Pagina 14 van fotoboek van de Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters ter Oostkust van Sumatra (A.V.R.O.S.) c. 1924 - 1925

This photograph by J.W. Meyster comes from a photo album of the Algemeene Vereeniging van Rubberplanters, or AVROS, in Sumatra. It’s not brushstrokes we see here but shades of grey, and the photographic image is more of a record, a document, than a painting. Even though it’s a photo, this print isn’t exactly objective. It’s carefully arranged. Look at the way the trees frame the buildings. The scene appears calm, but if you spend time with this image, you might notice the telephone poles and train tracks. I wonder what this image leaves out. Ultimately, photography, like art, is about choices. Meyster wanted to emphasize certain aspects of Sumatran life, but I’m curious about the other parts of life in Sumatra at this time. Art and photography can be a conversation, not just about what’s shown, but about what isn’t.