Bioscoop Goenoengsari. (Aug. 1926.) 1926 - 1928

This vintage photograph, "Bioscoop Goenoengsari," was taken in August 1926 by an anonymous photographer. What strikes me is the texture of the road, it isn't paved, you can see the ruts and the way the light catches on it, there is a material honesty to the image. It's almost cinematic, not just because of the subject matter, but because of how the photographer composes the image. Our main subject is blurred slightly, as she moves forward, basket on her head, towards the Bioscoop Goenoengsari. Is this a movie theatre? Or perhaps some kind of factory? The building is the main formal element here, as its strong shape contrasts with the softness of the road, and the figure, while also suggesting a narrative. Is she going to work, or to the cinema? It reminds me of some of the photographs by Walker Evans, there is a documentarian impulse here, but also a real feeling for the person in the image. Art is always about seeing things in new ways, and this photo makes me want to know more.