Ruïnes aan de Pompenburgsingel te Rotterdam c. 1940 - 1945

J. Nolte made this photograph of Ruïnes aan de Pompenburgsingel te Rotterdam, it’s a study in black and white, and the gradations between. It feels like the photo was created by capturing a specific moment in time, but also by a process of layering light and shadow. The rubble on the left really grabs me. It’s all texture, sharp and broken, a raw, jumbled mountain of debris. The surface seems to absorb light, creating deep shadows that hint at the chaos and destruction. And then, the road, with its cobblestones, receding into the distance. Look at the way the light catches on the edges of those stones, each one a tiny facet reflecting the sky. The whole picture feels like a conversation between the past and the present, destruction and life starting up again. There's something of Walker Evans' directness in this image, but with an added layer of personal reflection. It's a powerful reminder that art doesn't always need to be pretty; sometimes, it just needs to be real.