Zeilschip voor de kust van Nederlands-Indië c. 1920 - 1930

This photograph shows a sailboat off the coast of the Dutch East Indies, and was probably taken by Klaas Kleiterp. Imagine him there. The sepia tones give it this incredible sense of distance, like, whoa, this was a long time ago. I’m really connecting with the sparseness of this image; the flat, glassy water and soft light, all very tonal, like an Agnes Martin. There’s something so simple about the way the boat sits on the horizon, like a little scribble. Did Kleiterp labor over where to place it, or did he just kinda *know*? I feel like that’s what painting and photography is all about—trusting your gut. Looking at this makes me want to respond by making a painting that captures the light on the water, maybe using washes of color to create a similar kind of atmospheric perspective. You know, art’s one big conversation, right? It’s nice to think that an image made so long ago can still inspire someone today.