Wintersportvakantie in Semmering, Oostenrijk Possibly 1930 - 1932

This is a page from a photo album by Berti Hoppe documenting a winter holiday in Semmering, Austria. I imagine the artist turning the pages of their photo album, each photograph a portal to a memory. The monochromatic photographs remind me how an artist makes something by taking it from the world, extracting its essence, and making it their own. Hoppe's decision to document this journey creates a narrative frozen in time. Look at the way they’ve juxtaposed the built environment – the church, the houses – with the imposing grandeur of the mountains. These images are not just records; they’re carefully constructed viewpoints of the landscape. As a painter, I consider the choices Hoppe made in framing each shot. They frame the images with dark boarders, echoing a painter’s canvas, filled with intention and emotion. It’s a testament to how artists, regardless of their medium, are constantly interpreting and reimagining the world around them.