The stark beauty of the Arizona landscape is palpable, but consider, too, what isn't shown. Where are the traces of human impact, the signs of conflict and change? Burr’s desert is a place of solitude, but also erasure. He invites us to contemplate the emotional weight of the land, the stories it holds, and the perspectives that are often left out of the frame. It encourages us to consider the complex interplay of beauty, history, and representation.