Gezicht op een zeilboot die vastgelopen is op de kust before 1902

This is ‘Gezicht op een zeilboot die vastgelopen is op de kust’ by Wyk Hofmann, printed sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The image is printed in monochrome and what I find interesting is the tonal contrast in the work, particularly the deep blacks of the boat, almost like a dark stain against the pale wash of the sky. The material aspects of this piece, the way it’s printed, give it a particular feel. It’s not trying to be perfectly realistic; instead, it’s embracing the nature of photography as a process. The surface has a kind of sheen, a smoothness that makes the image feel almost tactile. The way the boat is beached and slightly listing to one side, relates to the precarious nature of our own lives, and brings a sense of the slightly surreal or absurd to the scene. I’m reminded of the seascapes of someone like James McNeil Whistler, particularly in the emphasis on atmosphere and the subjective experience of a scene over a literal depiction. Art is always about conversation, after all. It’s about embracing ambiguity and seeing where it takes us.