Chinese wajang te Merawang 1900 - 1922

Robert Julius Boers made this stereocard photograph, Chinese wajang te Merawang, at an unknown date. The sepia tones give the whole scene a unified feel, like looking through a vintage lens. This is definitely a process-oriented piece, since it documents not only a place, but also a cultural tradition. The texture here is everything. You can almost feel the roughness of the woven fence and the thatched roofs. And look at the way the light filters through the palm trees, creating these soft, hazy shadows. The whole scene feels so tangible, like you could step right into it. I'm drawn to the figures in the foreground. Each one a study in stillness, yet full of potential energy. This reminds me of some of the early ethnographic photography, where artists were trying to capture a sense of place and culture. But Boers brings a certain warmth to the scene, an affection for his subject matter. It’s a good reminder that art is always a conversation, a way of seeing and interpreting the world around us.