Untitled 1980

This ‘Untitled’ photograph was made by Ursula Schulz-Dornburg at an unknown date using photography. I really like the stark, desolate landscape, and how Schulz-Dornburg has approached the image with a very limited tonal range. It’s almost like a drawing, the way the subtle shades of grey define the structures and the water, while the sky almost disappears. The physical texture of the buildings is fascinating. You can almost feel the grainy, earthy quality of the material, and the soft undulation of the water. The composition is so simple: a horizontal band of water, then the structures, then a huge expanse of sky. It’s like she’s zeroing in on these almost forgotten places, giving them a monumentality, but also a quiet fragility. It’s a balancing act between presence and absence. I'm reminded of the early photographs by Eugène Atget, who also sought out the disappearing corners of a city, and of course the great American photographer, Stephen Shore.