We Stopped Here 1915

This small black and white photo, titled "We Stopped Here," shows a car crash, or rather, a coming together of two worlds. I really get a kick out of this one! It's like the artist captured a moment of pure chaos and absurdity. You can almost feel the impact, the jolt, the sheer bewilderment of the passengers flying through the air. Like, wait, is this real? The sharpness of the steam engine makes it feel so solid, so real, while the people are just flying away from this place. It makes me wonder if they planned it this way, if they stopped here on purpose. As a painter, I often think about the physicality of the medium, the way paint can be thick or thin, smooth or textured. In this photo, the light and shadow create a kind of texture, a sense of depth and movement that really draws you in. It’s as though Johnson took the raw experience of painting and transformed it into a moment of pure, unadulterated energy. This image reminds me that art isn't just about representation. It's about possibility, about the conversations that we have with each other as artists across time.