Stam van een mammoetboom 1880 - 1920

Editor: Here we have "Stam van een mammoetboom," taken sometime between 1880 and 1920. It's a gelatin silver print, and it's absolutely immense! The scale of the tree is overwhelming. What aspects of this work capture your attention? Curator: I'm struck by the process and materiality of the piece. Think about what went into making a gelatin silver print at that time. It's not just pointing a camera. It's the labour, the preparation of the light-sensitive emulsion, the developing process, the very consumption of silver itself! Editor: That's true; I was mostly just seeing the tree. Curator: And the tree itself! It’s not just a natural wonder but a resource, right? How many board feet of lumber could this single tree provide? The act of photographing it is an act of observation, yes, but also a precursor to potential consumption. Look at the scale again—a monument to industry, or perhaps a monument defying it? What was the social context that gave rise to the art production techniques used here? Editor: I never considered that! That contrast between preservation and consumption makes the image much more complex. Curator: Exactly! This photograph, while seemingly a simple landscape, is laden with commentary on material use and the complicated relationship between humans and nature. Is it celebratory, cautionary, or simply observational? All valid considerations depending on the social moment! Editor: Seeing it through that lens of process and resource has really changed my understanding of the photograph. I thought it was just a tree! Curator: It shows the power of seeing beyond the surface and thinking about the underlying processes and material conditions that give rise to the art we see. Hopefully, this discussion helped to show that a tree is never just a tree!