Gezicht op de oude Sint-Martinuskerk te Cuijk 1910

This photograph of the old Sint-Martinuskerk in Cuijk, was taken in February 1910. It’s credited to Monumentenzorg, or anonymous, which makes me think about what we lose, and what we gain, when authorship is unclear. Here, we see a grand, stoic building caught in a moment that feels suspended in time. The greyish tones are a beautiful wash, but if you look closer, you will see that the texture isn’t uniform; it’s built up, layer by layer, with the sky almost blending into the church. The whole thing is very still, but my eye is drawn to the clock at the top of the tower, a reminder of how time passes relentlessly, whether we're ready or not. The way the light hits the building almost makes it seem alive, like a giant stone creature slumbering in the morning light. This photo reminds me of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s photographs of industrial structures, and the New Topographics movement – both finding beauty in the mundane, and prompting us to reconsider what’s worth documenting.