Vrijstaande huizen aan het water in Edam, op de achtergrond de Speeltoren 1904

Here we have a photograph by James Higson, Vrijstaande huizen aan het water in Edam, op de achtergrond de Speeltoren, with no date, just sepia tones and silver salts doing their thing. It's a scene, more than a snapshot, really. I love how the reflections in the water mimic and warp the solid structures above, it’s a reminder that what we see isn't always fixed, like how art itself shifts and changes with our perspective. The surface of the water, smooth yet subtly textured, makes me think about the surface of a painting, and all the different ways you can build up layers. And if you look closely, near the center, there’s a subtle ripple, as if the whole image has been gently disturbed. It adds an element of time, like a moment caught in the act of becoming. This resonates with some of the photographs of Eugène Atget, who documented the changing face of Paris, also capturing the ephemeral quality of everyday life. Just like with painting, there’s something about embracing that fleeting sense of ambiguity and impermanence.