Bommen 1940

This is an anonymous photographic collection, titled ‘Bommen’, held at the Rijksmuseum. It is a series of gelatin silver prints, organized in a grid format. What's interesting is the contrast of dark and light here. The photos themselves are black and white, but the photo album page is dark grey. There’s a tension created between the individual images, and their collection. Each print is a single shot, however together they convey a message, a narrative, a collection of memories. Each image is like a single brushstroke in a larger painting. There’s an intimacy here. Like an Agnes Martin grid painting, it's a meditation, a reflection of the maker's process. It's a reminder that art is not just about the final product, but about the journey of making. Much like Kurt Schwitters’ collages, a single item is elevated to the realm of art by its inclusion in a collection. The meaning of ‘Bommen’ remains ambiguous. This ambiguity is what makes it so powerful. It invites us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the work, making it a deeply personal and meaningful experience.