Brad Temkin
Spring – Chicago
From the series Rooftop
2010
Pigment print
32 x 40 inches
Courtesy of the artist and Stephen Bulger Gallery
© Brad Temkin

Though typically not designed for human enjoyment, many of the roof gardens Brad Temkin photographs are startling in their appeal. The confusing orientation of these images, as we take in the skyline and figure out the altitude of the plantings, gives way to a delight in the sheer exuberance of plant life that offers not only an oasis for the human eye but also potentially a welcoming place for birds, bugs, and—as we see in a few pictures—bees. Perhaps implied in these experimental urban jungles is the advice that we “tend our own gardens” and look for answers in our own backyards.