Zijaanzicht van terpen bij Tószeg 1928

This photograph, Zijaanzicht van terpen bij Tószeg, was taken by Jan Lanting, though we don't know when. It captures the essence of observation and documentation. The photograph is very material, the textures almost coarse. The subject is these mounds, or Terpen, and the photo zeroes in on the horizon where earth meets sky. The tones are subtle, almost monochromatic. It's not about a striking, singular moment, but rather a long, slow observation and the beauty that comes from this prolonged engagement. The marks, scratches, and other interventions on the surface give the picture a sense of history, which mirrors the ancient mounds being photographed. Like a worm turning the earth, Lanting shows us the past emerging into the present. I'm reminded of the Land Art movement and how artists like Robert Smithson used photography to document the process of making and remaking the earth. What is art if not a continuous cycle?