Canada Lynx, Woolastook Park, Fredericton Possibly 1985 - 1986

Volker Seding made this photograph titled 'Canada Lynx, Woolastook Park, Fredericton’. The tones in this image are so subtle, like a muted chord – greys and browns, pierced by the verticals of those pale wooden posts. It makes me think about how seeing is a construction, a framing of the world. It's kind of haunting. Look at the post with the greenish hue – almost like a ghostly figure standing guard. Seding wasn't afraid to let the imperfections show. The grain of the wood, the dappled light, the way the fence leads your eye but then refuses to resolve into a clear narrative. The photograph’s surface is smooth, but the scene it depicts has a real texture to it. You can almost smell the damp earth and feel the cool air. Seding's work, with its quiet observations, reminds me a bit of Frederick Sommer, in that both artists find a kind of stark beauty in the overlooked corners of the world. It's a good reminder that art doesn't always need to shout; sometimes, it can whisper.