Sectie S - Directiekeet met bijgebouwen 1905 - 1910

Editor: We're looking at "Sectie S - Directiekeet met bijgebouwen," a gelatin-silver print by Augusta Curiel, likely taken between 1905 and 1910. It depicts simple wooden buildings against a backdrop of what looks like dense rainforest. It's remarkably clear for its age and makes me think about remote places. What catches your eye about this image? Curator: It whisks me away to another time and place. There's something about the way the light filters through the trees, almost as if the jungle itself is breathing. And look how stark the buildings are in contrast with the wilderness that embraces them, right? What do *you* think they represent? A clash, maybe? Or harmony? Editor: A clash, perhaps, because it looks like such a small outpost, this little building, and then… a massive forest right behind. The pre-Raphaelite influence adds to a feeling of almost theatrical beauty. Do you get a sense of that colonial gaze in her work? Curator: Absolutely! And I suspect the 'exotic' nature of the location probably adds a certain level of visual drama that’s just undeniable here, even now. What do you make of the way the photographer composes this image? I mean, *look* at that layering effect. It almost seems designed to highlight the scale. Editor: The scale is definitely a key component. Now that I see it, it gives the picture such great depth. The framing—it's almost dreamlike in quality. I guess I didn’t notice how the light created that feeling, that texture, on my first viewing. Curator: Right? The interplay between the manufactured and the natural is something to really consider when considering the impact that those ‘new’ colonial spaces might’ve had for the person viewing this! Always fascinating, right?