Gezicht op de B1 Koollaag. Tunnel 6 1921 - 1922

This photograph, made by an anonymous artist, shows the B1 Koollaag tunnel. The sepia tones give a sense of something old, weathered, like a memory fading at the edges. The image is all about texture, the rough, uneven surface of the mine contrasting with the dense vegetation that surrounds it. The artist has captured a sense of place, but also the hard work that goes into extracting raw materials. See how the terraces are carved into the landscape? It’s a series of marks that remind me of brushstrokes, each one a deliberate act of excavation. I wonder, how did the artist view their own process, did they see themsleves as a kind of excavator? The way they’ve framed the shot, with the tunnel at the center, suggests an interest in the relationship between humans and the environment, something like the Bechers, but with a human element present. There's no easy reading here, just a quiet invitation to reflect on the layers of meaning embedded in this industrial landscape.