Iran, Untitled 2014

This 'Untitled' photograph was taken in Iran by Gohar Dashti. What's so striking about it, is how the scene looks like it's been painted in a muted, sun-faded palette of browns, beiges and greens. I think the key to this image is the tension created by the crowd of people posing happily and waving in what looks like a barren, desolate landscape. The crowd feels both out of place and completely at home in the scene. What were they thinking when they assembled in such a location? There's something about the quietness and stillness of the image that draws me in. You can sense the connection between the people in the photo and feel their shared experience amidst this vast, empty landscape. It reminds me of the paintings of Edward Hopper, how he often placed figures within stark architectural landscapes to convey a sense of loneliness and isolation. The dialogue between Dashti's photograph and Hopper's paintings reveals a deeper engagement with existential themes of identity, belonging, and the human condition.