Knotwilgen langs een beek c. 1900 - 1930

Richard Tepe made this gelatin silver print of knot willows along a creek somewhere in the Netherlands, though it's hard to know exactly when. It’s like Tepe wandered into this scene, maybe on a misty morning. The trees stand like guardians along the water, their reflections doubling the quiet mood. It's all about texture here, isn't it? The way the light catches the water's surface, the roughness of the tree bark. You can almost feel the dampness in the air. Look at the way the trees are spaced, each one a little different, yet they echo each other. It reminds me of a conversation, a silent exchange across the landscape. It reminds me of Hiroshi Sugimoto's stark photographs; both artists use light and shadow to create images that are both beautiful and thought-provoking, revealing the subtle shifts in the world around us. Art, like nature, is an ongoing, ever-changing dialogue.