New Monterey 1968

Lewis Baltz made this gelatin silver print, titled ‘New Monterey’. Baltz critically examined the built environment in the United States, specifically in California. His images highlight the hidden urban and industrial landscapes, exposing the impact of post-war development on the environment. Baltz adopts a stark, almost clinical approach, devoid of sentimentality, echoing the detachment of the New Topographics movement. This movement challenged the traditional aesthetics of landscape photography. Instead of grand vistas, they focused on the mundane, the overlooked, and the socially constructed. The lack of people in the photograph, and the emphasis on the built, calls to mind the new institutions and industries in California that changed the environment and social structure. These images, though seemingly detached, invite viewers to question the values and priorities embedded in the urban landscape. Such images can be contextualized by consulting municipal archives, planning documents, and social surveys to understand the impact of development on specific communities. Ultimately, Baltz shows us that the meaning of art is always bound to its time and place.