Sf. Goenoengsari. Kookhuis. 15-1-27. 1927

This photograph of building construction was taken on January 15, 1927, by an anonymous artist. The tones are muted, mostly grayscale, but I imagine the world depicted was far from muted. I wonder about the artist who made this image, how they saw this scene, and what they wanted to capture in their work. Was it the beauty of industry? The ingenuity of construction? The human element involved in such a feat? There are figures dotted around the landscape but the magnitude of the site dwarfs them. I’m drawn to the wooden beams, the intricate scaffolding, and the way the light filters through the structures. There is a geometric feel to the building as it rises up, the artist is in conversation with the future of the structure and the history that has gone into its foundations.