Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant Possibly 1940 - 1945

This is the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant, a newspaper, printed on May 30, 1940. It’s made of thin, pulpy paper, now aged and yellowed. The ink is dense black, tightly packed into columns of text and the occasional halftone photograph. I find myself drawn to the texture of the page itself. You can almost feel the graininess of the paper, the way the ink might slightly bleed into its fibers. Think about the pressure of the printing press, how it transferred words and images onto this surface. It is a process, where the ink and paper and the press all coming together to communicate. Look at the way the text is arranged, so regimented and orderly. Then notice the imperfections – the smudges, the unevenness of the printing, the way the ink fades in certain areas. These small details remind us that this newspaper was made by human hands, by a process that is imperfect and full of quirks. It is a reminder that art exists, even in the most functional and mundane objects. I'm reminded of the work of Ed Ruscha, who elevates the mundane to the level of fine art. Here, the Rotterdamsche Courant becomes something more than just a source of news. It becomes a document of a specific time and place. It's a reminder that art is all around us, if we only take the time to look.