Gezelschap langs een spoorbaan op de Maäboberg in Suriname Possibly 1923 - 1927

Augusta Curiel made this photograph, "Gezelschap langs een spoorbaan op de Maäboberg in Suriname," with what looks like a pretty straightforward approach, all documentary, to capture this group of people along the train tracks. The image is a study in contrasts: the dark, dense foliage against the stark white of the clothing, the winding track carving its way through the landscape. Look at the way the figures are arranged. Some are posed, some are relaxed, and each is a study in light and shadow. Do you see the texture in the foliage? How about the almost hazy distance created by the contrast of light and shadow? It's all so tactile; you can almost feel the humidity in the air. And then you see the marks of the photographer, the careful composition, the play of light. Curiel reminds me a bit of someone like Lisette Model; both were interested in capturing the world around them, unvarnished and immediate. Ultimately, this photograph is a reminder that art doesn't always have to be about grand gestures. Sometimes, it's just about seeing the world around you and capturing it in all its messy, beautiful complexity.