Rock Cut and Spillway, Cache la Poudre River, East of Fort Collins Possibly 1996 - 1997

William Wylie made this photograph, Rock Cut and Spillway, of the Cache la Poudre River, using a camera and film, and I bet it was a slow process. I love how this image seems to be all about surfaces, like a study of textures. The rough, craggy wall on the right side of the frame is so tactile, you can almost feel the grit of the rocks and the dryness of the soil. And then, there's the water, so still it mirrors the sky. Look at where the wall meets the water, that dark line. It's like a drawing, a contour that separates two different worlds. I'm reminded of Edward Weston, who also loved to make photographs of natural textures. There's this quiet beauty in both their works, a celebration of the everyday world, reminding us that art doesn't always have to shout to be heard. It can whisper too. It leaves you space to breathe and make your own mind up.