Phoenix, I-17 and Carefree Highway, Prisoners of the Subdivision Wars 2000

Allen Dutton's photograph titled 'Phoenix, I-17 and Carefree Highway, Prisoners of the Subdivision Wars' uses the medium of photography to capture an image of cacti. The stark contrast of light and shadow makes you feel the intensity of the Arizona sun. The texture is palpable, each ridge and spine rendered with incredible detail. The use of black and white flattens the image, so the cacti are almost pressed up against the picture plane. See how some of the cacti are propped up with supports? Like sculptures in an outdoor studio, they're waiting for something to happen. Dutton has captured a moment of quiet tension, a pause in the ongoing process of growth and change. It’s a photograph that's all about the act of looking, the act of waiting. Like Bernd and Hilla Becher's industrial landscapes, Dutton's photo speaks to the way we interact with our environment, how we try to control it, and how nature persists anyway. Art is always in conversation, a constant remix of ideas and forms.