Landschap op Banda Besar 1875 - 1890

Curator: We are looking at "Landschap op Banda Besar," which translates to "Landscape on Banda Besar." The piece, an albumen print mounted on cardboard, was created by the photographer C. Dietrich between 1875 and 1890. Editor: My first thought is a hushed quiet. Even in this monochromatic world, I sense the humidity, the way sounds get absorbed by the dense greenery. It feels meditative, like witnessing a secret. Curator: This photography is rooted in the context of colonialism. We can think about who had access to cameras at this time, who was being photographed, and what the circulation of these images tells us about power dynamics in colonial Banda Besar. Editor: I see the single figure perched on a rock amidst a tumbling landscape of stones and foliage. Their solitude strikes me; they appear both tiny and monumental at the same time. It makes you wonder what their story is and their connection to the land. Curator: The image leans into pictorialism, which often used soft focus and painterly effects to elevate photography to the level of art. How does Dietrich employ these techniques to construct a particular vision of the landscape and, perhaps, the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized? Editor: The way the light filters through the canopy creates such a beautiful pattern. The dark, leafy surroundings against the tiny, sunlit figure. Maybe the photograph suggests something about human intervention amidst nature’s vastness. The contrast could signify dominion, or perhaps… humility. It depends how you interpret it, right? Curator: Absolutely. Reflecting on such visual cues allows us to engage critically with the photography. Considering photography's ability to not just reflect but to create new socio-cultural meanings during its period, this piece invites us to consider our own position and how we perceive colonial narratives today. Editor: Yeah, looking at this now, it almost seems like the little figure is part of a fairytale – one where humans try to become one with nature, if only for a snapshot.