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

Onnes Kurkdjian made this photograph of a sugar plantation in the former Dutch East Indies sometime between 1851 and 1903. I think of the way the artist must have looked through the lens, trying to capture the scene before him, trying to fix something in time. I'm really drawn to the way the artist uses light and shadow to create depth and texture in the image. The contrast between the dark trees and the bright sugar cane creates a dynamic sense of movement. The people dotted throughout the image are captured at work, so the photograph is a testament to the labor of making. It reminds me of other artists who were capturing everyday life with the advent of photography, but this one is particularly special because it offers a glimpse into a world that is so different from my own. It's a reminder that artists are always in conversation with one another, and that the act of creation is a way of connecting with the world around us.