Reliëfs van de Borobudur 1875 - 1890

This photograph by C. Dietrich captures reliefs from Borobudur. Consider that the original carvings were made from stone, likely volcanic andesite, quarried locally. The process would have involved teams of laborers, quarrying, transporting, and carving the stone with hand tools over extended periods. Now, think of the labor involved in producing this photograph. We see a shift in production, from the many hands involved in carving the stone reliefs, to the individual photographer, Dietrich. The photograph flattens the three-dimensional reliefs into a two-dimensional image, transforming the tactile experience of stone into a visual one. Both the reliefs and the photograph involved different forms of labor and skill, reflecting changing modes of production and representation. Looking at the photograph, we’re invited to think about the relationship between handcraft and mechanical reproduction, and how both are tied to wider social and economic contexts.