Kerk 1900 - 1922

Robert Julius Boers made this steroscopic card of Kerk, or church, with photography, at an unknown date. The twin images, nearly identical, are a study in light and shadow, mostly grayscale but with delicate blue-purple tints in the upper corners. I'm particularly drawn to the way the trees frame the church, their dark masses creating a sense of depth and mystery. The eye is led from the heavy, textured foliage to the delicate spire in the background. It's a conversation between the foreground and the background, between weight and lightness. This interest in framing and contrasting elements makes me think of the work of Caspar David Friedrich, especially his landscapes that explore the sublime through the interplay of light, space, and form. Like Friedrich, Boers captures a sense of awe and contemplation in the face of nature and architecture. It's about how we see, how we feel, and how art makes us think.