Pagina 159 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

This photograph, "Page 159 from a photo book of the General Association of Rubber Planters on the East Coast of Sumatra," was taken by J.W. Meyster. I am thinking of the feel of light—such bright light—in the way the shot is composed. I'm thinking about the weight of labor suggested by the figure carrying what looks like branches, maybe rubber plants. I imagine what it was like for Meyster to frame the shot, find the right spot, the perfect intersection of light and shadow. I think that the photograph shows the artist was thinking about the relation between humans and the environment. Meyster has managed to capture something unique and deeply human about the place and time in which this image was created. Artists build on each other's work, and this is a reminder that what we make today is always in conversation with what has come before. And it helps us see in new ways.