Zuiderzeewerken: Gemaalput in Wieringermeerdijk nabij Medemblik 13 juli 1928 Possibly 1928

This photograph, taken on July 13, 1928, by Fototechnische Dienst K.L.M., documents Zuiderzeewerken: Gemaalput in Wieringermeerdijk nabij Medemblik. It’s like looking at a landscape painting, but one constructed with earth and water instead of pigment. The monochromatic palette makes you focus on the materiality: the rough textures of the land against the smooth planes of water. See the way the land has been carved out and shaped. Look at the dark, almost violent marks in the center of the image, that contrast so sharply with the surrounding space. This photograph is not just a record; it's a meditation on process. The process of construction, but also the process of seeing. It calls to mind the work of land artists like Robert Smithson, who used the earth itself as their medium. Like Smithson, this photograph reminds us that art is not just about making pretty pictures. It's about engaging with the world around us, and seeing the beauty and the poetry in the everyday.