Sleepboot Schoonhoven 1906

This monochrome photograph of the Sleepboot Schoonhoven, by Henricus Jacobus Tollens, shows the constant negotiations with the surface that are required of us. The texture of the ice is palpable, you can feel it, even though you can’t touch it. Look closely at the wake of the boat and you will notice the small gestures in the water. These capture a moment that’s both fleeting and permanent. The tones and subtle gradations create depth and shadow, and the starkness communicates the isolation and the unforgiving nature of the landscape. I think of Vija Celmins and her obsessive, yet beautiful renderings of oceans and outer space. This photo has a quiet intensity; a testament to the act of looking and responding. It embraces a world of subtle, ambiguous details and infinite interpretations.