Vier kuikens c. 1900 - 1940

Richard Tepe made this photograph of four chicks, sometime around the turn of the last century, and it’s a study in subtle tones. The greyscale palette emphasizes texture, from the rough bark of the tree to the downy fluff of the chicks themselves. It’s all about light, how it catches and reveals form, like the tiny claws clutching at the ground. You can almost feel the softness of their feathers just by looking. I find myself drawn to the chick on the right. It’s isolated from the others, turned away, its head almost disappearing into its body. It makes me think of other artists, like Cy Twombly, whose work explores the interplay between line, form, and texture. Like Twombly's scribbles, the chicks embody a kind of vulnerability and openness to interpretation. It's not just about chicks; it's about the feeling of being small, fragile, and part of something bigger.