Ruïnes bij de Hoofdsteeg te Rotterdam c. 1940 - 1945

This photograph, Ruïnes bij de Hoofdsteeg te Rotterdam, by J. Nolte, is a monochrome scene documenting urban ruins and the human figures that traverse the remains of the city. The desaturated palette accentuates the stark reality of destruction and decay, as tones of gray build the details of the rubble-strewn street, the hollowed-out building and the sky beyond. This photograph is full of heavy material presence: Look at how the buildings are rendered, with the rough texture of the broken walls, which contrasts sharply with the smoothness of the sky. The marks here create a sense of layered time, of things falling apart and rebuilding. There’s a really nice balance in the composition. On the left side of the image, the eye travels along the curves of the remaining structure, yet, to the right of the image, a grid-like building still stands, though, burnt out. These kinds of architectural studies remind me of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who captured the stark beauty of industrial structures. Both artists invite us to consider the beauty in the unexpected, the art in the everyday, the ways in which we see, think, and experience the world.