Bruiloft Jan en Liesbeth Croockewit (1) c. 1915

This is a page from a wedding album, entitled “Bruiloft Jan en Liesbeth Croockewit (1)”, made by an anonymous artist. It is a fascinating combination of images from different moments on the special day. I am interested in the contrast between the soft greys of the photographs and the dark grey album page; the use of shadow and light to bring the figures to life. In the central photograph you can see the newlyweds standing under an archway, framed by brickwork and foliage. I wonder if the artist was using the structure of the archway to suggest the threshold being crossed by the happy couple? Looking at this work, I am reminded of the collages of Kurt Schwitters, in the way it plays with found imagery, and the sense of narrative that emerges out of the juxtaposition of different elements. It makes me think about how we construct meaning from fragments, and how art can be a way of making sense of the world around us.