In Santa Monica No. 20, Ken Evans continues his masterful monochromatic survey of Southern California flora with a highly intimate, abstracted portrayal of a singular botanical specimen. This macro composition is not only visually arresting but also viscerally tactile—an image that seems to oscillate between botanical study and surreal encounter. The photograph hovers between the representational and the unfamiliar. Shot in tight focus, the Foxtail Agave's center bursts outward in a flurry of delicate filaments, which are rendered in piercing contrast against a diffused background gradient. These stamen-like structures spiral and scatter with chaotic grace, appearing almost like neural tendrils or delicate sea creatures rather than plant matter. Evans invites us to look closer, but not for identification—rather for sensation, for form, for unexpected gesture. The soft blur of the supporting stalk, receding from top left to bottom right, introduces an elegant visual rhythm. The compositional diagonal grounds the image while also amplifying its organic drama. By stripping away color, Evans pushes the viewer to experience texture, light, and botanical complexity as pure abstraction. As part of the 50-piece Santa Monica series, Santa Monica No. 20 exemplifies Evans' overarching vision: a meditative, graphic, and contemporary approach to botanical photography, rooted in a specific region but universally resonant. Each work in the series offers a different visual note - some lyrical, others stark - yet all unified by a commitment to formal clarity and organic expression. This image in particular would appeal to collectors of abstract photography, nature-focused work, and those drawn to minimalist or sculptural aesthetics. It also functions strongly as a standalone print in modern interior spaces, especially when presented in a large-scale format that emphasizes its tactile complexity.
