The Big Nothing McNichol: "When I first traveled across the United States, I was astounded by the vast open spaces of the American Plains. Because I hope to find more of these spaces stretching out along the side of the road, this series is ongoing." "The Big Nothing" is based on an image from the Sacramento Valley, seen while traveling north from San Francisco to Sacramento. "Lakeland" is a view of a distant lank in Michigan, while "The Big Beach" is a view of the beach from the New Jersey shore.