San Quentin Point, no. 35 Possibly 1982 - 1985

Lewis Baltz took this photograph, San Quentin Point, no. 35, at an unknown date. It's a black and white image, focused on a shiny dark blob amidst dirt and sparse vegetation, maybe on a construction site, or some forgotten corner of the world. I feel for Baltz out there with his camera, alone, maybe searching for something discarded, overlooked. It's interesting how he frames this mess like it’s a precious find. What was he thinking when he zoomed in on this bit of waste? Was he drawn to the contrast between the smoothness of the slick residue and the rough, dry earth? The shiny, almost liquid texture reminds me of thick paint, maybe oil-based, something that refuses to dry. It spreads, oozes, reflects light in an almost defiant way. It makes me think about the work of other photographers who seek out beauty in the mundane. They are all having a conversation with each other. I think the process of seeing and capturing can be a form of embodied expression, turning the overlooked into something meaningful.