Tucson, Arizona 1976

Henry Wessel made this photograph, Tucson, Arizona, using traditional photographic techniques. The shades and shadows in the work really point towards the artmaking as a process – a moment captured in time, transformed from three dimensions to two. It's fascinating how Wessel plays with light and texture here. The blinds create these horizontal lines, slicing up the landscape view, which is really interesting. The landscape seems so accessible, so close, yet the picture makes it totally remote, far away. I am particularly drawn to the slight blur of the trees, as if seen through a train window or a heat haze. Maybe Wessel was thinking about artists like Edward Hopper, who often framed their views through windows. Ultimately, it’s a piece that embraces ambiguity.