Tract House #6 1971

Lewis Baltz made this photograph, titled Tract House #6, with a camera. Can you imagine the way he might have slowly, carefully framed this shot, moving back and forth to find the right angle? The stark black and white tones feel heavy, almost sculptural, and that big wall on the right dominates the image. You know, it’s funny, sometimes the most seemingly simple images can be the most difficult to pull off. I wonder if Baltz was thinking about other photographers, like the New Topographics group, and their take on the everyday? Or maybe he was looking at the minimalists, like Agnes Martin, and their focus on pared-down forms? Ultimately, it’s about finding your own way of seeing and communicating, in a dialogue with those who came before. I think that’s why artists keep making art – it's one big conversation.