Spectacular Master Baths c. 1983

This silver gelatin print, "Spectacular Master Baths," was captured by Joe Deal, who was interested in how the land is affected by human development. Deal was part of the New Topographics movement, a school of thought that brought an objective, documentary style to landscape photography. The high contrast in this image is really striking. Look how the stark white sign pops against the dark, overgrown hillside behind it. The light feels flat, almost clinical, which enhances the sense of detachment. For me, the power line cutting across the sky is the key element, it almost looks like an addition. It’s as if Deal is saying something about the promises of comfort and luxury versus the reality of the landscape, which is messy, chaotic, and beyond our control. There’s a quiet but powerful commentary on modern living here, almost reminiscent of Ed Ruscha's deadpan approach to documenting the urban landscape. Photography, like painting, is an ongoing investigation, a conversation across time about how we see and interpret the world around us.