From the Sequence "San Giacomo" 1986

Dieter Appelt created this photograph, "From the Sequence San Giacomo," using gelatin silver, and there’s no date on it, so it’s like a timeless echo. Appelt’s approach is all about process, and you can see it in the way the image seems to emerge from a darkroom alchemy. The print has a tactile quality. The contrast between the smooth metallic ring and the grainy textures surrounding it creates a palpable sense of depth, almost like you could reach out and touch it. Look at the way the light catches the edges of the ring, how it glows against the darker background. It's as if the image itself is a sculpture, shaped by light and shadow. The blurry, almost chaotic marks remind me of Cy Twombly, who also blurred the line between drawing, photography, and sculpture. Art’s not about answers, it’s about the questions it provokes, and Appelt's work is a masterclass in visual questioning.