Gezicht op een tingroeve met mijnwerkers te Belinyu c. 1900 - 1920

This is an anonymous photograph of a tin mine in Belinyu, and what strikes me is how much the image-making process mirrors the mining process. The scene is dominated by earth and sky. Look at the grays, how they're built up, layer upon layer, like sediment. Your eye bounces around, trying to make sense of the overall composition. It’s a bit like abstract painting really. You can almost feel the physicality of the land, the weight of the materials. Take a look at the horizon line, how the trees almost vibrate against the pale sky. This area holds a tension, a visual push-and-pull that keeps the image alive, preventing it from flattening out into mere documentation. It reminds me of some of Gerhard Richter's landscapes, where the familiar becomes strange through the artist's process. Art isn't just about answers, but how we keep asking questions.