England 1911

This is Paul Strand’s ‘England,’ a photograph, but it's so painterly it could easily be mistaken for an etching. It’s got this full range of tones but remains grounded in a muted palette, a quiet hum of greys and browns. What really strikes me is the texture. The roughness of the wooden fence, the way it almost pushes forward into our space, contrasting with the soft, far-off flock of sheep. It's all about the surface. You can almost feel the splinters in your fingers, smell the hay. I love the little accidents that happen when you're working with your hands – the way the light catches on one of the fence posts in the lower left corner and throws the whole composition slightly off balance. It reminds me a bit of some of the New Topographics photographers. Strand’s work invites us to slow down, observe, and find beauty in the everyday.