Vrouw en kinderen bij een weefgetouw in Nederlands-Indië 1912

This silver gelatin print shows a woman and children at a loom in the Dutch East Indies. It was made by Onnes Kurkdjian, a photographer who lived from 1851 to 1903. The photograph has a strong documentary quality, but that’s not all there is. The weave of the house feels like a mark-making process itself; the texture of the architecture is in dialogue with the act of weaving. Look closely at the central figure’s hands – see the focus and intention? Then there’s the faces of the other figures, gazing out at us. I love the way this photograph isn’t just one thing, but layers of actions and reactions all happening at once, all interwoven. It reminds me of David Hammons in its quiet profundity. Art is an ongoing conversation that transcends time, and this piece beautifully contributes to it.