Landschap before 1903

Max Albert made this photograph, Landschap, sometime in the 20th century, but even in black and white, it feels like it was made in colour. The grainy texture of the photograph makes me think about the layers of a painting, the way the marks build up, and the process becomes visible. The composition is simple, but the tonal range is really sophisticated, especially the way Albert captures the light. Look at the upper section of the photograph, where Albert blurred the focus of the lens and the trees at the top of the composition become an expressive mass. This reminds me of Gerhard Richter's photographic painting, blurring of the subject matter, pushing the boundaries between abstraction and figuration. Art, like a conversation, is ambiguous, full of personal interpretation.