Gezicht op de branding en het strand, vermoedelijk in de buurt van Sydney c. 1890 - 1910

Editor: Here we have "Gezicht op de branding en het strand, vermoedelijk in de buurt van Sydney", a gelatin-silver print by Charles Bayliss, created somewhere between 1890 and 1910. The muted tones and vastness of the scene give it a really contemplative, almost melancholic feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, immediately I'm struck by the colonial context inherent in a landscape like this, particularly given it was captured during a period of immense social upheaval and displacement for Indigenous Australians. Bayliss's lens presents a seemingly untouched coastline, but what stories aren't we seeing? How does the act of photographing this landscape serve to erase or silence the original inhabitants and their deep connection to this place? Editor: That’s a really powerful point. I hadn’t considered the absence of people as a statement itself. So, the act of documentation is also an act of... something else? Curator: Exactly! The picturesque quality aligns with the artistic movement of Pictorialism, aiming to elevate photography to the level of fine art. But isn't it also reinforcing a colonial gaze? What impact does it have to erase or romanticize an existing culture with one's technology and artistic ideals? Consider who has the power to frame these images and control the narrative being projected. What political implications arise when this becomes the dominant visual representation of Australia? Editor: Wow, I hadn’t considered how deeply embedded those power dynamics are within what appears to be a simple landscape photo. I’m definitely going to view landscape photography differently now. Curator: Hopefully, you'll continue to think about the silences in the frame. Every image is a construct with power and can carry hidden messages of inclusion and exclusion. It's our responsibility to look for them.