Untitled 1980

Ursula Schulz-Dornburg made this gelatin silver print, Untitled, printed on paper. Look at the gradations of gray, from the subtle sky, to the building sitting in a shallow body of water. I feel like Schulz-Dornburg is showing us a process, one where nature and architecture are in constant conversation. The texture of the building is fascinating – it’s somehow both solid and permeable. You can see the individual pieces of the roof and the open latticework of the walls, repeated and reflected in the water. These repeated marks, in turn, create larger patterns, playing with transparency and opacity. It reminds me of Agnes Martin's grids, but with a twist of melancholy. This piece exemplifies how art doesn’t need to shout to be heard; it can whisper volumes. I think of the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who created typologies of industrial structures – Schulz-Dornburg is exploring similar themes of architecture and memory, but with a more poetic and intuitive touch.