Hajò (Boat) c. 1930

László Káldor made this photograph, Hajò or Boat, using gelatin silver. It’s a study in tones, ranging from dark, almost bruised blacks to shimmering silvers, each shade arrived at through a process of chemical immersion and reaction. Looking at the wake of the boat, you can almost feel the churn of the water, its insistent rhythm pushing against the stillness of the frame. Káldor captures the boat from an unusual angle, creating a vertiginous feeling, as if we’re suspended in mid-air, witnessing a fleeting moment in time. The texture of the boat itself, the wooden planks and metal fixtures, suggests a history of use, of journeys taken and stories told. You know, this reminds me a little of some of the industrial photography of the Bauhaus school. There’s a similar interest in form and function, but with a softer, more romantic sensibility. Ultimately, this piece is about the dance between light and shadow, movement and stasis, and the beauty that can be found in the everyday.