Gezicht op berglandschap gezien vanuit een bosrijke omgeving, Oostenrijk 1906

This is a photograph of a mountain landscape in Austria by Geldolph Adriaan Kessler. It is presented in stereo, meaning there are two images side-by-side which, when viewed through a special device, create an illusion of depth. I am really interested in how photography, like painting, is a process of building an image, layer by layer. Here the depth is created through the contrast between the dark, densely packed forest in the foreground and the light, snow-covered mountains in the distance. The trees are a mass of dark brown, almost black, with individual trunks and branches barely discernible. In contrast, the mountains are rendered in shades of gray and white, with the texture of the snow and rock clearly visible. Notice the small stream or path that cuts through the forest, drawing the eye towards the mountains. I see a dialogue here with painters like Cezanne, who built form through tone. Art making is always an act of call and response across time. It’s never really done, just continued.