Debris c. 1965

Walker Evans made this photograph, called Debris, sometime in the middle of the 20th century. The tones in this photograph are so close, almost like a drawing, with subtle shifts in texture and light. I am reminded of the paintings of Giorgio Morandi, who also had a knack for seeing the monumental in the mundane. Look at the way the light hits the trash bag, creating a surprisingly elegant curve. And notice the dark, tangled wire snaking out from the pile, like a calligraphic gesture against the grainy asphalt. The beauty of this image lies in its process, in Evans' ability to find form and composition in the everyday. It's about seeing the world with fresh eyes, finding poetry in the overlooked, and, as an artist, that’s something I can really relate to. Art, like life, is an ongoing conversation, full of ambiguity, open to endless interpretations.