Zuidzijde van de Sint-Bonifatiuskerk te Vries 1898

This photograph shows the south side of the Sint-Bonifatiuskerk in Vries. It’s made using photographic processes that render the brickwork in muted tones. The image's power lies in its depiction of material, and the labor it represents. Consider the number of hands that laid each brick, hewing clay, shaping, firing it in the kiln. Every stage involving human effort. The tower, a testament to craft, required skilled labor to assemble. The photograph flattens all this work into a single image, but we can still sense the weight and density of the structure. This image asks us to consider the relationship between craft, labor, and representation. By focusing on the materiality of the church and the processes of its construction, we recognize the social and economic context in which it was built. It's not just a building, but a record of human effort and collective endeavor.