White (Niagara Falls Obscured by Mist, April 17th, 2006, 5-30 PM) 2006

Editor: Here we have Spencer Finch's "White (Niagara Falls Obscured by Mist, April 17th, 2006, 5-30 PM)" from 2006. It seems to be an installation piece using photography and light to evoke the feeling of…well, of Niagara Falls in the mist. It’s mostly blues and pastels, very serene. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, first, let's consider the materials. We have photography presented almost like a color study. But it's more than that, isn't it? It’s an installation. I’m drawn to Finch's method, his process. How does the labor, the very act of *making* art about capturing something as ephemeral as light through mist, inform the final presentation? It isn't just about seeing the falls. It’s about reproducing an experience. Editor: That makes sense. So it's not just about the finished image, but the whole system of production and presentation. But isn't there an inherent disconnect in trying to capture something as natural as Niagara Falls in an artificial gallery setting? Curator: Precisely. And that tension is crucial! We're thinking about the commodification of nature, the transformation of experience into an object for consumption. The meticulous labeling—date, time—underscores this. The 'white' of the title is perhaps less a description and more a *critique* of its representational limitations, an exploration of consumerism of experiences. The materials are very clean. What’s being missed out, and perhaps, bought in its stead? Editor: I never thought about it like that, the act of capturing it becomes almost a form of consumption. Thank you, that's a completely different angle on appreciating the work. Curator: Exactly. It moves us away from simply admiring beauty towards interrogating the how, why, and for whom art, or in this case, nature is being produced and presented. What new meanings are suggested when thinking about this piece in that light?