Untitled 1980

This photograph was made by Ursula Schulz-Dornburg, and it’s a beautiful invitation into a thatched hut on a desolate shore. Imagine the photographer, the artist, finding this place. She’s drawn to it. She wants us to see it, to feel it as she does. The image is almost entirely in shades of grey, really dark in the foreground as we sit inside this sparse little structure, and grey outside where a couple of animals are resting. The eye travels from the shadows to the small patch of light in the distance, where horizon meets sky. I love how the structure is both fragile and strong. It’s a room, but barely. It makes me think about what is enough, what do we need to survive? The artist asks us to consider how even the most temporary dwelling can offer sanctuary and a place for contemplation. It reminds me of Agnes Martin’s austere grids and her interest in simplicity, yet the textures here have a lot to say. Schulz-Dornburg really gets you thinking about the basics.