Paramaribo en riviergezicht 1925 - 1935

This is an unbound page from a photo album with four black and white photographs taken by Theodoor Brouwers. The images are arranged in a grid, and they seem to be views of Paramaribo and its river. What's so cool about photographs is the way they can make the everyday feel so present, so immediate. Look at the texture of the paper, the way the light reflects off the surface. It's almost like you can reach out and touch it, feel the graininess of the image. Take the top left image, of the street scene, with the large trees crowding the road. There's a stillness to it, a quiet sense of waiting. It reminds me of my own process, of standing in front of a canvas, waiting for the right mark to appear. I love how art can do that, make us slow down, and really see the world around us. Thinking about the still, quiet quality of Agnes Martin's paintings, and her interest in the rhythms and patterns of everyday life.