Paul en Lucie Sandel met groot gezelschap met door Paul buitgemaakte krokodil,, Tandjong Poera, Langkat Sumatra c. 1900 - 1910

This black and white photograph by Heinrich Ernst & Co, shows us Paul and Lucie Sandel with a large group of people and a crocodile in Tandjong Poera, Langkat Sumatra. I can only imagine what it must have been like to create images like this back then. Heinrich Ernst & Co, probably had to be very patient, and I imagine, very precise in their execution. I am particularly interested in the poses of the subjects in the image. There are several people posing in the picture: how does this dynamic interplay create an exciting feeling of the power of humans over nature, and is that ethical? What does this image tell us about human relationships with nature during this period? Is it exploitation, domination, or is there another side to it? I like to think about art as part of one big, ongoing conversation through time. Each artist is influenced by what came before, but they're also speaking to each other across generations. This photograph and its presentation of the natural world speaks to a visual language which continues to be explored today. There is no fixed meaning here, but uncertainty, and that’s exciting.