Poplars, Harney County, Oregon Possibly 1999 - 2005

This photograph, Poplars, Harney County, Oregon, by Robert Adams, is a dense study in monochrome. It’s about the way light falls, the way shapes interlock, and how photography can make the mundane feel monumental. Adams’s photograph seems almost to embrace a kind of organised chaos. Look at how the light catches on the bark of the tree. The contrast between the rough texture of the trunk and the delicate leaves is so visceral. This contrast creates an emotional depth – something both solid and ephemeral. It makes me think about the passing of time. I find myself thinking of Bernd and Hilla Becher who also used photography to document commonplace subjects. But where the Bechers give us cool objectivity, Adams delivers something deeply felt. I guess what I am saying is that even in black and white, art can be really colourful.