Zuma #13 1977

John Divola made Zuma #13, a photograph, sometime around the late 20th century. It’s not just a picture, it’s a record of an action – the action of an artist intervening in a space. The spray paint marks on the walls are like a dance, a spontaneous response to the architecture. The way the light floods the room, cutting through the boarded-up windows, creates these stark contrasts, a back and forth that’s almost theatrical. Look at how the light falls on the floor, amidst the debris – it’s like the whole space is breathing. Divola's series makes me think of Gordon Matta-Clark, another artist who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, cutting into buildings, making absence visible. Both of them remind us that art doesn’t have to be precious, it can be about seeing the potential in decay, in the overlooked corners of our world.