Gezicht op Kasteel Heeswijk 1892

This photograph of Gezicht op Kasteel Heeswijk was created by an anonymous photographer with the organization Monumentenzorg. Photography as a medium has always been tied to capitalism, with darkroom technicians producing the work, and then sold to a mass audience. In its material nature, photographs like this one often feel like the “real thing,” almost a copy of the world rather than a creative interpretation. Yet, in order to produce the print, a complex system of production has to be in place, from silver mining, paper production, the building of cameras and lenses, and the skilled labor of the darkroom. Consider how many invisible hands created this image of a castle, a structure that also would have required considerable amounts of labor to build. Paying attention to materials, making, and context allows us to expand our view of the world and question traditional distinctions between design, craft, and fine art.