Blootgelegde aardlagen bij archeologische opgravingen in Hongarije 1928

Jan Lanting created this photograph of exposed layers of earth at an archeological site in Hungary, but when, exactly? And what was it like for him, standing there? I imagine Lanting, squinting in the sun, focusing on the striations in the dirt. Look at those layers, so carefully rendered in tones of brown and grey. The earth becomes like the canvas, the site a living thing. Each line feels like a carefully applied stroke, capturing the texture and density of the soil. You can almost smell the earth, feel the grit under your fingernails. The light suggests a specific moment in time, yet the photograph captures geological time. It’s as if he were in conversation with other artists, like Robert Smithson, thinking about time and ephemerality. But unlike Smithson's grand gestures, Lanting seems to be pointing to something humble, almost forgotten. This feels like a way of marking time and memory.