Sevan - Wardenis 2002

Ursula Schulz-Dornburg made this photograph, Sevan - Wardenis, capturing a bus stop somewhere, sometime, probably with a camera and film. The muted palette almost drains the color, focusing us on form. There’s an incredible stillness, a kind of stark simplicity. I’m drawn to the bus stop itself. It’s a skeletal structure, a sort of sad little stage. The delicate ironwork on top feels almost comically ornamental against the bleak landscape. Look at how the lines of the power cables mimic and extend the lines of the shelter, blurring the boundaries between the built environment and the vast, indifferent landscape. Schulz-Dornburg reminds me a little of Bernd and Hilla Becher, but there’s more mood, and a melancholic edge. Her images aren’t just documents; they’re invitations to contemplate the strange beauty of forgotten places. Art isn't about answers; it’s about lingering in the questions.