Uitje c. 1935 - 1936

This set of five black and white photographs are mounted onto a page in an album of unknown date by an anonymous artist. I love this collection of found images; it’s like a storyboard where the beginning and end are a mystery. The muted tones remind me of a Gerhard Richter painting, all blurry and smudged, suggesting the passage of time and the imperfection of memory. There is a beautiful layering effect; the photos are presented as though casually arranged, but there is a clear visual logic in their placement. I’m drawn to the image in the centre, a figure standing amongst the leaves, his clothes almost camouflage. This one feels almost like a painting, the way the light is dappled and broken. It reminds me of a Corot landscape, intimate and wistful. The album as a whole invites us to contemplate the fluidity of images and meaning, and how each photograph can suggest a multitude of narratives.