Drie foto's van een reis naar Griekenland en Turkije 1926 - 1929

This page with three photographs from a trip to Greece and Turkey was made in 1930, by Carolina Onnen, known as Loentje. What strikes me is how the sepia tones and the way the photos are arranged on the page really flatten the space. It's like looking at a collage where the distinction between image and ground becomes blurred. The photograph of the Acropolis in Athens is a great example of this. It is hard to tell what the light conditions were when the photo was taken. It feels a bit like she is almost painting with light and shadow. This adds to a feeling of ambiguity and dreaminess. It’s hard to tell what is sharp focus and what isn't. Looking at Loentje's photographs, I’m reminded of the work of artists like Gerhard Richter, who also play with the blurring of photographic images. Maybe the impulse to blur and flatten is related to a desire to embrace ambiguity, leaving room for interpretation.