Leden van de Stephenson Locomotive Society poserend bij locomotieven in Roosendaal en Heerlen Possibly 1930 - 1934

This is a black and white photograph of the Stephenson Locomotive Society posing with locomotives in Roosendaal en Heerlen. Since we don’t know who made it or when it was made, we have to treat the process of its making as something like a found object. I love the way the trains occupy most of the space in the image, looming over the members of the Locomotive Society posing in front of them. The surface of the image is smooth and matte, allowing for details to come forward despite the picture's age. Each face, each rail, is visible. The three separate photographs are arranged on a dark background that creates a striking contrast, adding depth and emphasizing the textures within the images. This arrangement reminds me of collage, or the work of Gerhard Richter, whose "Atlas" project arranges found photos on boards. Art making, like train spotting, can be an act of collection.