Grain Elevator and Lightning Flash, Lamesa, Texas Possibly 1975 - 1981

Editor: Frank Gohlke’s “Grain Elevator and Lightning Flash, Lamesa, Texas,” likely captured between 1975 and 1981, is a compelling c-print. There’s a stillness despite the dramatic sky, an ominous tranquility, almost. What catches your eye when you look at this work? Curator: The photograph strikes me as a profound meditation on human presence within the landscape, punctuated by the raw energy of nature. Notice how the grain elevator, a symbol of human industry and control over the land, is juxtaposed with the lightning. How might the artist use these symbols to express human dominion in the face of natural forces? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn't really thought about the grain elevator as a symbol of control. It feels almost vulnerable here, overshadowed by the weather. Curator: Indeed. But consider, too, that grain elevators are themselves modern icons of prosperity, monuments rising up, signaling agriculture. What emotional impact might a symbol of industry being juxtaposed with lightning stir? Does it invite reflection on progress? Editor: I think so. There's something about the black and white, too. It removes any sense of immediate reality and lends a timeless quality. The symbols feel more potent. Curator: Precisely. Monochrome often pushes us beyond the superficial into the realms of archetype and enduring narrative. It is both familiar and surreal. Gohlke asks us to look closer and consider symbols, light, dark, progress, and raw nature. It offers cultural memory in the making. Editor: I never thought I would consider progress and symbols in a photo of a Texas grain elevator, but you've given me so much to consider! Curator: And I, you. Let’s observe how this memory evolves.