S.O. Goenoengsari. Ketelfundaties. 3 December 1926. 1926

This black and white photograph, taken on December 3, 1926, by an anonymous photographer, captures the foundations of S.O. Goenoengsari. I imagine the photographer, maybe perched precariously, framing this scene of industrial beginnings. It’s all about structure here: the stark geometry of the concrete juxtaposed against the skeletal frames of the metal structures. The contrast, the grays... it’s like a visual symphony in monochrome. I wonder what they thought as they captured this moment. Was it a celebration of progress, a nod to human ingenuity, or just another day on the job? I feel like, as a painter, they would feel how a single line or angle can change the whole story. This image feels like a conversation between the solid and the ephemeral, the built and the unbuilt. It reminds us that even in the most functional of forms, there's a certain beauty waiting to be framed, to be seen.