Interstate 25, Denver, Colorado Possibly 1973 - 1991

Robert Adams captured this black and white photograph, Interstate 25, Denver, Colorado, at an unknown date. Adams is so good at finding beauty in unlikely places, and making us think about the process of looking. The tones in this photograph are amazing, it almost reads as a grisaille painting, where all the color information is conveyed via a masterful deployment of grey. I love the tension between the detritus in the foreground, the litter that we as a society have discarded, and the tree, defiantly reaching for the sun. Look at how the darker values of the tree are echoed in the shadows beneath, there’s a careful balance here, which draws your eye into the depths of the frame. It reminds me of some of the compositional strategies used by Ed Ruscha, who manages to find something deeply resonant in the seemingly banal. Ultimately, art’s job is to encourage us to slow down, look closely, and find meaning in the everyday.