Gezicht op vernietigde brug over de Vetrivier in Zuid-Afrika met op de achtergrond een aantal gebouwen 1901

This is an anonymous stereo photograph of a destroyed bridge over the Vet River in South Africa. It's a scene captured with some kind of camera, and then printed, and mass produced. Look at how the photograph shows the rough texture of the broken bridge, and how the light catches on the fractured edges. It makes you think about touch, and weight, and all the physical stuff that makes up the world. The sepia tone gives it this dreamlike quality. I can almost feel the heat of the South African sun on those pale stones. It reminds me of some of Gordon Matta-Clark’s building cuts. I wonder about what kinds of tools were used to destroy the bridge, and how it felt to be there at that moment. This photo reminds us that art doesn't always have to be pretty; sometimes, it can be about confronting hard truths and difficult questions.