Transportbanden Possibly 1927

This photograph, "Transportbanden," shows a factory scene, captured through the anonymous lens of a camera, somewhere, sometime. I think about what the photographer might have been thinking when they made it. It’s a bit like standing at the edge of a canvas, feeling the weight of the unknown. I see this industrial space, with its imposing structures and intricate machinery. You can imagine the photographer trying to capture the enormity of the space, the endless repetition of the assembly line, and the movement of the conveyor belts. They likely felt small, observing the grand machinery. It is the same thing you feel when facing the blank canvas and your hand hesitates before the immensity of what it could become. The monochromatic tones are muted and grey, creating a sense of distance, or quietness, which makes me want to fill it in with feeling, and gesture. It’s a little like an old abstract expressionist black and white painting. It is the start of the conversation, and now it is my turn to respond.