Untitled 2009 - 2011

This photograph, by John Gossage, captures a moment in time with natural light and shadow. The way he’s framed the shot suggests a process of intuitive looking; the tree branch with its cherries acts as a kind of curtain, drawing us into the scene. The colours are muted, almost dreamlike, with the blue of the sky contrasting softly against the green and red of the foliage. Look at how the light catches those cherries, making them pop against the darker leaves. There’s a sense of depth and texture, from the close-up detail of the branch to the distant blur of the landscape. The leaves closest to us are sharply in focus, but our eye is drawn to the blurred background, like a memory. Gossage’s work reminds me a bit of artists like Joel Sternfeld, who also explored the American landscape with a quiet, observational eye. Both invite us to slow down, to notice the beauty and complexity of the everyday. Art isn’t just about grand statements, sometimes it’s about finding poetry in the ordinary.