Untitled (Piano c. 1935

Lionel Wendt made this photograph of a piano sometime in the first half of the 20th Century. The colour is subtle; the way the image emerges from the paper is a bit like memory. Photography, for me, is always about this strange relationship with time. There's a beautiful, almost ghostly superimposition of images here. The keys on the left seem solid, but then the rest of the piano seems to dissolve into another space, another form. The composition has a great formal complexity, but the limited tonal range keeps it understated. Wendt’s use of light and shadow to create these blurred edges and overlapping planes suggests a dreamlike, almost surreal atmosphere. It reminds me of some of those early surrealist photographers like Man Ray. Ultimately, this piece shows how photography can be much more than just a record of reality. It's about seeing, feeling, and maybe, even hearing things that aren't really there.