Kriegsmarine in Urville Possibly 1941 - 1946

This photo album page, Kriegsmarine in Urville, contains gelatin silver prints. These are a cluster of small photographic works, like notations, or memory joggers. The tones are mostly greyscale and the marks, or edges, of the photos are sharp and rectangular, set against a slightly mottled, grey background. It makes me think about how we frame experience, literally with a lens, but also with language. The handwritten words beneath the images feel so poignant and stark. The photo on the bottom right, ‘Sonnenuntergang an der franz. Kanalküste’ (Sunset on the French Canal Coast) is especially striking. The sun seems to burst right out of the image, the center a bright white star. The lines of light extend to the edges like a drawing, or some kind of graphic symbol, so simple and direct. It makes me think of Vija Celmins' drawings of stars at night and how both artists are dealing with the reproduction of light. The album format encourages multiple readings and the consideration of image-making as an evolving practice.