Neahkahnie Mountain, Oregon 2004

Robert Adams made this photograph of Neahkahnie Mountain, Oregon, using light and shadow to create a rich, grayscale world. It feels like he's showing us the bones of the landscape, the underlying structure that holds everything together. Up close, you can see the texture of the leaves and branches, almost like a delicate lace against the bright sky. The way the light filters through those leaves, creating these abstract shapes, reminds me of how we often see more when we’re looking through something, rather than directly at it. I think of Agnes Martin when I look at this, she also had a way of finding the sublime in the simple act of looking. This photograph is an invitation to slow down, to see the world in a new way, and to find beauty in the unexpected. It’s about the ongoing conversation between the artist, the world, and us.