Gezicht op de Hervormde Kerk te Schalkwijk 1911

This photo of the Reformed Church in Schalkwijk, was made in 1941 by an anonymous artist from Monumentenzorg, and it really leans into its monochrome palette. It's almost like a study in the many faces of beige. The surface is super smooth, so the light just glides across it. Your eyes will probably be drawn to the thin black line running almost from top to bottom. It's a scratch in the photographic emulsion. I love it when you can see the history of the object itself. It's a reminder that art isn't just about the image, it's about the physical thing, too. The way the trees are blowing in the wind makes me think of some of Gerhard Richter's blurred paintings, where the image is almost there, but not quite. And like Richter, this photo invites us to look closer and to find our own meaning in the blur.