Visit to an Oil Field in Purissima Hills, USA Possibly 1908

This photograph, "Visit to an Oil Field in Purissima Hills, USA," taken by Geldolph Adriaan Kessler, captures a moment brimming with human endeavor. The sepia tones evoke a sense of time suspended, a world where the promise of industry meets the rawness of the landscape. I imagine Kessler, squinting against the sun, framing this shot. What was he thinking as he captured this scene of labour and ambition? The towering wooden structure, a derrick, dominates the view, a skeletal giant reaching for the sky. There's a tactile quality to the image, the rough-hewn beams, the sun-baked earth, and the men in their hats and suits, observing. Kessler's photograph shares something with the early industrial landscapes of painters like Charles Sheeler, a fascination with form and the stark beauty of functional structures. Artists respond to their times and to each other; they are in constant conversation and exchange of ideas across time. This photo is not just a record but also a form of embodied expression which allows for multiple interpretations.