Noordelijk portaal van de Sint Walburgiskerk te Zutphen 1890 - 1910

Editor: So, this photograph captures the north portal of the Sint Walburgiskerk in Zutphen, dating from somewhere between 1890 and 1910. The detail is incredible! I’m struck by the weight of the stone, its texture. What stands out to you about this image? Curator: I see the photograph not merely as a record, but as a document of labor. Think about the quarrying, the transportation of the stone, the highly skilled stonemasons meticulously shaping each block. We see not only the aesthetic decisions encoded in the Gothic style but also the physical exertion, the investment of human energy inherent in the very materiality of the church. Consider the socio-economic forces that enabled its construction. Editor: That’s fascinating! I hadn't really considered the labor aspect so directly. It seems almost…invisible. Does the photograph itself, the photographic process, play a role here? Curator: Absolutely. The photograph transforms that intense physical labour into a commodity, a collectible image. Its creation involved its own material processes – the coating of the glass plate, the developing chemicals, the printing paper – transforming monumentality into something reproducible. This photograph allows consumption of culture for a wide audience that does not necessarily involve a journey to Zutphen, potentially reshaping perceptions of the monument. Editor: I’m beginning to understand the layered context you're highlighting. It's more than just a church; it’s about the labor, the materials, and the process of image-making too! Curator: Precisely. It’s about understanding how materiality shapes culture, and how culture shapes our understanding of materiality. Editor: I will never see architectural photographs in the same light again! Thanks so much for the insights. Curator: A materialist lens can bring depth and complexity to anything we observe; it reveals a history contained within the materials themselves.