Pagina 140 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

This photograph of Robusta coffee, by J.W. Meyster, is one page from a photo album made for the Rubber Planters Association of Sumatra. There's a real tension between the detail in the image, and the limited tonal range. It's like Meyster is embracing a kind of imperfection, which gives it a very human feel. I keep coming back to how the berries are captured, they have a real sculptural presence. You can almost feel the weight of the bunch, the way they cluster together, so full of potential energy. It’s not just about documenting, but conveying a sense of life and growth. Think of Karl Blossfeldt, another artist with a close eye for detail in the natural world, who transformed plant forms into almost architectural structures. It reminds us that art is always a conversation, a way of seeing and interpreting the world.