Rivier in Suriname 1925 - 1927

This anonymous photograph is of a river in Suriname. The dark and light balance, with the bright river contrasting with the dark overhanging jungle, feels like a metaphor for the artist's own process of discovery. What was it like to stand there, in the humidity, facing an environment so different to their own? Did the artist feel small when confronted with nature, a solitary figure in a landscape teeming with life? The texture of the water is evoked by the light shining on the ripples. The artist has captured that dynamism of the river’s flow. In a way, this photograph feels like a collaboration between the artist and the river itself, each shaping the other's existence. Photography, like all forms of painting and art-making, is an embodied expression, allowing for endless interpretations.