Further, she includes city dwellers-people engaged in mundane urban activities. She chose to photograph in urban centers, public parks, even construction sites, recombining the elements to appear as if we are looking at untouched wilderness.
Rather unexpectedly, the sources for the individual elements in this composition are far from the natural environment it suggests. Gütschow used advanced visual software-digitally stitching the image together from dozens of different negatives that she had taken on her travels. For example, the shadows do not match up throughout the image, and there are elements that are disruptive to a harmony of the overall scene, such as patches of dirt, discarded shipping palettes, and the oddly small scale of the main tree. The artifice is apparent only after sustained and close viewing. Yet what we are seeing is not a window onto an actual place but a meticulous simulation. A low, flat horizon is dominated by a vast sky, and lounging figures by a river are enjoying the scenery. Gütschow composes what looks like a panoramic view of a northern European countryside, very reminiscent of Dutch 17th-century paintings. We are looking here at the large-scale photograph by the contemporary artist Beate Gütschow entitled LS #17. Hello, this is Eric Lutz, associate curator of prints, drawings, and photographs. Associate Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs
