Riettransport op de suikeronderneming Nieuw Tersana, Cheribon, voormalig Nederlands-Indië c. 1890 - 1935

This photograph, Riettransport op de suikeronderneming Nieuw Tersana, Cheribon, voormalig Nederlands-Indië, was captured by Onnes Kurkdjian. I’m drawn to the textural dance here. The way the light plays on the cane is really lovely, you know? The black and white tones gives it a timeless feel, and it makes me think about the process of photography itself - capturing a moment in time. The train cuts through the landscape, a strong horizontal element that is softened by the trees, and then there's this guy waving, the composition is super engaging. I keep coming back to that cane though, bundled up so tightly, it's almost sculptural. Each stalk has its own story etched in its surface. For me, this photo resonates with Walker Evans, and his documentation of American life. There is an honesty there and a clear way of seeing the world. Art is a way of sharing visions, right? Sometimes history, sometimes something more.